Timeshares Expert Witnesses: 2

Leonard J. Backer has over 28 years of extensive and successful Seating, Tables and  Furniture Industry experience in all key areas. Mr. Backer has been directly involved in the design and development of 250+ seating and table collections. He specializes in Private Label Manufacturing, Sourcing, and Product Development expertise. Mr. Backer provides aggressive Expert Witness and Litigation Support services to attorneys, insurers and businesses for Plaintiff or Defense. He performs site inspections, detailed product reviews and incident analyses. He has worked with law firms and insurance companies to develop and coordinate strategies for various types of legal actions and lawsuits. Very strong hospitality background. Mr. Backer has extensive experience with hotel, restaurant, cruise ship, retail store and senior living incidents. Personal Injury and Product Liability Cases. He provides detailed analyses, written opinions, and expert witness reports for clients throughout the U.S. Strong proven deposition and court testimony. Areas of Expertise:

View Leonard Backer's Consulting Profile.

Jon R. Simon is an experienced Finance and Investment Professional with decades of Consulting, Operations and Investing experience. He has a long and accomplished background in the Hotel and Vacation Ownership Industries where he has advised some of the largest U.S. investment funds, hospitality and gaming companies, and high net worth individuals.

Litigation Support - Mr. Simon addresses major complex commercial litigation at the individual plaintiff or defendant level (typically for the BOD), class action level, and in valuation actions brought in Delaware Chancery Court. Services include interrogatories, litigation strategy, expert witness opinions, expert witness testimony (deposition or trial), mediation assistance; calculation of damages and disgorgement, rebuttal opinions, and valuations.

Hospitality and Shared Ownership Industry Expertise: 

Litigation Experience:

• RCHFU, LLC et al v. Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation
• Flora Gillespie and Bruce Gillespie et al, vs St. Regis Club New York Inc., Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Marriott International Inc. et al
• RCHFU LLC, et al vs. Marriott Vacations Worldwide Marriott Vacation Club, Ritz Carlton Hotel Management LLC et al
• Diamond Resorts International (Apollo Global Management) vs Select Plaintiff
• New York St. Regis Club Owners vs Starwood Vacation Club
• Eden Roc LLLP v. Marriott International Inc., et al., No. 651027/2012, N.Y. Sup., App. Div., 1st Dept.)

Background Experience - Jon R. Simon started his career at KPMG where he was elected to the partnership at the age of 31, making him the youngest full equity partner in the United States.  At KPMG he headed the firm’s hospitality and real estate consulting practice for the Southeast US, Latin America and the Caribbean focusing on hotels, mixed-use resorts and shared ownership.  He also served as a national acquisitions partner serving senior roles in some of the largest hospitality industry acquisitions.

Mr. Simon was recruited by Starwood Capital to be CEO of WorldStar Resorts, a hospitality investment company dedicated to the Vacation Ownership Industry.  In that capacity, Mr. Simon quickly grew the company from a start-up to over $100 million in annual revenues and 250 employees by the end of its first full year of operations.

After leaving Starwood, Mr. Simon was one of the 5 founding principals of a late-stage private equity fund oriented to the hospitality industry where he also assumed the role of Chief Investment Officer.  In his first full year, he oversaw the underwriting and closing of over $150 million of direct investments, representing over $500 million of asset value.

View Chasen Capital Advisors, Inc.'s Consulting Profile.