Construction Defects Consultants: 37

CivTek International is an Infrastructure Solutions, Program Management and Multi-Disciplined Life-Cycle Integrator. CivTek focuses on core industries and infrastructure fundamental to the economic and physical health and well-being of all societies: Energy, Water, Air, Agriculture, Transportation, Waste Management, Telecommunications, Internet, and Ancillary Technologies necessary to more efficiently deliver and operate these industries in an environmentally friendly, safe and profitable manner.

CivTek International now has roughly $50 billion in pre-feasibility studies in estimated capital costs projects as a result of national and international relationships and exclusive agreements CivTek International holds in various infrastructure and transportation technologies. They have signed 50-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Agreements with national governments of emerging economies.

CivTek International provides expert assessment, advice, guidance, opinion, contracting, construction support, program management and design services to leaders in government, industry and the legal community. They address major challenges in complex cultural settings, environmental, economic, legislative or forensic consequence in programs and projects relating to capital infrastructure in transportation, green sustainable environmental solutions, energy, oil & gas, and industrial facilities.

Clients have included Leadership of Domestic and International Industry, CEO's and Corporate Leadership, Banks, Financial Institutions and Investors, Risk Management and Insurance Industry Leaders, Attorneys, Legislators, Heads of State, and Heads of Departments and Ministries.

CivTek Capabilities:

General Infrastructure Real Estate and Land Development Executive Aviation Charter Airport Construction / Aviation Leadership International Oil Refinery - Design, Build, Operate, Transfer Project Financing Tank Farms

Ecofreighter and Deep Sea Marinas and Terminals Mining Water Supply Transportation Construction Management Healthcare and Resort Hospitals Information Technologies Program Management Office

Principal, Thomas J. Young, PE, has over 37 years of experience in national and international Transportation Construction, the Civil Engineering specialty regarding highways, bridges, rail, airports, harbors, and associated infrastructure.

Mr. Young is a skilled integrator of the parameters of program and project life cycles, leadership, management, business operations, engineering and construction. He has extensive knowledge of regulatory compliance, environmental processes, industry standards, best practices, and field operations in urban and remote areas.

Mr. Young has broad construction management and design background for many of the knowledge and skill areas required in mining operations, bridges, highways, land development, major soil/structure type facilities, land survey, and construction surveying, including work in Arctic facilities and in desert regions.

View Thomas J. Young's Expert Witness Profile.

Burtness Engineering Services, is a multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm serving municipal, institutional, industrial, and commercial end user clients, civil engineering firms, and landscape architectural firms with MEP services for the construction industry. They specialize in Street and Area Lighting Design, Electrical Engineering, and Forensic Engineering services.

Consulting Services Include:

• Illumination Engineering for Roadway, Street, and Area Lighting
• Electrical Engineering (Through 15kv)
• Monitoring and Control Systems for Street and Area Lighting
• Full Range of MEP Services
• Industrial Instrumentation and Control Systems
• Stakeholder Based Collaborative Design Philosophy
• Focusing on the Marriage of the Art of Aesthetic Design and the Science of Technical Engineering
• Serving as a Prime or a Sub Consultant
• Forensic Consulting and Expert Witness Services

Principal, Thomas H. Burtness, PE, is an Electrical Engineer specializing in both Electrical and Building Construction - equipment selection, specification, and installation (actually “working with the tools”), as well as cost control techniques.

Background - Mr. Burtness has 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, on-site generation, distribution, control, and instrumentation systems and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies. His experience also includes water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants, and military facilities.

Additional expertise includes Illumination Engineering for street, roadway, and area lighting including photometric footcandle requirements, calculations, field verification, equipment specifications, installation, and analysis of failure, glare, overlighting and underlighting.

Thomas Burtness has written numerous in-depth reports, including municipal master planning documents, as well as operation, maintenance, and testing manuals. He also has extensive experience in public speaking and teaching.

View Thomas Burtness' Expert Witness Profile.

BTI Appraisal is a broad-based appraisal company which provides a consistently high level of Real Estate Appraisals, Business Valuations, and Machinery and Equipment Appraisals for Business, Professional, Public and Private Sectors. When you choose BTI Appraisal, you benefit from a strong tradition of experience and accuracy. 

A corporate philosophy stressing efficiency and attentive service has made BTI a leader among independent appraisers. They are proud of our reputation for stability, responsiveness, and accomplishment in and out of the courtroom. At BTI, their seasoned staff of success-oriented professionals treats each assignment with precise attention to detail, providing needed research and responsive service on a wide range of appraisal needs.

Appraisal Services:

• Real Estate:  Valuation, Research, and  Technical Capabilities from homes to high rise office buildings of all sizes and in most locations. BTI can determine value for either “as is” or “as proposed” construction as well as Market Analysis and Feasibility Studies, Construction Defects, Lost Profits Analysis, Property Tax Reductions, Lack of Disclosure or Misrepresentation
• Personal Property: Residential Contents, Automobiles, Works of Art or Collectibles, Private Planes, Yachts, Inventory for Insurance Coverage, Loans, Sales, Donations, and Litigation Purposes
• Business Valuation: BTI is often called upon to appraise business entities for a variety of purposes Bankruptcy, Eminent Domain, Estate Planning, Dispute Resolution, Loan Support, Marital or Corporate Dissolutions, Mergers, Purchase or Sale
• Machinery and Equipment: BTI's diverse experience in appraising all types of machinery and equipment extends to leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and other tangible assets, and a wide range of specialized machinery and equipment including Lasers, Food Processing & Packaging Assembly lines, Cranes, Medical Equipment, Agricultural Equipment, Photography Equipment, Telecommunications Equipment
• Financial Analysis: Sales, profits and expenses often need to be projected, or analyzed, based on external events that trigger losses or gains. BTI regularly performs this type of work for a wide variety of business types.They also analyze contract disputes that financially impact the parties.Commercial creditors even use BTI’s services to analyze and value accounts receivable and related assets that secure their loans to operating businesses.

BTI’s Founder and Chairman, Ben F. Tunnell III, has headed the firm since 1974. Previously, he spent eight years with First Interstate Bank of California as vice president at their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. He served on the board of arbitrators for both the American Arbitration Association and the Better Business Bureau. He has also been a Registered Investment Advisor and Broker/Dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a licensed, California Real Estate Broker. Mr. Tunnell is an ASA, the senior designation of the American Society of Appraisers, and a California Certified General Real Estate Appraiser #AG-6964. 

View Ben Tunnell's Expert Witness Profile.

Mr. Beringer is the Principal of Beringer & Associates (B&A) and Liability Program Management (LPM). He is an approved consultant by the A.M. Best organization, since 2006, for claims, liability, and insurance program management, including matters involving construction, OCIP, TPA, JPA, Captives, Memorandum of Coverage, and insurance coverage analysis. The Cayman Island Monetary Authority approved Mr. Beringer as a licensed captive owner in 2002 for Segregated Portfolio Company Creative Solutions, SPC.

Mr. Beringer holds an LPCS, RPA; is a founding member of CLM, a published author in various publications, and presenter at the CIMA, CPA, A.M. Best, and other conferences.

Mr. Beringer, as B&A, has provided expert services for risk analysis and management services to the insurance, reinsurance, construction, and transportation industry since 2000. Previous to the formation of B&A, he worked in the insurance industry for 30 plus years as a region Litigation Manager with Automobile Club, Industrial Indemnity, Great American, and The Hartford's Speciality Risk Service. Since B&A’s formation, Mr. Beringer assisted Reliance, AIG, Swiss Reinsurance, and Sterling Insurance for review of their insurance programs, analysis, and performance of claims systems and operations.

Mr. Beringer has participated in over 300 mediations, managed handling of over 30,000 cases in federal, state, and local venues on behalf of clients, and provided expert services to plaintiff and defense counsel.

Timothy M. Barrett, RCI, RRC,  CSI, CDT, GRP, has 60 years of experience as a Roofing Contractor, Educator, Manufacturer, and Consultant in the Roofing and Waterproofing Industry. Notable projects have included the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Gold Bullion Vault at Ft. Knox, Soldier Field, Paris Casino, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Dept. of Interior Headquarters, Transbay Transit Center, and thousands of others.

In addition to standard roofing and waterproofing, Mr. Barrett Designs and Builds Green Vegetated Roofs which can provide incredible contributions to the environment. Having chaired the RCI Greenroof educational program development I and II Committees, and having delivered the program a number of times in the Midwest, the South, the West Coast, the East Coast, and Canada, he is current on the science and the state of the art.

Litigation Support: Mr. Barrett has over 45 years of experience consulting and testifying as a Roofing and Waterproofing Expert. He is very experienced with Forensic Investigations for Thermal and Moisture Protection Systems on commercial, institutional, and industrial waterproofing and roofing projects. Mr. Barrett's services include thorough forensic reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Roofing Waterproofing Insulation Roofing Forensic Investigations Roofing Failure analysis Roofing Material Science Leak Tracing

Adequacy of Roofing Design Green Vegetated Roofs Plaza Deck / Parking Deck Construction Flat Roofs Metal Roofs Workmanship Standards and Materials Roofing / Waterproofing Project Evaluation

Certifications and Affiliations: Registered Roof Consultant (RRC); Roof Consultants Institute (RCI); Construction Document Technologist (CDT); Construction Specifications Institute (CSI); Green Roofing Professional (GRP); Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC)

MCS Associates is a nationally recognized consulting group that has provided financial, operations and regulatory/compliance consulting services nationwide to financial institutions, insurance companies and regulatory agencies as well as real estate and financial services organizations for over 40 years. Expert Witness and Litigation Consulting are a primary focus of our services. We undertake expert witness assignments throughout the United States and our clients include several hundred leading law firms around the country, working on behalf of both plaintiff and defendant financial institutions, borrowers, depositors, investors, developers, insurance companies and their insured, securities/insurance/real estate brokers/agents, regulators and government agencies, and individuals. 

Together with MCS Associates’ specialized resources in banking, financial services and real estate, we also draw on key strategic alliances in insurance, economics, academia and the securities industry to meet a wide range of expert witness needs. Our litigation experts include experienced bankers, lenders, consultants, regulators, managers, brokers & agents in insurance, real estate, and securities; insurance claims and underwriting managers; economists, accountants, appraisers, real estate analysts, and academics. 

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Banking Operations/Administration
• Check Fraud
• Lending Policies, Custom and Practice
• Loan Underwriting & Credit Administration
• Loan Securitizations & Servicing
• Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Workouts
• Trust & Fiduciary Issues / Operations
• Securities Brokerage & Investments
• Valuations & Damages Analysis
• Forensic Accounting
• Employment / Compensation
• Real Estate Brokerage & Management
• Title Insurance & Escrow
• Real Estate Appraisal & Transactions
• Insurance Industry Custom & Practice
• Insurance Coverages / Claims Handling
• Insurance Bad Faith

Mike Panish is one of the most frequently retained consultants for all construction related services and trades with specialties in Doors, Door Hardware, Security, Automatic Doors, Cabinetry & Architectural Millwork. Mike is often used in the early stages of a lawsuit or claim, or prior to a law firm’s acceptance of a case to analyze the information provided by a prospective client. He is frequently called upon by insurance companies to evaluate a claim because of his knowledge and highly diverse background. He has been a retained expert witness in over 2500 legal cases since the year 2000, and regularly consults on issues that are not involved in legal disputes.

Mike Panish is referred by attorneys that have worked with him or have been on the opposing sides to help resolve a potential claim or legal dispute prior to filing an action. Contractor fraud, dispute resolution for homeowners/contractors. Licensed in CA as a General Building Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Door, Lock & Security Equipment Contractor, Cabinet & Millwork Contractor, and Painting & Finish Specialties Contractor. 40+ years hands-on experience in all construction trades with over 2000 cases since the year 2000. Local to CA & New England. Nationwide Inspection & Testimony, all states and internationally. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Automatic Door Personal Injury, Wrongful Death Cases
• Door and Door Hardware Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Defects Cases
• Cabinetry, Architectural Millwork, Furniture Personal injury, Defects Cases
• Slip, Trip, Fall / Railings / ADA Personal Injury Cases
• General Construction (all trades) Defects Cases, Personal Injury Cases, Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability, Premises Security for Criminal Cases, Elder Abuse Cases, Wrongful Death
• Building Inspections (all types), Site Evaluation, Product Evaluation, Defect Analysis, Poor Workmanship, Costs & Estimates, Plans Analysis, Proper Installation, Claim Analysis

View Michael Panish's Expert Witness Profile.