Real Estate (General) Expert Witnesses: 35

Jay Hibert was in the Commercial Banking Industry for over 25 years before leaving to form his own company, a real estate lending and consulting company. The company provides services to banks, non-banks, and individuals in need of creative financing solutions.  Still an ACTIVE lender in the industry, Jay stays updated on current customs and practices and has transacted hundreds of real estate and non-real estate loan negotiations in times of economic growth as well as downturns in the economy. His extensive credit background arms him with the understanding of how banks and other lenders operate internally.  

Litigation Experience - Mr. Hibert has been providing expert witness and consulting services since 2010. He has been designated over 250 times as an expert in 25 different states concerning matters relating to commercial lending, real estate, construction finance, SBA loans, brokerage, hard money loan expert and investment issues. His experience includes both Federal and State court cases where he has provided deposition testimony, trial testimony and arbitration testimony. 

Jay is a licensed Real Estate Broker (Cal DRE #01523) and for 10 years his company was a California Finance Lender and Broker through the California Department of Business Oversight. He is experienced in trial and deposition testimony and his services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. 

Key areas of expertise in litigation work include:

• SBA Real Estate Loans
• Hard Money Loans
• Lending Policies, Custom and Practice/Lender Liability
• Broker Standards of Care and Fiduciary Responsibility
• Loan Underwriting and Credit Administration
• Loan Process and Bank Loan Restructure/Workout Process
• Note Valuations/Collateral Review
• Litigation and Discovery Consulting
• Banking Operations/Administration
• Expert reports adherent to Federal Rule 26
• Hard Money Lending
• SBA Lending
• Loan Syndication/Secondary Market Loan Sales
• Title Insurance Cases
• Private Money Lending
• Predatory Lending
• Financial Elder Abuse
• Covid Related Finance Issues

*****Experienced in trial and deposition testimony*****

View Jay Hibert's Consulting Profile.

Jeffrey S. Lapin, CPM, ARM, DREI, is an expert in maintenance and management procedures and reasonable standards of care for commercial and residential multifamily properties. He has been directly involved in Property Management, Leasing and Construction for over 40 years. 

Mr. Lapin is a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) and an Accredited Residential Manager (ARM), certified by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®). Mr. Lapin is a certified instructor for IREM® and is a co-author of IREM's Maintenance and Risk Management Course (MNT 401). Mr. Lapin teaches for the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA®) and is a Distinguished Real Estate Instructor (DREI). Mr. Lapin teaches courses for these prestigious international property associations, including courses required by IREM® and by BOMA® for the respective professional accreditations they offer, centered around inspection and maintenance topics. He also served as President of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) Chapter 22 in Sacramento, California in 2016. 

Mr. Lapin specializes in Standard of Care for Landlords, Property Maintenance and Inspection Procedures, Management Policies and Procedures, and Asset Value Protection. His background includes roles with a diverse group of private property owners. His experience is in managing and leasing all types of property including commercial and multi-family residential, industrial, office, and retail real estate assets. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Lapin provides expert witness services on Commercial and Residential Real Estate Standards of Practice. His cases involve injuries, personal and financial, that occur as a result of an alleged failure by a commercial or multifamily landlord to follow reasonable standards of care and industry standard practices.

Areas of Expertise:

View Jeffery Lapin's Consulting Profile.

Attorney, Lawrence H. Jacobson, has been practicing in the area of Real Estate Transaction Law and Litigation for more than 50 years. Over the past 30 years, he has been sought out as an expert witness in real estate and legal malpractice disputes and lawsuits in litigation cases throughout the country. 

His firm, The Law Offices of Lawrence H. Jacobson, A Professional Corporation, is recognized as one of the nation's premier offices providing expert testimony in litigation involving all Real Estate Matters and Legal Malpractice. 

Mr. Jacobson has been engaged in the practice of law in Los Angeles since 1968. Formerly Vice President of Legal Affairs for the California Association of Realtors, Mr. Jacobson has served as a judge pro tem for the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Municipal Court Systems and as an adjunct professor of law focusing on real estate secured transactions and administrative law. He is Past President of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He has written and lectured extensively on business and real estate related matters. He has served on the faculty of the Graduate Realtors Institute of the California Association of Realtors and a lecturer author for the California Continuing Education of the California Bar.

Litigation Support - Mr. Jacobson offers an impressive record of success as an expert witness in real estate, business, and finance. Included among the numerous cases in which he has testified as an expert witness are disputes over the interpretation of real estate documents, real estate and mortgage brokers’ standard of care and legal malpractice related to real estate transactions and business law including issues involved in corporate finance, merger and acquisition and ethics.

Areas of Expertise:

View Lawrence Jacobson's Consulting Profile.

Lezlee Liljenberg, CIC, CRIS, MLIS, PA, MA, entered the Insurance business in 2004 as she started her first agency from ground zero, growing the business to over $6 million in revenue in less than 12 years.

Ms. Liljenberg holds a BA in Journalism/Public Relations and a MA in Political Science/Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a Professional Financial Representative holding licenses as 6 & 63 Securities, a Property & Casualty Agent, Life & Health Agent, Risk Manager, Public Adjuster, and Texas Real Estate Broker.

She is well-known in the insurance and real estate industries for her responsiveness, knowledge, and professionalism in handling situations in both of these industries. Her 36 years of contractual knowledge is extensive and is strengthened by her years as a Commodity Electricity trader during Deregulation in 2001.

Litigation Support - Ms. Liljenberg provides Insurance Expert Witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. She offers thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Larry Lowenthal is a nationally recognized Real Estate Expert Witness who has been retained by dozens of attorneys across the United States since 2003 to analyze failed or troubled real estate transactions. 

Based in North Central Florida, he is also retained to help with substantial commission or fee disputes.

Insurance Defense attorneys retain Larry when their broker clients are charged, while plaintiffs and their attorneys retain him when charging real estate brokers with improper conduct. 

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:

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.

Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, catering and special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. 

Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained on over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. His many clients have include among others Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge. 

Litigation Support: Dennis Gemberling is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Food and Beverage Executive, Certified Foodservice Management Professional, and Certified Food Safety Manager. He offers expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant cases on a variety of Hospitality-related claims. He is a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International and the Forensic Expert Witness Association. Mr. Gemberling also provides expertise as a Court Appointed Receiver and Interim Property Manager and is currently the Past President and a Board of Director for the California Receivers Forum – Bay Area Chapter. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dennis Gemberling's Consulting Profile.

Joseph A. Quilici, CE, SE, CFLC, is a Registered Structural and Civil Engineer in the state of California and is a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant. Mr. Quilici has over 40 years of experience in the construction industry. He has extensive knowledge of building codes and familiarity with innovative building systems.

Mr. Quilici's range of expertise includes luxury & merchant built residences, apartments and hotels, recreational centers, commercial, retail, and office facilities, religious and educational facilities, and industrial / warehouse facilities. He is also experienced with a diverse range of building materials, including tilt-up concrete, structural steel, post-tensioned concrete, concrete masonry units, foam block, light gauge steel, and timber. 

Qualifications: 

• Licensed Structural Engineer, over 35 years, 1986
• Licensed Civil Engineer, over 40 years, 1982
• University of California, Berkeley, MS Civil Engineering - Structures, 1980
• US Green Building Counsel LEED, Accredited Professional, May 2009
• US Build it Green, Certified Green Building Professional, September 2009
•  Forensic Expert Witness Association Board of Directors - Past President
• Board Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant
• Western Construction Consultants Association Westcon Board of Directors - Past President

2 Minute Informational Video

Litigation Support - Mr. Quilici is a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant experienced in Destructive Testing, Forensic Investigation, Post-Disaster Investigation, and Remedial Design. His services include site inspection, thorough reporting, repair designs & exhibits suitable for estimating damages, depositions, and trial testimony for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

• Rainfall Calculations, Earth Retention Structures, Grading, Roadwork, Drainage Plans, Flooding
• Structural Framing and Decay, Concrete Foundations, Swimming Pools, Water Feature
• Architectural Moisture Proofing Repair, Seismic Retrofit, Failure Investigation
• Pools, Fountains, Water Features
• Landscape and Recreation Structures & Bridges; Grading, Drainage, Flatwork
• Shells & Vessels, Structural Steel, Gunite, Tilt-Up Concrete, Post-Tensioned Concrete, Precast Concrete, Light Gage Metal, Engineered Lumber, Masonry and Foam Block
• Multifamily, Condominium, Hotel & Resort Facilities; Historic Restoration; Planning & Architectural Design; Merchant Built & Custom Residential, Commercial, Retail, Offices; Medical, Industrial, Historic Restoration, Religious

View Quilici Engineers, Inc.'s Business Consulting Profile.

Christopher Hanson, JD, CCIM, has over 44 years of experience in the Real Estate Industry. A retired trial lawyer of over 25 years who's dealt exclusively with real estate cases, Mr. Hanson currently provides subject matter expertise in all areas of real estate litigation.

Background Experience - As a California real estate trial attorney, Mr. Hanson has participated in over 880 Trials, Arbitrations, and Mediations (only 3 UDs). Cases have included negligence, fraud, non-disclosure, breaches of fiduciary duty, and contract. He's defended and sued brokers and their insurance companies. He has represented bidders, borrowers, and banks in regard to foreclosures; and both sides in loan workouts, and worked with national chains doing state-wide store rollouts, and lease renegotiations.  

Prior to his time as an attorney, Mr. Hanson worked for 12+/- years as a Real Estate Broker, actively selling and leasing property (commercial and residential). He holds a CCIM designation, earned by doing deals.  Before his role as a broker, he spent 7+/- years as a title insurance company Advisory Title Officer, where he researched and wrote Preliminary Reports.

Litigation Support - Mr. Hanson offers a balanced and unbiased opinion. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include document review, depositions, and discovery, along with arbitration and mediation. His opinion takes into account all the technicalities and nuances of real estate along with his 4 decades of experience, and is delivered in a way a jury can easily understand. 

Areas of Expertise:

Steven D. Epcar, CPM an Expert in Real Estate and Property Management Issues with 35+ years of experience;including residential, commercial, retail, hotel, condominium and mixed-use properties. Experienced in litigation support including standard of care, partnership conflicts, brokerage issues,landlord/tenant, valuation, personal injury, habitability, environmental, life safety cases. 

Steven is a member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA).  He serves as a real estate consultant for institutional and private investors, providing an array of services: asset/property management related assignments, organizational assessments, financial feasibility, due diligence,and new development services. 

Previously, Mr. Epcar served as President, Residential Services for Carmel Partners a R/E investment/management firm in San Francisco, Principal/Founding Partner of Ventana Property Services, a West Coast third party management and consulting firm and President,Prometheus Management Group,a development/investment/management firm.

Areas of Expertise:

Peter John Ingersoll is a distinguished CEO and Corporate Broker for Safe Harbour Equity, Inc., specializing in Cannabis Real Estate and Investment. With over 40 years of experience in investment real estate, construction, development, trust, and banking, Peter's role encompasses a focus on cannabis sector real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and capital advisory services. He has successfully managed complex transactions, capital structures, startup business protocols, and basis transfers.

Litigation Support - As a cannabis thought leader and expert witness, Peter offers services to attorneys for plaintiff and defense for creditor, investor, partner, and founder disputes.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - A former Series 7, 22, and 63 licensee, as well as a Series 65 registered investment advisor, Peter brings a wealth of knowledge in fiduciary responsibilities, real estate and company financing structures, and tax-deferred transactions.

Graduate of Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania – Finance

View Safe Harbour Equity, Inc.'s Consulting Profile.

AVAILABLE NATIONALLY
CERTIFIED RESTORERS * CERTIFIED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS *
CERTIFIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION SUPERVISORS * CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL INFECTION CONTROL CONSULTANT * CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL DRYING SUPERVISOR * CERTIFIED INFRARED THERMOGRAPHERS *
IICRC CERTIFIED MASTERS * LIC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS #299472

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

 Brian Spiegel and David Spiegel offer expert testimony and consulting services regarding smoke, water, fire, mold contamination property damage restoration, reconstruction, and construction defect related problems. Both have been speakers nationally and internationally on property damage restoration, construction, and mold contamination related topics. In the past at the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) national mold symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina and at the Forensics Consultants Association on toxic mold litigation and mold remediation in Newport Beach, California. In the media, Brian and David have written articles for industry trade magazines and given television and radio interviews, including one with Brian on ABC TV “Good Morning America” featuring a segment on mitigating water damage. 

CONSULTANTS AND EXPERT WITNESS

EXPERT SERVICES

PROPERTY DAMAGE ASSESSORS

• Residential and Commercial
• Appraisal Process: Appraisers & Umpires
• Contents and Structure

David J. Brotman, FAIA, is an accomplished Senior Executive with proven career and solid experience in all aspects of Architectural and Engineering Firm Management, including project management, profit and loss, business development, mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing, and strategic planning. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, with over fifty years of practical experience. 

Principal at Sunset Consultants, Mr. Brotman provides strategic planning and management consulting services for various entities, including those that need help with planning or architectural projects. He has served as Chairman of the City of Malibu Planning Commission where he advised on land use matters including the local coastal program, specific plans, zoning, conditional use permits, and subdivisions. Mr. Brotman spent 25 years with RTKL Associates Inc., one of the World’s largest Architect and Engineering Firms where he eventually served as its Vice-Chairman.

Presentation by: David J. Brotman, FAIA

Litigation Support - David Brotman provides expert witness services to attorneys representing Plaintiff and Defense. His skills include all facets of Architectural practice. His worldwide, multi-million dollar project experience includes retail, office, hotel, institutional, and mixed-use. Mr. Brotman's services include affirmative and rebuttal report preparation, mediation, and trial testimony. 

Areas of Expertise:

View David Brotman's Consulting Profile.

Andrew Shedlin, BA, JD, CRX, CLS, CSM, is an acknowledged industry leader in the field of Real Estate Leasing. He specializes in consulting on the Development, Management and Leasing of Shopping Centers & Airports for both developers and retailers. Mr. Shedlin serves as a developer and consultant for dozens of shopping center landlords and tenants. He also has extensive experience in Airport Retail and Restaurants as both landlord and tenant.

Mr. Shedlin has developed or redeveloped more than 35,000,000 square feet of shopping centers as principal or consultant and at all of the top 50 airports in the US, and negotiated more than 15,000 leases as principal, consultant, landlord or tenant (as a business person and attorney), his clients have included dozens of international, national, regional, and local retailers and restaurants. Mr. Shedlin is a longtime member of ICSC’s faculty of the John T. Riordan School for Professional Development and a founding member of ICSC’s CLS Admissions and Governing Committee. He has received the ICSC Trustee’s Distinguished Award, serves on the ICSC Illinois State Committee and was previously NY/NJ state director for ICSC. Mr. Shedlin has taught at both Columbia University Graduate School of Business and Georgetown University Law School and holds a JD from Boston University. He frequently lectures at business schools, law schools, and for industry groups on Shopping Center Leasing, Understanding Leases, and Business Ethics.

Litigation Support - Considered the definitive industry expert in negotiating and interpreting shopping center and airport leases, Andrew Shedlin has worked as an expert on dozens of landlord / tenant disputes involving Interpretation and Enforcement of Leases and Shopping Center Management. He has worked with major law firms in numerous cities throughout the US. His services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience:

• Halperin, Shivitz, Scholer & Steingut - Associate
• Arlen Shopping Centers - Executive Vice President & Counsel
• Equity Properties and Development Company - Executive Vice President (responsible for leasing and development)
• Previously owned and operated 2 retail businesses
• Facilitated entry of several international retailers into the US market
• Authored several chapters in real estate publications on subjects of leasing and understanding the lease
• Co-authored definitive audio tape on lease negotiations
• Frequently quoted in media publications

Paul Chandler, MAI, has over 30 years of experience as an MAI Designated Real Estate Appraiser and CEO of Property Sciences, a national Residential and Commercial real estate appraisal company.

Both the company's residential and commercial divisions continually benefit from Mr. Chandler's background in valuation, appraisal, lender-platform technology development, and online and print media. Prior to forming Property Sciences, he was Senior Vice President of Corinthian Real Estate, where he provided financial institutions with market analysis, branching strategy and site acquisition consulting.

Litigation Support - Mr. Chandler has extensive experience presenting and defending its expert conclusions and opinions in depositions and trial testimony.  He offers support from early case assessment and discovery through final resolution, relying on real-world strategic and operational experience, strong academic and professional credentials, and extensive practical knowledge of real estate customs and practices, and damages analysis.

Areas of Expertise:

Services:

• Advice and objective analyses leading to an improved understanding of the issues involved in a case and supply expert testimony about critical issues in the litigation
• Testimony concerning industry standards, customs and practices in order to evaluate the legal liability of the parties
• Forensics analysis to ascertain the facts and determine the historic context of the disputed issues
• Computation of economic effects to provide a court with an objective measure of value and damages, if any
• Advice to counsel including the evaluation of the arguments of opposing experts, assisting with the development of lines of questioning or specific questions for use in expert or percipient witness depositions and serving as real-time advisors to counsel to evaluate the responses of deponents during live deposition testimony
• Trial support services, including jury consulting, graphic design of courtroom visuals and technology support