Standard of Care Expert Witnesses: 140

Paul M. Adler, DO, FACEP, MBA, Medical Director for the Ventura County, California, Department of Corrections, has worked in Correctional / Jail / Prison Medicine & COVID-19 Preparation & Response. He has overseen the care of inmates in Jails in California and New York, as well as Prison inmates who have been transferred to county facilities to serve their terms for years in county jails in California. He has also overseen Correctional health car in locked units in Hospitals . 

Dr. Adler is the President-Elect of The American Correctional Health Services Association of California / Nevada, which represents all clinicians and administrators in Jails/Prisons in California and Nevada. He previously oversaw a County Hospital, County Nursing Home and ran a County Health Department and oversaw Correctional healthcare for the Westchester, New York Jail.

Litigation Support - Dr. Adler has defended Jails and Prisons in Southern California, Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. He is currently the expert consultant to the California Prison System for Covid litigation and the medical consultant to the judicial consent decree overseeing care in the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. He also served as the expert consultant to the ACLU for Covid in the Illinois Department of Corrections

Dr. Adler still works as a full-time practicing physician and has helped attorneys and insurance companies in Emergency Medicine, Nursing Home Medicine, Public Health and Hospital Administration since 1985. He has been involved in Plaintiff litigation in many states including against Rikers Island, NY and Cook County Jail and is available to review and consult on clinical Correctional/Jail/Prison cases for attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Services:

• COVID-19 Preparation & Response
• Medical Oversight of Federal Consent Decrees
• Screen Cases for Merit
• Review, Analyze and interpret Medical Records
• Provide Basic or Comprehensive Written Reports
• Interpret Standards of Care, Deviation and Adherences as they Relate to Correctional Health Care
• Develop Chronological Time Lines
• Policy and Procedure Development

Edward J. Priz, CPCU, APA, has worked full-time in the Insurance Industry since 1976. In 1982, he also began consulting on commercial property and casualty insurance, and Workers Compensation insurance premium charges, and in 1987 established his own consulting firm to specialize in those fields, as Advanced Insurance Management. 

Mr. Priz holds the professional designation Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute of Property and Liability Underwriters, as well as the designation Associate in Premium Auditing, from the Insurance Institute of America. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Priz has been retained by policyholders, insurance agents and brokers, insurance companies, and a premium audit firm as an expert witness in his field, both as a consulting expert and as a testifying expert. He serves as an expert witness to counsel for Plaintiff and Defense and has testified in federal and state courts and arbitrations in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. He is a member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association and currently serves as Vice-President of the Chicago chapter of that organization. He is also a member of the Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, and the National Society of Insurance Premium Auditors. 

Mr. Priz has also consulted on the drafting of legislation pertaining to Workers Compensation insurance in Illinois and has testified on insurance regulation before the Illinois legislature. He is the author of three books on the subject of Workers' Compensation insurance.

 

Edward Priz Expert Witness Services

Areas of Expertise:

Workers Compensation Insurance Premiums Audits Classifications Experience Modification Factors Retrospective Rating Large Deductible Policies Payroll Audits NCCI Manual Rules Insurance Agent / Broker Standards of Care Commercial Property & Casualty Insurance Coverage

NCCI classification Rules Experience Rating NCCI Rules and Procedures Retrospective Rating Large Deductible Policies Workers Compensation Appeals Agent Errors and Omissions Insurance Auditor Duties and Errors NCCI Inspections Independent WC Rating Bureau Rules

View Edward Priz's Consulting Profile.

Dennis Fivecoat has over 25 years of Use of Force and Firearm experience in the Military (20 years, retired) and private sector including significant training in the area of Civilian Law Enforcement.  He has attended numerous firearm and use of force related training courses including instructor development with local and federal law enforcement agencies, tactical firearm, close quarters battle, concealed carry, force-on-force training, use-of-force, and legal updates.

Litigation Support - As an instructor-trainer (Master Instructor) in firearms and less lethal devices (pepper spray, expandable baton, defensive tactics, handcuffing), Mr. Fivecoat has a practical and academic basis in the use of deadly and less-lethal use of force by civilians.  His experience teaching firearm use, defensive tactics, and use-of-force allow him to provide opinion on not only proper use of the tool or tactic utilized, but whether the actions were reasonable under the circumstances of the incident.

Mr. Fivecoat provides consultation and testimony on the reasonable use of force, self-defense, and defense of others. Private citizens may become involved in situations (shootings, brandishing, threats with weapons, excessive force, false arrest, false imprisonment) where the reasonableness and legality of their actions are challenged. Review of actions taken, firearm use, and the education of the expert provide the foundation for determining the reasonableness of each parties’ actions. Mr. Fivecoat will review the incident and opine based on local law, training standards, and the reasonableness of the use of force under the circumstances and conditions of the incident. 

Areas of Expertise:

Reasonable Use of Force Excessive Force Local Law Training Standards Firearms Tactical Firearms Firearm Brandishing Pepper Spray Expandable Baton

Defensive Tactics Threats with Weapons Handcuffing Close Quarters Battle Conceal Carry Self Defense Defense of Others False Arrest False Imprisonment

Background - Dennis Fivecoat is a retired US Army physician assistant with a wide variety of functional background and experience. He has seen service in eight different countries encompassing desert, jungle, snow, and maritime missions. His past responsibilities range from combat in SW Asia to hospital duties as an ICU nurse in South Carolina. He has responded during national hurricane relief efforts and somewhat smaller Defense Support to Civil Authority (DSCA) missions. Click for Full Biography.

View Dennis Fivecoat's Consulting Profile.

Joanna Aiken is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist practicing in the operating rooms and intensive care units at NYU Langone Health, ranked the #1 hospital in New York, and #3 nationally by the US World & News Report. Dr. Aiken functions clinically, and also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor to the medical students, residents, and fellows affiliated with the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Aiken has participated and presented in both national, and international conferences on issues that include some of her interests: bioethics, surgical and critical care, and quality improvement.

Litigation Support - Dr. Aiken works to cultivate excellence through the art of clinical practice, physician education, and as an expert medical witness. Her services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Anesthesiology Bioethics Ventricular Assist Devices Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Patient Consent Guardianship Critical Care Critical Illness Pressors Inotropes

Intensive Care Unit Transfusion of Blood Product Perioperative Medicine Post-Operative Medicine Perioperative Medicine Post Anesthesia Recovery Operating Rooms Quality Assurance Patient Safety Medical Optimization

Andrew J. Manganaro, MD has been a board certified Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon for more than 25 years. He has experience in all areas of adult cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgery, and has cared for more than 10,000 patients in his practice.

Litigation Support - Dr. Manganaro has more than 15 years of experience in medical expert opinions for both plaintiffs and defendants. His services include medical record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He is licensed to practice in Ohio, Michigan, Delaware, New Mexico, Illinois, New York, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Dakota.

Areas of Expertise:

Cardiac Surgery Pulmonary Surgery Esophageal Surgery

Trauma Surgery Vascular Surgery Endovascular Surgery

Monica M. Argumedo, MD, is a Board-Certified Forensic and Clinical Psychiatrist (ABPN). Dr. Argumedo has testified about her forensic opinions in more than 40 cases in open court. In psychiatric practice for more than 15 years, Dr. Argumedo teaches at Rush University Medical School/Rush University Medical Center as Assistant Professor in Psychiatry. She teaches psychiatry residents in topics related to psychiatry and the law, and psychiatry in medicine. She also interviews prospective medical students through her role on the Medical Admissions Committee.

Dr. Argumedo works with Employers in cases where mental health/psychiatric concerns about an employee require an objective and unbiased Fitness for Duty Evaluation and report. She also consults in employment matters and litigation and serves as a disclosed expert witness. Her work addresses fitness for duty (FFD) in a litigated environment, Wrongful Termination, and Psychiatric Disability. Additional experience includes FFD of peace officers and first responders.

Services - Forensic Psychiatry, Medico-Legal evaluations, medical complications, review of records, written reports, deposition testimony, trial testimony, consultation to attorneys addressing psychiatric issues relevant in a case, opposing counsel expert reports or expert qualifications, assisting with cross-examination questions, and lines of inquiry.

Areas of Expertise:

Fitness for Duty Wrongful Termination Psychiatric Disability Depression Anxiety PTSD Competency Dementia Cognitive Behavior Emotional Distress

Pain and Suffering Standard of Care Institutional Care Medical Malpractice Discrimination Harassment Hostile Workplace Pre-employment Evaluation Security-sensitive Security Clearance

Janet L.Taylor,  BSN, CEN, CFRN, NREMT-B, is a Nurse with over 20 years of experience, the majority of which has been spent in Emergency Medical Service / Emergency Room and Critical Care Transport. Ms. Taylor has experience in all levels of EMS and Critical Care transport, from types of scenes to inter-facility transports. She has worked in various areas including ER, Medical / Surgical, Labor and Delivery, Intensive Care Unit, and Outpatient.

A Certified Flight Nurse, Ms. Taylor works with Life Flight Eagle, a non-profit organization that provides life-saving helicopter transport for critically ill and injured patients in Kansas and Missouri communities surrounding Kansas City.  

Consulting Services - Ms. Taylor also works as a consultant, researching current evidence-based practices to update current policies for patient care. She writes modules for online education and her employer's education department. She consults independently with a small rural hospital in creating customized education modules to improve their staff education offerings.

Ms Taylor has been chosen to speak at various EMS conferences all over the nation, offering up to date content for continuing education and improving patient care. She is also employed by University of Maryland Baltimore County as an adjunct instructor.

Litigation Support - Ms. Taylor is an EMS / ER, Critical Care Transport Subject Matter Expert providing chart review, standard of care, and deposition services. She is available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:  

Emergency Medical Services Critical Care Transportation Standards Ambulance / Emergency Transport Clinical standards Inter-facility Transport Standards

Flight Nurse Standards Paramedic Standards Emergency Room Nurse Standards

Steven A. Bernstein, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS, is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who specializes in Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Bernstein is Chief of Foot and Ankle Services and Podiatric Surgery at Hudson Regional Hospital, Secaucus NJ.  Dr. Bernstein's main office is in Fort Lee, NJ however sees patients in NY as well,  at Citimed, Complete Medical Care Injury Doctors serving Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and New York, New York. He reviews cases from all over the country. Dr. Bernstein is well versed in all types of Forensic Medical Legal cases. He also served as an Expert Medical Advisor (EMA) in the Division of Workman Compensation for the State of Florida for a period of seven years.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bernstein has over 30 years of experience performing Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) and 2nd Opinions for cases involving Trauma and Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery. He has provided over 1,000 IMEs and been deposed and/or testified approximately 500 times for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. Dr. Bernstein offers litigation support services in New Jersey, New York, and Florida and the rest of the country.

Areas of Expertise:

Podiatric Surgery Foot Trauma Surgery Foot and Ankle Reconstructive Surgery Complex Revision Surgery of the foot and ankle Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Failed Foot and Ankle Surgery

Charcot / Residual Clubfoot Deformities Limb Salvage and Preservation External and Internal Fixation Techniques Ankle and Small Joint Arthroscopy Ankle, Heel, Foot Pain Management Sports Injuries

Fort Lee Office 1608 Lemoine Ave, Suite 205 Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Telephone: 201-482-8236

Hudson Regional Hospital Office 55 Meadowlands Parkway Secaucus, NJ 07094 Telephone: 201-482-8236

Gerald W. Smetana, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, is a General Internist with over 36 years of experience in an academic primary care practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he has taught internal medicine to medical house staff and also teaches extensively to practicing clinicians in continuing medical education settings. Dr. Smetana is a Master of the American College of Physicians.

Practicing in an outpatient setting, Dr. Smetana cares for a panel of patients that is weighted towards those with multiple chronic illnesses and high disease complexity. In addition to all aspects of office based general internal medicine, his areas of interest include Preoperative Medical Evaluation, Hypertension, and Headache.

Dr. Smetana has been repeatedly selected as a Best Doctor in a national survey and has received a national award for scholarship in medical education. He publishes in the peer reviewed medical literature and medical texts, has edited textbooks, and has helped to develop national guidelines on topics in internal medicine. He has been invited to deliver seminars and presentations on various topics within his area of expertise nationally and internationally.

Litigation Support - Dr. Smetana reviews cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and has testified at deposition and at trial as an expert on numerous occasions in most states in the eastern United States. He has reviewed medical malpractice cases over the past 20 years both for plaintiffs and doctors. Dr. Smetana also consults for risk management insurers. His record review and medicolegal consultation services are available throughout the United States.

Brian H. Kelley is a seasoned Banking Executive, Lender, and Attorney with over 30 years of experience in lending, top management, and legal positions for both regional and larger commercial banks in California, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon. He has served as the CEO of three successful community banks and the head of a Multi-Billion Dollar lending group with a large international bank.

Litigation Support - Mr. Kelley provides expert testimony and litigation support to attorneys representing financial institutions, businesses, and individuals. His expert witness services include analysis of key issues, case strategy, depositions, opinions, and court testimony.

Mr. Kelley's expertise has been called upon in State, Federal, Bankruptcy, and Arbitration Courts, having testified on behalf of FDIC, major banks, and financial institutions. He is a qualified expert in eights states and the District of Columbia.

Areas of Expertise:

Consumer and Commercial Lending Loan Underwriting Bank Operations Bank Compliance Federal and State Regulation Credit and Collection Practices

Bank Governance Lender Liability Loan Policy and Guidelines Loan and Credit Review Loan Workout Loan Modification and HAMP Programs

Education / Training: BA and JD from Brigham Young University. Extensive professional course experience in loan underwriting, credit analysis, corporate finance, lending practices, etc.

Degrees / Certifications: Admitted to the California, Utah and Hawaii Bar Associations. Past Director of Western Independent Bankers, California Bankers, American Bankers Association and Mortgage Bankers of America.

View Brian Kelley's Consulting Profile.

Elbridge F. Bills, MD, FACOG, is a board certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of clinical experience in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Bills is a graduate of Emory Medical School and received a Master's degree in Metabolic & Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida.

With a full-time practice caring for and managing low and high risk pregnancies and deliveries, Dr. Bills also has an active gynecological practice including hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic procedures. He is licensed in both Georgia and Florida.

Dr. Bills is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bills offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. He is available for cases involving medical malpractice and other OB-GYN related injuries. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Normal & High Risk Pregnancies Hysteroscopic Gynecology Laparoscopic Gynecology Reconstructive and Robotic Surgery

Gynecological Ultrasound Integrative Medicine Hormone Therapy Testosterone Therapy

Jess Birken, MNM, Esq.

Jess is the owner of Birken Law Office PLLC, a boutique law firm serving nonprofits and charitable entities with their compliance and operational issues. Jess empowers nonprofits to achieve their mission by doing things right. She connects clients with the right tools, right coaching and right contacts. Ms. Birken is a nationally recognized attorney both for her service and understanding of the nonprofit & charitable sector as well as for her innovative subscription based law firm model. Listen to Jess' podcast Charity Therapy on your favorite podcast player.

Credentials

• BA, Sociology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• JD, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Magna Cum Laude
• MA, Nonprofit Management, Hamline University School of Business
• For additional information view LinkedIn

Litigation Support 

Ideal client engagements are with attorneys for either plaintiff or defendant representing nonprofits involved in complex nonprofit business or compliance cases.

Entity Formation, Articles of Incorporation Nonprofit Sector Best Practices Bylaws Interpretation Fiduciary Duties Private Benefit / Private Inurement / Insider Dealing

Voting Member Rights Board Disputes / Community Disputes Government Grant Compliance Nonprofit Policy Norms Conflicts of Interest Management

Biography

Ms. Birken is the former CEO & Managing Partner at Urban Birken PLLC, a boutique firm that focused on serving the nonprofit community and started her own firm in 2016. Jess has extensive non-legal experience working inside nonprofit organizations for most of her career prior to law school as well as after attaining her masters.

Before becoming a private practice attorney, Ms. Birken served inside a mid-sized national nonprofit organization, Pheasants Forever. In that role she managed ~$50,000,000 in state and federal government grants and worked on hundreds of conservation real estate transactions. Jess is deeply experienced in the reality of federal grants management across the entire life cycle. Ms. Birken has a deep understanding of the norms and best practices of the nonprofit sector, as well as the legal and regulatory environment these organizations exist within. This expertise was developed through her academic work obtaining a Masters in Nonprofit Management, in the work environment and through private practice experience.

Birken Law Video Introduction

Contact Information

You can contact Ms. Birken via e-mail or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Click here to schedule a free call now.

Marguerita M. Cheng, CFP®, CRPC®, RICP®, Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth, is a Certified Financial Planning Expert with 18 years of experience. Prior to co-founding Blue Ocean Global Wealth, she was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an Analyst and Editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan. Ms. Cheng is a past spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign and a regular columnist for Investopedia & Kiplinger. She is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, a Retirement Income Certified Professional® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) Ambassador, Ms. Cheng helps educate the public, policymakers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She served on the Financial Planning Association (FPA) National Board of Directors from 2013 – 2015 and is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA). 

Marguerita Cheng CNBC Interview on Social Security 

Awards and Honors - Ms. Cheng is a recipient of the Ameriprise Financial Presidential Award for Quality of Advice and the prestigious Japanese Monbukagakusho Scholarship. In 2017, she was named the #3 Most Influential Financial Advisor in the Investopedia Top 100, a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews, and a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE®) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).

Litigation Support - Ms. Cheng serves as a Women’s Initiative (WIN) Advocate and subject matter expert for CFP Board, contributing to the development of examination questions for the CFP® Certification Examination. She also volunteers for CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings. Services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant include financial due diligence, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Litigation Expertise:

Financial Planning Issues Social Security Elder Financial Abuse

Financial Planner Standard of Care Financial Planner Code of Ethics Investor Rights

Michael Blumenkrantz, MD, FACP, FACN, CNSP, dFASN has over 40 years of experience specializing in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Dr. Blumenkrantz is an internationally recognized expert in Internal Medicine, Dialysis, Kidney Disease, Total Parenteral Nutrition, and Nutrition. Achieving the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine (in residence) at UCLA, he has been in private practice for the past 30 years. Dr. Blumenkrantz is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology.

Litigation Support - Dr. Blumenkrantz has been offering litigation support services to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense for 15 years. Approximately 40% of his cases involve renal issues and the remainder are in the field of internal medicine. Dr. Blumenkrantz has been involved in 350 cases in the past 15 years and has been deposed approximately 120 times. He has testified at 30 trials and arbitrations.

Areas of Expertise:

Internal Medicine Dialysis Hemodialysis Peritoneal CAPD Kidney Disease Obesity Nutrition Support

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) Critical Care Hypertension Long Term Geriatric Care Medical / Legal Quality Assurance Personal Injury Medical Malpractice

View Dr. Blumenkrantz's Consulting Profile.

Bonneau Dickson, P.E. is a sanitary engineer with forty years of experience in all aspects of potable water, wastewater and stormwater design and construction management.  He has provided forensic sanitary engineering expertise and served as an expert witness for 25 years.  He has been deposed approximately 100 times and has testified in trials, arbitrations or mediations more than a dozen times.  He has worked both in the U.S, and abroad.

Mr. Dickson has designed approximately 300 water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. Has been resident engineer or otherwise participated in the construction phase of approximately 20 water and wastewater projects. Mr. Dickson has both project management and general management experience as project manager on approximately 175 projects. Mr. Dickson served as forensic technical consultant or expert witness on more than 100 cases. With his decades of experience, he understands not only the engineering aspects, but also the financial, managerial, political, and personal aspects of legal issues. Mr. Dickson's expert services include succinct reports with explanations of complex engineering matters in layman’s language. 

Areas of Expertise:

Sewage Overflows Wastewater Facilities Design Wastewater Facilities Planning Septic Systems Water Facilities Design

Water Facilities Planning Standard of Care Stormwater Facilities Design Stormwater Facilities Planning PCE Contamination

Education - BS Civil Engineering, GA Tech; MS Sanitary Engineering, GA Tech; MA Sanitary Engineering, Harvard University; Master Of Business Administration, Harvard University View Bonneau Dickson's Consulting Profile.