Logistics and Reverse Logistics Expert Witnesses: 6

Summary

Stephen (Steve) T. Hopper, PE, is Founder and Principal of Inviscid Consulting. Over more than three decades, Steve has helped hundreds of clients plan and streamline their warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution operations by driving down operating costs, boosting capacity, improving service levels, mitigating risk, implementing effective supply chain solutions, emphasizing safety, and enhancing the performance of their supply chain resources: people, processes, inventory, facilities, equipment, material handling systems, transportation assets, and supply chain information technology (IT). He has worked with clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE) degree from The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and is a board-certified, licensed, registered Professional Engineer (PE). He has served as an expert witness on dozens of cases involving supply chain operations in the US, Canada, and Australia and has advised private equity and venture capital investors. He has also been interviewed by the supply chain industry media, authored articles for industry publications, and spoken at industry events.

Industry Experience

• 3PL / Outsourced distribution and fulfillment
• Apparel / Footwear
• Building materials
• Consumer goods
• Direct-to-consumer / Ecommerce / Catalog
• Food / Beverage / Grocery
• Furniture
• High-tech / Electronics
• Industrial / Automotive / Aerospace
• Mining / Drilling
• Pharmaceutical / Health and life sciences
• Rentals
• Retail
• Reverse logistics / Returns
• Wholesale / General distribution

Supply Chain Solutions Expertise

• Warehouse management systems (WMS)
• Warehouse control systems (WCS)
• Warehouse execution systems (WES)
• Slotting and order picking systems
• Transportation management systems (TMS)
• Labor management systems (LMS) 
• Order management systems (OMS)
• Voice and automatic identification systems
• Equipment, automation, robotics, and software used for handling, packaging, storing, and transporting materials
• Logistics network design & optimization software tools

Education, Certifications, and Associations

• Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE), The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• Board-certified, licensed, registered Professional Engineer (PE)

Beat K. Schlumpf, FCILT,  is an Expert in European Supply Chain Management, Networks and Logistics. Mr. Schlumpf has over 40 years of experience in supply chain execution. He is one of the few experts worldwide with operative experience of all carriers (Sea, Air, Road, Rail) and all speeds (heavy lifts, general cargo, full load, parcel, express, mail, courier).

Mr. Schlumpf has extensive knowledge in a broad range of management assignments. He has experience and professional competence in distribution logistics for manufacturers, retailers, producers, forwarding and transportation companies as well as postal operators (textile, machinery, postal services, mail, parcel, express, and transportation industries.)

Litigation Support: Few lawyers deal with the legal aspects of the entire supply chain. They are mostly specialized in certain fields and lack an overall assessment. Mr. Schlumpf can help attorneys for plaintiff and defendant through complex supply chain management issues and applicable law. His services are available internationally.

Mr. Schlumpf has acted as an Expert at the UNCTAD and was featured speaker on practices and operation used by global freight logistics firms for the World Trade Organization (WTO) and lecturer for distribution logistics. He has published articles on outsourcing, one stop shopping, co-operation with forwarders and integrators, and new inventing Operations Audit to increase efficiency.

Areas of Expertise:

View GSL Consulting's Business Consultant Profile.

Brian H. Aanestad has over 30 years of Construction and Fleet experience, including Heavy Equipment, Truck, and Trailer Transport. He currently serves as President and Construction Consultant at Inland Valley Engineering, Inc. and as an Expert Witness for Discover Experts.

Mr. Aanestad is a Consultant and Expert witness for matters including Underground Construction and Placement of Underground Utilities. He has decades of experience overseeing the placement of underground utilities, pipelines, and conduit. In addition, he has almost 20 years of experience in the Full-Service Truck Leasing industry, overseeing transportation, logistics, leasing, rental, and maintenance activities. His company was honored for its work on the Scripps Seawater Return Lines at the University of California, San Diego. The complex, $2.5 million project included nearly 4,500 feet of piping.

Litigation Support - Mr. Aanestad provides expert services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant which include on-site review, written reports, depositions, mediation, and trial testimony as needed. Most cases end in mediation or negotiated settlement.

Clients have included such firms as Heffernan & Boortz LLP, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP, Rutan & Tucker LLP, and Dowling/ Aaron, Chancio Brown LLC., Southern California Edison, Vast Networks (CVIN), City of Kansas City Missouri, and the City of Oceanside.  

Areas of Expertise:

Carlo Scevola & Partners is an International Fiduciary Company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with branches in six continents. We specialize in International Planning, Strategic Consulting and Wealth Management. Our clients trust us for everything from setting up an Offshore Company to Mergers and Acquisitions to Business Finance and Asset Protection. 

CS&P’s customer-centric methodology ensures that each client gets a custom-tailored solution which addresses that business’ individual objectives and requirements. Our team has expertise in every functional category and every important geography. From finance to operations to human resources to marketing – from the Americas to Europe to Africa, Asia and Oceania – CS&P can bring together experienced executives who know how to advise you and will make your enterprise a success. All this while always protecting your privacy. 

Services Offered: Business and Strategic Consulting

• S.W.O.T. Analysis
• Pre-investment Feasibility Studies / Competitive Background Assessments
• Business Plan Research, Writing and Production
• Strategy Definition / Implementation
• Reworking of Operating Processes for International Suitability
• Industrial Partnership Scouting / Matching
• Tailor Business Model to Market Environment, Jurisdiction and Local Authorities Requirements 

Corporate Finance:

• Mergers, Acquisitions and CessionsCommercial Due Diligence or Investment / Financial Appraisals
• Company Reorganization and Restructuring
• Financial Feasibility Plans for Industrial Expansion
• Scouting / Recruiting Highly Qualified Financial Management
• Exit Strategies in the event of Buy-outs, Buy-ins, Spin-offs or MBOs, MBIs and LBOs
• Listing on Stock Exchanges 

Offshore Consulting:

1. International Tax Planning
2. Corporate Structuring, Maintenance and Trusts
3. International Contracts Law
4. Jurisdictions
5. Residency and Citizenship
6. International Banking
7. Logistic Support
8. Government Licenses
9. Aircrafts and Vessels
10. Intellectual Property 

CS&P Operates In More Than 80 Countries Around The World.

Rosemary Coates, President of Blue Silk Consulting, is a seasoned executive with an MBA and 35+ years of experience in Chinese Sourcing and Manufacturing, Global Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Manufacturing, Importing/Exporting, and ERP Systems Consulting.

Prior to BSC, Ms. Coates was a Senior Director at SAP, the Supply Chain Practice Leader at KPMG Peat Marwick and at Answerthink, and a Regional Manager at Hewlett-Packard. Ms. Coates has consulted with global and domestic clients, VCs, and PE firms on operations systems and processes. She has considerable international experience and has worked for extended periods in Asia and Europe.

Ms. Coates' experience spans a broad range of industries including High Technology, Software, Chemicals, Health Care, Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Food Distribution, Transportation, Publishing, Retail, and Oil and Gas. She has extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing and outsourcing in Asia, Europe, and the US. She has written five Amazon.com books including Best Seller, 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China, and Legal Blacksmith: How to Avoid and Defend Supply Chain Disputes, and  42 Rules for Superior Field Service, and Negotiation Blueprint for Buyers, and The Reshoring Guidebook 

Ms. Coates is also the Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute and a member of the Board of Directors at the University of San Diego Supply Chain Management Institute. She teaches Global Supply Chain Strategy at UC Berkeley. She is a Licensed U.S. Customs Broker. She earned a BS in Business at Arizona State University and an MBA at the University of San Diego. She resides in Silicon Valley. 

Rosemary Coates: Supply Chain Management Overview

Litigation Support - As an Expert Witness, Ms. Coates has assisted attorneys in their understanding of relevant Supply Chain Operations and Practices in sourcing, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, inventory, and Chinese Imports. She has worked on legal cases for the past 10 years, writing reports, giving depositions, and testifying at trial.

Case Opinions:

• Chinese Products
• Import / Export Management
• Counterfeit Imports
• Project Management for Enterprise Software
• ERP Software Consulting Implementation Failures and Runaway Projects
• China Sourcing and Manufacturing
• Securities
• Sales Channel Distribution and Compensation
• Supply Contracts
• Inventory Tax
• Global Manufacturing Operations, Contract Manufacturing, CMS, EMS
• Transportation and logistics, 3PLs and Freight Forwarders, Freight Shipping

Areas of Expertise:

View Rosemary Coates' Consulting Profile.

Forty plus years in the Transportation Industry as a professional driver, small fleet owner to a Director of Safety, Consultant and Expert Witness. Ensure compliance with the FMCSA, PHMSA, TSA and OSHA Regulations.

Review records and materials, provide verbal consultation, opinions, and provide deposition and trial testimony when needed. Review records to screen potential cases for merit and identify case strengths. Provide verbal consultation to clients, unpacking complex concepts.