Security Negligence Expert Witnesses: 23

Timothy A. Dimoff, CPP, founder and president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc. a leading security consulting firm, has over 40 years of experience in Law Enforcement and Security matters for both the public and private sectors. He is multi-certified in the security field and is considered one of the nation's leading authorities on negligent security procedures; security & vulnerability issues; police procedures and operations including use of force; high-risk workplace and human resource issues; narcotics investigations and enforcement. 

Mr. Dimoff is board certified by ASIS as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP?) which is internationally recognized as the “gold standard” certification for security management professionals, demonstrating their knowledge and competency in seven key domains of security.

Litigation Support - Mr. Dimoff has over 20 years of experience in testifying and consulting as an expert witness in over 500 cases and trials for both the plaintiff and the defense sides. His expert witness experience includes law enforcement procedures, security negligence of business or physical premises, human resources issues, meeting standards of practice in hiring and termination, employment practices, proper documentation, training, supervision, policies and procedures, harassment, discrimination, internal investigations, threats and excessive use of force.

Mr. Dimoff is a renowned speaker, trainer, and author who has offered expert commentary to national media including Dateline, NBC, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The LA Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.  He is the author of four books, including How to Recognize Substance Abuse, The YOU in Business, and Life Rage, a chilling examination of societal rage and safeguards against it.

Mr. Dimoff holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology from Denison University.

Areas of Expertise: 

View Timoth A. Dimoff's Consulting Profile.

911 Consulting specializes in Emergency Preparedness, Training, Drills and Exercises for corporations, campuses and medical facilities. 911 Consulting gives you practical solutions for preventing likely incidents, preparing for emergencies, responding to a crisis and resuming operations. We create a custom emergency plan, train your personnel, and stage drills to make sure you're ready. 

Bo Mitchell was Police Commissioner of Wilton, CT for 16 years. He retired in February 2001 to found 911 Consulting which creates emergency, disaster recovery, business continuity, crisis communications and pandemic plans, plus training and exercises for organizations like GE HQ, Hyatt HQ, MasterCard HQ, four colleges and universities plus 25 secondary schools. He serves clients headquartered from Boston to LA working in their facilities from London to San Francisco. 

Bo has earned 22 certifications in Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, Safety and Security. He also serves as an expert in landmark court cases nationally. Bo is a Certified Emergency Manager, a Certified Business Continuity Professional and Certified in Homeland Security. Professional Designations: CEM, CPP, CHS-V, CBCP, CSI-ML, HSEEP, CNTA, IAC, MOAB, CHSP, CHEP, CSHM, CESCO, CHCM, CFC, CSSM, CSC, CAS, TFCT3, CERT, CHSEMR, CMC

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:

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.

Dr. Randy Atlas AIA , CPP is a Registered Architect, NCARB certified, and he practices Criminal Justice Architecture and Environmental Security Design. Atlas is a certified protection professional (CPP) with the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS), and is an appointed member of the ASIS Security Architecture and Engineering Committee. Atlas has his doctorate in criminology and a masters of architecture. Dr Atlas is a Fellow  member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Dr. Atlas has taught CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) and criminal justice courses at Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Miami, Keiser University, and he is a trainer with the National Crime Prevention Institute at the University of Louisville. Dr. Atlas has been a technical Assistance consultant with the National Institute of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, and the Florida Department of Corrections and U.S. HUD Drug Elimination CPTED Program.

He has conducted ADA accessibility compliance audits for private and public sector clients, and served as an expert witness on over 200 premises liability lawsuits.

Dr. Atlas has been a speaker and trainer at security conferences from New Delhi, India to Seattle, Washington and has written over 200 articles in various publications on security, safety, and counter terrorism issues.

Dr. Michael J. Fagel, PhD, CEM has over 30 years of broad based experience in a variety of fields relating to Crisis Management & Recovery, Consequence Management & Emergency Management. He provides specialized assistance in OSHA compliance assistance and training in Disaster Management, Emergency Response as well as Occupational Safety and Health. Aurora Safety has extensive experience in litigation guidance drawing from decades of experience in all phases of safety and emergency response and planning. They provide guidance to attorneys and insurance companies on a variety of topics and offer effective evaluations regarding the many facets of each case.

Dr. Fagel provides expert witness services to cases in across North America. He has served various Federal Agencies providing Occupational Safety Services at disaster sites. He also was EMS coordinator for the fire rescue division in North Aurora, as well as serving as an officer in the local fire service. Dr. Fagel currently teaches industrial safety and emergency medical services at several college locations and lectures at various professional trade conferences throughout the country. He offers Expert Witness Services and Litigation Support to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

• Disaster / Crisis Management and Recovery
• COVID-19 / Coronavirus Recovery
• OSHA Compliance
• Voluntary Protection Programs (VPPs)
• Fire, EMS, Disaster Management
• Site Inspections
• Training Assessment Management and Development of Safety Programs
• Critical Incident / Crisis Management Site Inspections
• Safety Audits

View Consulting Profile.

Dr. Ron Martinelli, PhD, CMI-V, is a nationally renowned Forensic Criminologist and a federal/state courts qualified law enforcement and premises liability expert who is also a Certified Medical Investigator (physician's level). He is also a Certified Suicide Investigator. 

Dr. Martinelli directs the nation's only Forensic Death Investigations & Independent Review Team of 26 law enforcement, forensic and medical experts and specializes in officer-involved death cases, civilian self-defense shooting cases and premises liability/security cases. He is a forensic/law enforcement expert to the U.S. Department of Justice, several State Attorney Generals' Offices, numerous major municipalities and nationally prominent private law firms specializing in wrongful death, civil rights and premises liability. 

Dr. Martinelli is the prevailing expert in over 90% of his retained cases. He has saved defendants over $300M and earned plaintiffs over $160 million in jury verdicts and settlements since 2004. He is the media's go-to forensic expert for FOX News, One America News Network, CNN, HLN, Sky News, BBC, NPR, and the History & Discovery Channels. Dr. Martinelli is skilled in crime scene reconstruction, forensics, applied sciences, human factors, psycho-medical emergencies and premises liability and security cases. His unique and extensive field experience, combined his academic and scientific credentials, excellent written reports and persuasive testimony, make him a very appealing expert to attorneys and juries alike.

Areas of Expertise:

• Arrests
• Search & Seizure
• Use of Force / Excessive Force - All Levels and Weaponry
• Officer Involved Shootings(OIS)
• In-Custody Deaths
• Criminal Investigations
• Law Enforcement & Corrections Practices, Training & Supervision
• Adult & Juvenile Corrections
• Law Enforcement Negligence
• Civilian Self-Defense, Premises Liability, Security, Foreseeable Harm
• Insurance Cases
• COVID Detentions & Arrests

Preston Rideout is a Nightclub and Bar Expert with 25 years of experience, 75 Alcohol Safety Certifications, and over 100 clients across the United States. He is a highly sought-after Nightclub and Bar Consultant and widely considered the most experienced Dram Shop Expert in the legal industry. Preston is CEO of Rideout Hospitality and Founder of The Dram Shop Experts.

Upon graduating from the University of Mississippi, Preston Rideout relocated to Las Vegas to operate Coyote Ugly, Tangerine Nightclub, Pure Nightclub, PCD l Louge, Audigier Nightclub, LAX Nightclub, Noir Bar, EVE Nightclub, Venus, and Rehab Pool Party, located inside New York Casino, Treasure Island Casino, Ceasar's Palace, The Luxor, Aria Casino, and The Hard Rock Hotel.

In 2010, Preston launched Rideout Hospitality and began consulting for Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, Nightclubs, and Bars across the United States. His partial client list can be found here.

In 2016, Preston Rideout and Ryan Dahlstrom published a Bartender Training Manual. and received over 100,000 downloads. To date, The Bar Experts Bartender Training Manual is the most downloaded document in the Hospitality Industry.

In 2018, Preston Rideout recruited Kim Schioldan and Silver Tree Gordon to create the Dram Shop Experts. As a team, they have 75 years of experience and operated over 250 Restaurants, Nightclubs, Bars, Pool Parties, and Music Festivals. Dram Shop Attorneys retain Preston Rideout to provide expert witness testimony because his comprehensive nightlife knowledge provides powerful insight into responsible alcohol service and industry-standard bar operations. Clients retain The Dram Shop Experts to provide insight into Responsible Alcohol Service, Intoxication Identification Industry Standard Bar Operations Bartender Training Security Use of Force Nightclub Negligence, and Liquor Liability.

View Preston Rideout's Consulting Profile.

James Parker has over 35 years of relevant industry experience specializing in Electronic Security Systems & Sensors, Electronics R&D, and New Product Development. He has in-depth knowledge of electronic product design in both Wired and Wireless Technologies and outstanding knowledge of Environmental and False Alarm Immunity. Products, such as alarm systems, that Mr. Parker led the design of, have an installed base in the millions. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Parker provides Patent Litigation support to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense and is experienced with civil liability, criminal and patent litigation, including Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs). He has the ability to explain complex technical material in a straight forward manner. Mr. Parker's past clients include Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Fish & Richardson PC, Alarm.com, 2GIG Technologies, and Nest Labs. His services are available nationally and internationally. 

Areas of Expertise:

Background - Mr. Parker is the Past Vice President of Engineering for Digital Security Controls Ltd. (DSC), a leading global manufacturer of electronic security systems and components with sales exceeding $400 million annually. He is currently the President at EE-Systems Group Inc. Canada (R&D) where he is responsible for overseeing new product and business development. A prolific inventor, Mr. Parker has been granted over 25 unique patents with approximately 100 patent documents published worldwide. 

View James Parker's Consulting Profile.

Howard Levinson, CPP has been in the Security field for over 40 years. He is a Board Certified Protection Professioal (CPP) and services clients throughout the USA and Internationally.

Consulting

As the President of Expert Security Consulting, his firm provides services such as Risk and Vulnerability Assessments/Surveys and Security System Design of new and existing private and public facilities. His diverse experience in Security/Loss Prevention includes Education Complexes, Banking, Retail, Commercial, Industrial, High Tech, Distribution/Supply Chain, Hospitality, Multi-unit residential, High-End and VIP residences and many others. Mr. Levinson has performed or directed consultations at over 200 client locations.

Expert Witness

Howard has been an Expert Witness specializing in Security and Premise Liability for over 28 years. He assists attorneys in preparing for Premise Liability cases, provides professional opinions as a subject matter expert and forensic testimony. Representing both Plaintiff and Defense, he has consulted, offered his opinion, and testified in well over 50 cases. He is available to provide clear, concise reports with documentation to meet all requirements.

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Premise Liability
• Security Negligence with Security System Design (CCTV, Access Control, Alarms, Lighting)
• Risk and Vulnerability Assessments
• System Design
• Policies and Procedures
• Security Operations
• Investigations
• Security Officer / Firm Negligence
• Crime Prevention
• Assaults and Attacks
• Policy and Procedures
• Theaters
• Parking Lots
• Schools / Education
• Residential
• Retail / Shoplifting
• Hospitality - Bars and Restaurants

Gary Deel, Ph.D., J.D. has 10 years of experience in executive-level positions in the hospitality industry and 10 years of experience teaching hospitality management and law curriculum for some of the nation's top hotel schools.

Dr. Deel holds both a Ph.D. in Hospitality and a J.D. in Law, so he understands the nuances of expert witness testimony from the perspective of attorney strategy. He has also worked in a variety of different hospitality industry capacities including operations, sales, security and risk management, training and administration, and others. His services are available to help attorneys make the strongest possible arguments for clients in hospitality-related cases. Dr. Deel offers expert witness services nationwide in the areas of:

Recent Cases:

• Suit against Miami beach resort involving catastrophic injury in the ocean and hotel duty to warn about latent hazards known to hotel and not obvious to visitors (plaintiff).
• Suit against Orlando city center convention hotel involving sexual assault of a minor guest by an employee and hotel duty to monitor employee whereabouts and activities (plaintiff).

Richard M. Santoro, CPP, is an ASIS International board-certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an experienced Hospitality, Resort, Premises Liability Security Expert. He has 30 years of corporate security experience that includes responsibility for security operations, risk management, executive protection, physical security, CCTV design and operation, investigations, special events, and labor action preparation.

Litigation Support - As an independent security expert, Mr. Santoro has opined, developed, planned, and consulted on various security operations, physical security, target hardening, emergency management, event planning, nightclub security, and matters for numerous public and private organizations. He has experience with hospitality, casino gaming, nightclub, bar, cash-in-transit (CIT), healthcare, public sector, retail, convenience store, petroleum vendor, and entertainment venue security litigation consulting.

As Principal of Interbrief.Org, Rick Santoro has the necessary expertise to assist in litigated matters from the beginning of the case through trial. He offers forensic research relating to:

Credentials:

• New Jersey Security Officer Reform Act (S.O.R.A) Instructor
• UNLV/DHS Soft Target Terrorism Awareness Instructor
• Graduate of FBI Citizens Academy
• Federal Secret Clearance
• Member of Department of Homeland Security Commercial Sector Advisory Council

View Rick Santoro's Consulting Profile.

Victor Lofgreen, PhD has over 30 years of experience and education in the fields of Corrections and Community Development. He is a prison and jail consultant who conducts cases analysis and develops reports to support litigation on prison and jail issues. Experience - Dr. Lofgreen has served as the CEO of a State Adult Correctional Institution and the Division Chief of a State Planning Agency for Corrections. He has authored numerous professional papers and articles on topics within his area of expertise as well as Agency Policy and Procedure Manuals and training materials. Litigation Support - Dr. Lofgreen's expertise is in Jail and Prison Policy and Procedures related to the standard of care for inmates by local, State, and Federal correctional agencies. His services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include case review, case study and data analysis, report of Expert Opinion based on the evidence included in the case study, deposition, and trial testimony as needed. Areas of Expertise:

Harry C. McCann, MPA, is recognized as an expert in Policy, Procedure, and Training by the Federal Courts in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Northern District of Georgia, the Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania and has provided consultation, expert testimony or reports to law firms, police departments, correctional institutions, and municipalities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, Maryland, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Arizona, New Mexico and Delaware in the areas of the use of force, in custody death claims, special response teams, arrest procedures, Tasers, training, PREA, classification and legal issues.

Background Experience - Throughout his law enforcement career, Mr. McCann has been responsible for the writing and implementation of policy and procedure relating to the Use of Force, Emergency Procedures, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Special Response Team protocols, Staff Training, Patrol Procedures, and Legal Issues. As the prior Director of Law Enforcement / Police Training in Bucks County (PA), the fourth largest county in Pennsylvania, he has been responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementation training programs to approximately 800 police officers representing 42 police departments.

Litigation Support - With 37 years of law enforcement expertise in the federal, state and county level, Harry McCann offers a unique perspective of knowledge and expertise in all facets of training, policy, procedure, and case review. Mr. McCann has continually demonstrated his ability to evaluate the issues and present himself in a clear, concise, thorough, and professional manner. His preparation has been acknowledged among his peers and has been honed by 35 years of college teaching and staff development instruction. He offers guidance and expert reports in matters dealing with:

• Correctional / Police Practices and Procedures
• Police, Correctional, Court Document Interpretation
• Use of Force
• Training Issues and Standards
• DUI Checkpoint Operations
• Wrongful Imprisonment and False Arrest
• Emergency Procedures
• PREA
• Correctional classification
• Police/Correctional Standards

Michael Levine is one of the most decorated Supervisory Agents in the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration. A US Law Enforcement Procedure Expert, Mr. Levine has many decades of courtroom experience (civil & criminal) as a Trial consultant and Expert Witness, including 25 years of service with DEA, Customs, BATF, and the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Mr. Levine's supervisory and other law enforcement experience includes being in command of task force units combining officers of FBI, BATF, IRS, Customs, NYPD and other police agencies, service as an Internal Affairs supervisory investigator, a senior inspector with the Department of Justice OPR, Office of Professional Responsibility, and Director of a sheriffs department drug bureau. 

Mr. Levine, during his decades of trial experience, both as a senior law enforcement officer including the past 30 years as a professional trial consultant, has qualified as an expert witness for both prosecution and plaintiff as well defense, in federal and state courts including 19 states, Puerto Rico and 8 foreign nations. He offers full trial consulting and investigative services in both criminal and civil matters as follows: Expert Witness File Review and Strategy Assessment; Case Particular Design of Cross-Examination "menus"; Investigative, Technical and Research Support; Expert Witness Report and/or Affidavit Preparation. Utilizing his extensive experience as a Supervisory Internal Affairs Investigator, he can also identify the elements of probable cause indicative of false reporting, cover-up, and the concealment of Brady materials. Since the year 2007 he has been retained by the Atlanta and DeKalb County District Attorneys Offices, to conduct police-involved shooting reviews and as such has testified before criminal grand juries leading to the indictment and conviction of law enforcement/violators. 

Mr. Levine specializes in full trial consulting services and expert testimony in criminal and civil matters and has testified as an expert in the following areas of expertise:

A listing of his cases may be found on his website www.policetrialexpert.com.

Michael Levine is the only US law enforcement expert ever admitted to testify before a Japanese court, (Japan v Goldstein) and used the Blind Mule Defense, which resulted in an acquittal. He is a best-selling author, media consultant, lecturer and police instructor with extensive experience as court-qualified expert witness and trial consultant in civil and criminal matters.

Since leaving the Department of Justice, he has been retained in excess of 500 occasions as a trial consultant/expert witness throughout the United States, Canada, England and Japan. Mr. Levine has also remained active as a police instructor in the US, Canada and Australia. In January of 2008, his police instructional manual "Undercover Tactics and Informant Handling" previously written for the Department of Justice, was published by the New York State Department of Justice Services and utilized as an instructional manual for New York State law-enforcement. The manual was subsequently edited and republished by the US State Department for the instruction of Brazilian Federal Police which was conducted by Mr. Levine and his team of US-based experts. The manual was subsequently republished via academia.edu from where it is now among the top .05% of Global downloads by police agencies, attorneys and researchers.

 View Michael Levine's Consulting Profile.

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.