Standard of Care Expert Witnesses

Marcel O. Ponton, PhD, has over 25 years of experience in the field of Psychology. He specializes in the Neuropsychological Assessment and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury patients and patients with Psychological Trauma.

Dr. Ponton continues to treat brain injury and trauma survivors in his private practice. He has extensive expertise in the assessment of Spanish-speaking patients. He is a published author, Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA, and Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Litigation Support - Over the past 22 years he has served as an expert witness, Dr. Ponton has executed hundreds of evaluations and been retained for his expertise over 300 times. He has testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator over 40 times. Dr. Ponton's services include neuropsychological assessments, psychological assessments, report writing, medical records review, consulting, and assessment of children and adults.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic Neuropsychology Traumatic Brain Injury Brain Injury Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Injury Trauma Malingering Personal Injury

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Psychology Dementia Sanity / Trial Competency Sexual Harassment Sexual Discrimination Handedness

Armond Kotikian, DDS, MD, FACS, is double board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In the clinic setting, Dr. Kotikian routinely performs IV sedations for complex cases including impacted wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, bone grafting and tumor excisions. He specializes in:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma
• Infections
• Oral Pathology Resection and Reconstruction
• Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients (surgical and non-surgical)
• Craniofacial Anomalies (orthognathic surgery / corrective jaw surgery)

Litigation Support - A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Kotikian has extensive experience as an expert witness in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry. His Dental law and Dentistry services have been requested all over the country. Dr. Kotikian has been an expert witness on over 125 malpractice cases, given depositions on over 65 cases and testified at court over the past six years. His cases have included a wide variety of issues related to the Oral and Maxillofacial region including

• Oral Pathology
• Nerve Injuries
• TMJ Issues
• Oral Trauma
• Oral and Facial Fractures and Lacerations
• Injuries related to Extraction of Teeth
• Injuries related to Dental Implant \ Surgery
• Orthognathic Surgery Complications
• Head and Neck Infections related to Teeth and Salivary Glands

More information at www.oralsurgeryexpertwitness.com

View Dr. Kotikian's Consulting Profile. 

Dr. Peter-Brian Andersson, a Board Certified Neurologist and Associate Professor of Neurology at UCLA, specializes in Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Memory Disorders, Testamentary Capacity & Undue Influence, and Nursing Home Standard of Care. 

Between 1992 and 1997, Dr. Andersson completed an internal medicine internship and then neurology residency at the University of California, San Francisco where he also served as Chief Resident. He has completed fellowships in multiple sclerosis at UCSF and in neuromuscular disease at Stanford University. He served on the faculty at Stanford University in the neuromuscular division before moving to the Valley in 1999 and has served this community as both an outpatient and inpatient neurologist for over 20 years.

Dr. Andersson has been published in laboratory and clinical neurology. He has been an ad hoc reviewer for the journal Muscle & Nerve. He is the Medical Director of Stratus Neurodiagnostics, the leading outpatient EEG services company in the United States, and has served as a Principal and Co-Investigator for dementia trials at The National Research Institute.Epilepsy 

Litigation Support: Dr. Andersson has extensive experience providing expert testimony. His services include medical record review, IMEs, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Traumatic Brain Injury Neuromuscular Disease   Multiple Sclerosis Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Capacity Epilepsy

EMG & EEG Neuropathy Myopathy Headaches Dementia / Memory Disorders Nursing Home Standard of Care

Prior to beginning his residency, Dr. Andersson graduated cum laude in medicine from the University of Cape Town in 1986. In 1988, he earned an honors degree in medical biochemistry at the University of Cape Town. Between 1988 and 1991, Dr. Andersson obtained a D. Phil in neuroimmunology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He was Yamanouchi Junior Research Fellow in Cell Biology at Wolfson 1991-2. Junior Research Fellowships are awarded to the top 2% of graduates at Oxford University.

Dr. Mark J. Conklin is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with over 30 years of experience in treating Complex Foot and Ankle Conditions. He has spent over two decades specializing in ankle replacement surgeries and is recognized for his role as an expert witness in malpractice, personal injury, and workers’ compensation cases. With his commitment to staying at the forefront of orthopedic advancements, Dr. Conklin provides top-tier care to his patients.

Litigation Support - Dr. Conklin provides expert witness services for plaintiff and defense in medical malpractice, personal injury and worker's compensation cases. His services are available for IMEs.

Dr. Conklin has reviewed over 120 cases and been in over 20 depositions. He is skilled in presenting complex medical information in a clear and understandable manner, ensuring that juries and judges grasp the key medical issues.

Areas of Expertise:

Foot and Ankle Surgery Foot and Ankle Injuries Ankle Replacements Foot and Ankle Fractures Achilles Tendon Injuries Ankle Ligament Injuries and Reconstruction Foot and Ankle Fusions

Bunions Hammertoes Diabetic Infections Amputations Lisfranc Injuries Neuromas Metatarsal Osteotomies

Dr. Conklin is a Former President of Woodridge Orthopedic Clinic, Chairman of the Lutheran hospital department of Orthopedic Surgery, President of the Golden Ridge Surgery Center, President of Panorama Orthopedic and Spine Center and President of the Colorado Orthopedic Society.

John D. O'Connor has more than 40 years of experience dealing with complex Attorney Fee Disputes. He is a member of the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis (NALFA) and is recognized as one of the top legal fee experts in the country.

Mr. O’Connor has tried over 70 cases in federal and state venues throughout the country, with highly enviable success in complex, contentious disputes. Retained by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as trial counsel in key cases, he has achieved a pretrial dismissal in each concluded action. He has held the highest Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating for over 25 years, and has consistently been named a “SuperLawyer” by his Northern California peers.

A former Federal Prosecutor, Mr. O’Connor was chosen lead outside counsel in certain S&L crisis litigation, defended a California Attorney General in campaign-related litigation, and successfully represented Golden State Warriors basketball Coach Don Nelson in significant contract claims.

Litigation Support - Since the advent in the late 1980’s of adversarial legal auditing, Mr. O’Connor has served extensively as an expert, litigator, and JAMS mediator throughout the country, analyzing audit criticisms, applying community standards, and construing applicable case law. Through written Declaration and oral testimony, he has consulted on hundreds of adversarial legal fee disputes over three decades. Mr. O'Connor's work has been widely lauded by clients, lawyers, courts, and arbitrators.

Areas of Attorney Fee Dispute Expertise:

• Billing Rates / Overbilling
• Litigation Efficiency
• Task Assignment and Staffing
• Prevailing Party Determination
• Litigation Skill

Craig A. Nachbauer, MD, RPVI, is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has practiced thoracic and vascular surgery since 1991. He also serves as the Medical Director of the University of Vermont Health Network-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Wound Center.

Dr. Nachbauer completed his thoracic surgery residency at the Ohio State University Hospitals. After a fellowship in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University, he served as Clinical Associate in Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound.

Litigation Support - Dr. Nachbauer has over 10 years of experience in medical record review, determinations of standard of care, and deposition and testimony in medical malpractice cases.

Areas of Expertise:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Vascular, Endovascular surgery and Phlebology
• Non-invasive Vascular Testing
• Wound Care

New York Address 12 Haeley Avenue Plattsburgh, NY

Vermont Address 54 West Twin Oaks Terrace, Suite 14 South Burlington, VT

View Dr. Nachbauer's Consulting Profile.

Arnold J. Weil, MD has over 33 years of experience specializing in Non-Surgical Orthopaedics and Pain Management. A Diplomat of the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Chief Executive Officer of Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C., one of the premier orthopaedic practices in the metro Atlanta area. 

Dr. Weil's practice focuses on conservative, non-surgical care of orthopaedic injuries and pain management, including a variety of interventional injections, therapy and pharmacologic management. He treats patients with back and neck pain and a variety of other orthopaedic conditions and is one of the leading experts on Spine Care and Disability Management.

 

Video: Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C. | The Overview

Litigation Support - Arnold J. Weil, MD provides litigation support services to attorneys representing plaintiffs and defendants. He has maintained an unbiased reputation in the medical and legal community. Dr. Weil's experience includes over 300 depositions, medical-legal reviews, peer reviews, and trial appearances. 

Areas of Expertise:

Back, Neck, Spine Injuries Disability Management Pain Management Interventional Spine Injections Workers' Compensation Injuries

Disc Herniation, Bulge, Rupture Independent Medical Evaluations Peer Review Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Injections Life Care Plans

View Dr. Weil's Consulting Profile.

Kent C. Sasse, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS, is a Board-certified general surgeon in active practice. UCSF general surgery residency; Lahey Clinic colon and rectal surgery fellowship. Over 20,000 gastrointestinal, colorectal, general, and bariatric procedures. Clinical Associate Professor, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Approximately 50 peer-reviewed publications. Medical Director of nationally accredited bariatric surgery center.

Clinical Experience - Bariatric and metabolic surgery, revisional and reoperative procedures, anastomotic and staple-line leak, failure to rescue, hernia repair and mesh and biologic graft performance, hiatal hernia and fundoplication, advanced endoscopy and stenting, colorectal surgery, pelvic floor and incontinence, sacral neuromodulation, complex wound management. Twenty-plus years as medical director of a nationally accredited bariatric center. Inventor and patent holder, bariatric surgical device. 

Nutrition support - Former medical director of a home infusion pharmacy with clinical oversight of home parenteral and enteral nutrition therapy, vascular access, and patient selection. Member, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Experience with criteria-based medical necessity review. Reviews the nutrition and gastrointestinal components of life care plans, including indications for enteral versus parenteral support, expected trajectory and adaptation after intestinal resection, access complications, and projected duration of therapy 

Litigation Support - Medical negligence, personal injury, and product liability. Over 100 case reviews for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners and the U.S. Air Force. 50+ depositions and trial testimonies. Retained by plaintiff and defense in approximately equal measure, and has served as a neutral reviewer. 

Dr. Sasse is a sought-after speaker and an experienced trial witness, having logged many hours on the witness stand in highly charged cases. He brings a commitment to objectivity and thoroughness to each and every case. 

Areas of Expertise:

Bariatric Surgery Nutrition Support Obesity Life Care Plan Review Surgical Complications Abdominal Trauma

Hernia Repair Intestinal Failure Sleeve Gastrectomy Endoscopy Sepsis Gastric Bypass

View Dr. Sasse's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Farr Ajir, MD, MBA, FACS, CIME, is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon with more than 35 years of experience in the treatment of disorders of the Brain and Spine. He is also Certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (CIME).

Dr. Ajir has been staff neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Systems.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and California Association of Neurological Surgeons. He is a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) with many years of leadership and administrative experience in healthcare delivery.

Litigation Support - As an expert neurosurgeon with decades of experience, Dr. Ajir offers services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He performs Independent Medical Examination, and provides expert reviews and medical-legal opinions. Dr. Ajir holds medical licenses in California, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin, and Utah. 

Areas of Expertise: 

Brain

Brain Abscesses & Infections Brain Concussions Brain Contusions Brain Edema Brain Hemorrhages Brain Injuries Brain Tumors Cerebral Aneurysms Cerebral Vascular Diseases Cranioplasty

Craniotomy Head Traumas Hydrocephalus Microneurosurgery Pituitary Tumors Skull Fractures Stereotactic Neurosurgery Vascular Malformations Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts

Spine

Back Pain & Injuries Back Pain & Injuries Cervical Disc Diseases Cervical & Lumbar Disc Surgeries Cervical & Lumbar Laminectomy Lumbar Disc Diseases Microdiscectomy

Neck Pain & Injuries Spinal Abscesses & Infections Spinal Cord Injuries Spinal Cord Tumors Spinal Stenosis & Spondylosis Spine Fractures Spine Injuries

             

Dr. Tony Nettleman is a Land Surveying Engineer and Attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years. He holds a BS, MS and PhD in geomatics as well as a law degree. He is licensed in multiple states as a Professional Surveyor and is also a licensed attorney. 

Litigation Support - Tony has helped over 100 clients understand their land surveying and/or property dispute issues. He has testified in depositions and trials over a dozen times throughout that period to help judges and juries better understand what's expected of a Professional Land Surveyor. Whether your dispute is in Florida or Texas, New York or California, Tony travels across the country to conduct surveys, help the clients understand the substantive surveying issues, and resolve the surveying matter at hand.

Areas of Expertise:

Easements Land / Water Boundaries Land Title / Deeds Real Property Attorney Standard of Care

Surveyor Negligence Riparian Allocations of Ownership and Use Dock Surveys Unmanned Aerial Systems

Tony Nettleman on Land Surveyor Negligence

Dr. Nettleman has held distinguished professorships at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University, and Troy University. He is currently the Director of the Nettleman Institute of Surveying Engineering Technology, the President of Nettleman Land Consultants, and the President of NLC Test Prep. He is the author of Clark on Surveying, a co-author of Brown’s Boundary Control and Evidence & Procedures for Boundary Location, teaches college courses, and helps hundreds of land surveyors become licensed each year.

Dr. Robert Evans, PhD,  is a Licensed School Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral sciences, including completing over 100 Child Custody Evaluations. Dr. Evans serves as a consultant to the medical, legal, and law enforcement community in Florida on Psychological and Educational matters. He consulted with Orange County Public Defender with cases involving arrest and incarceration of children, including Competency Assessments and Insanity Determinations. He has also provided Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to victims of crime in the Central Florida area. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Evans specializes in Parental Alienation cases which are commonly among those classified as High Conflict Divorce cases and he has written a book on Parental Alienation. He provides litigation support to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include support with hearing / trial preparations, review of current evaluations, and support during and after the litigation process. 

Dr. Evans has given sworn testimony as a Forensic Psychology expert witness in NY, IL, PA, GA, FL, IA, ID, CO, OH, TX, TN, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, SC, WA, and OR. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Parental Alienation
• Child Custody Evaluations
• False Allegations of Abuse
• Treatment Considerations for Alienated Children

William A. Muñoz, Esq., is a Civil Trial Attorney, Legal Ethics Expert, and Third-Party Neutral with over 20 years of experience defending attorneys, and other professionals such as architects and engineers, real estate agents/brokers, real estate appraisers, and insurance brokers, as well as defending personal injury, toxic torts, products liability, defamation, wrongful termination / harassment, wage and hour and discrimination claims.

 Mr. Muñoz is currently a member of the California State Bar Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (“COPRAC”) where the Committee interprets and issues opinions regarding legal ethics and the California Rules of Professional Conduct. Mr. Muñoz also serves as an arbitrator for the State Bar’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration program.

Mr. Muñoz previously served as the Chair for the Legal Malpractice Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization responsible for preparing and grading the legal malpractice law legal specialization examination as well as assessing the qualifications of potential applicants seeking the legal malpractice specialization designation and recertification.

Legal Malpractice Litigation Support - As a Subject Matter Expert, and with his wealth of experience, Mr. Muñoz is prepared to address the nuances of each case. His services are available to attorneys representing injured parties in the following areas:

Standard of Care Conflicts of Interests

Legal Ethics Reasonableness of Attorney’s Fees

Mr. Muñoz also serves as a Dispute Resolution Conference judge for El Dorado County Superior Court, a judge pro tem for Sacramento County Superior Court’s Settlement Conference Department, and more recently, a mediator for the Third District Court of Appeals Mediation Program. His approach is further informed by the renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law mediation training program and the National Conflict Resolution Center mediation training program.

An expert in his field, Mr. Muñoz has presented locally and nationally on issues of legal malpractice, conflicts of interests and legal ethics and regularly contributes a column in the Association of Defense Counsel for Northern California and Nevada’s Defense Comment entitled “The Lawyer’s Lawyer” addressing issues of legal malpractice avoidance and legal ethics.

View Muñoz Dispute Resolution's Consulting Profile.

Brent Moelleken, MD, FACS is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. Double board certified, he received his training at Harvard University, Yale University, UCSF, and UCLA. Dr. Moelleken is one of three specialty-trained surgeons in the world to complete the year-long Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship at UCLA. He is an Attending Surgeon and Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery at UCLA, where he often performs surgeries and teaches residents. Here, he specializes in patients diagnosed with skin cancers in the facial area who require complex, artful reconstructions. 

Dr. Moelleken has innovated various procedures including LiveFill®, autologous fat-fascial grafts; the USIC® & LUSIC® cheeklifts, short incision cheeklifts; the 360 Facelift®, a comprehensive natural appearing facelift procedure; and the Hybrid Tummy Tuck®, a short incision tummy tuck for fit moms. He believes in publishing the results of his innovations in peer-reviewed journals. Results of Dr. Moelleken’s studies have been published in books, articles, and the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. Dr. Moelleken provides free surgical services to Veterans at the West Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital through his UCLA affiliation, and has his own charity, the About Face Foundation ™, helping children and victims of violence or crime who might otherwise be unable to afford reconstructive services. Several of his charity patients have been featured in local and national television and print segments.

Litigation Support - Dr. Brent Moelleken provides expert witness support for insurance companies and counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical case review, depositions, and trial testimony when necessary. Dr. Moelleken has trial experience with the following issues:

Cosmetic Surgery Reconstructive Surgery Medical Malpractice

Burns & Wounds Scar Revision Lien Work

View Dr. Moelleken's Consulting Profile.

Paul J. Michaels, MD, is a nationally renowned Anatomical and Clinical Pathologist with over 20 years of experience in his field. Dr. Michaels completed his medical residency and earned a Fellowship in Cytopathology from Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School.

Litigation Support - Dr. Michaels offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. He has written over 100 general causation reports focusing on pathology and providing an extensive differential diagnosis in order to provide an opinion with a reasonable degree of medical certainty. Dr. Michaels has participated in numerous MDLs, been deposed over 60 times, and testified in court 6 times.

Areas of Expertise:

Anatomic Pathology Clinical Pathology Cytopathology Cancer Pathology Oncologic Pathology General Surgical Pathology

Breast Cancer / PremPro Vaginal Mesh Talc / Ovarian Cancer Zantac / Cancer Hair Relaxer / Uterine and Ovarian Cancer Smoking-related Cancer

Background Experience - Dr. Michaels is currently a member of a 10-pathologist group that operates the largest and most comprehensive anatomic pathology services laboratory within Central and Coastal Oregon. He is one of two pathologists responsible for covering Bay Area Hospital, the largest hospital on the Oregon Coast, which serves as a regional referral center.

Dr. Michaels' roles at Bay Area Hospital include: Chairman of Pathology; Member of the Hospital Medical Executive Committee; Medical Director for Transfusion Medicine, Hematology, and Cytopathology; Member of the Cancer Committee; and Member of the Trauma Committee.

At Southern Coos Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Michaels serves as Laboratory Medical Director where his Anatomic Pathology responsibilities include frozen sections, gross evaluation and sign-out of complex surgical specimens, review of numerous outpatient biopsies, GYN and NON-GYN cytology, presentation at tumor board conferences, and performing hospital autopsies. Clinical pathology responsibilities include peripheral blood smear and body fluid review, crystal identification, and evaluation of blood transfusion reactions.

Speaking Engagements and Presentations - Dr. Michaels has delivered seminars and presentations in Canada, Japan, and throughout the United States. Topics have included cytopathology, breast cancer, acute cellular rejection, and many more. 

William Santoro, MD is board certified in Addiction Medicine and board eligible in Family Medicine. He is the Chief of the Section of Addiction Medicine at Tower Health and was the Medical Director at the Reading Hospital & Medical Center detoxification/rehabilitation program. Dr. Santoro was also the Medical Director at a Methadone Treatment center  for 22 years, until 2021, where he is responsible for prescribing methadone to approximately 950 opiate dependent patients.

Dr. Santoro is the Addictionist on staff at The Reading Hospital & Medical Center within the Department of Family and Community Medicine. He is consulted by hospitalists to care for patients admitted to the hospital with addiction complicating their condition. Dr. Santoro runs an outpatient program treating over the 300 patients with buprenorphine (Suboxone/Sublocade) or Vivitrol maintenance. With an interest in Sports Medicine in 2001, he served as a volunteer physician for the U.S. Olympic Training Team in Lake Placid, New York.

Dr. Santoro has been deposed more than a dozen times in the past several years. He has testified in court numerous times on behalf of the plaintiff as well as for the defense. He has testified in Federal Court and been involved in cases concerning the pharmaceutical industry.

Areas of Expertise:

• All aspects of Addiction Medicine
• Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
  • Buprenorphine
  • Naltrexone
  • Methadone
• Dual Diagnosis Pain/Addiction

View Dr. Santoro's Consulting Profile.