Security (Private and Public) Expert Witnesses: 22

Adam Bercovici has over 40 years of experience in the Police and Security field. Mr. Bercovici spent 30 of those years with the LAPD, 20 as a supervisor and manager. He is currently a retired LAPD lieutenant and former security company CEO.

Background: Mr. Bercovici's leadership assignments included the Criminal Investigation Section- Major Crimes Division-The Joint Terrorism Task Force, The FBI Violent Crime Task Force ( where he supervised the FBI Fugitive Task Force), The Special Investigation Section, and Homicide Special Section. 

Since 2012, Mr. Bercovici has worked as a subject matter expert and consultant in Police Practices and Complex Police Investigations. His clients have included major law firms, insurance companies, and corporations.  Mr. Bercovici is currently retained on several high-profile cases.  He is an experienced Expert Witness who has written numerous Rule 26 Reports and has testified in both State and Federal courts.  Writing examples can be provided.  Mr. Bercovici has been an on-air talent, producer, and script and story consultant in the entertainment industry.  He was the Co-Talent on The History Channel Series JFK Declassified-Tracking Oswald.  Mr. Bercovici was the Executive Producer for American Cartel for Discovery Plus. 

Litigation Support: Adam Bercovici splits his work between defense and plaintiff. He has been retained by prominent civil rights firms, major municipalities and their legal counsel, plaintiff attorneys, city attorneys, and criminal defense attorneys. Mr. Bercovici accepts work based on the merits of the individual case.

Areas of Expertise: 

Police Use of Force Security Guard Operations Police Pursuit Policy Crowd Control Wrongful Death Public Safety Employment Private Investigator Best Practices

Active Shooter / Response and Training Kidnapping Special Undercover Tactics Complex Police Investigations Homicide Investigations K9 Operations Premises Liability Brady Issues

Dr. Roy G. Taylor is a current Chief of Police with over 40 years of experience in a wide-range of federal, state, local, and private criminal justice positions. Dr. Taylor specializes as an expert witness in Police Practices and Procedures and Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Current Positions:

• Chief of Police Blue Ridge Public Safety (2014)
• President/CEO Signal 88 Security of Charlotte (2012)
• President/CEO Capitol Special Patrol (2012)
• Chief of Police Capitol Special Police (2002)
• Lt. Colonel – Provost Marshal, Army National Guard (2000)
• Antiterrorism / Emergency Management Branch Chief DoD (2007)
• Provost Marshal Joint Civil Support Task Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2014)

Litigation Support - Dr. Taylor is called upon to analyze cases from both defense and plaintiff perspectives. His services include case review, written reports, deposition, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Police Standards & Practices Use of Force & Deadly Force Electronic Control Devices Standards of Conduct High Speed Vehicle Pursuits & Chases Law Enforcement Policies and Procedures

Failure to Train Law Enforcement Malpractice Failure to Supervise Violations of §1983 Civil Rights Personnel Selection & Retention Police K-9

View Roy Taylor's Consulting Profile.

Joseph E. Gunja is a Jails, Prisons and Corrections Expert with more than 30 years of experience in the corrections industry. Mr. Gunja had a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) for over 28 years serving as a Correctional Officer, Shift Supervisor, Investigator, Captain, Associate Warden, and Warden at three complex correctional facilities. 

He also served as Regional Director of the Western Region for over 2 years and was assigned to the FBOP's Headquarters in Washington, DC where he was responsible for authoring national policy and official publications, providing technical expertise to the Assistant Director of Correctional Programs and facility Wardens, Associate Wardens, and Captains. 

After retiring from the FBOP in 2007, Mr. Gunja has been providing correctional consultation and expert witness services. In addition, he has worked for two of the largest private corrections companies, CCA and GEO Group, as Warden at the Northeast Correctional Center in Youngstown, Ohio, and the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton, Oklahoma. 

Litigation Support - Joseph Gunja has an over 90% success rate in all cases he has been retained as an expert, both working with plaintiffs and defendants, as well as several cases of sentencing mitigation or reductions.  While some cases were settled in lieu of court, the settlements were all in favor of the attorneys or firms he represented. He offers advice, expertise, and expert testimony for a variety of issues in matters pertaining to: 

Correctional Management Inmate Care Security Critical Incidents Emergency Response Prison Policy Use of Force & Use of Deadly Force Wrongful Death Prisoner Transportation

Inmate / Gang Management Operational and Physical Security Staff Training Special Housing Unit & Segregation Operations Health Care Administration Prisoner Transportation Investigations Intelligence Gathering Sentencing

View Simco Correctional Consulting's Business Consulting Profile.

Setec Investigations offers unparalleled expertise in computer forensics and electronic discovery, providing highly personalized, case-specific forensic analysis and litigation support services to assist in the investigation, handling, and prosecution of computer-related crimes or misuse.

Setec Investigations combines today's most advanced computer forensics and litigation support expertise with a business- and legal-friendly approach, resulting in a sound analytical foundation that carefully balances critical investigative requirements with vital legal and evidentiary needs.

Setec Investigations incorporates a cross-disciplinary team comprised of computer forensic investigators, attorneys, law enforcement specialists, and seasoned business professionals who have established a proven track record of success since 1997.

Services Overview

Setec Investigations possesses the necessary combination of technical expertise, understanding of the legal system, and specialized tools and processes enabling the discovery, collection, investigation, and production of electronic information for investigating and handling computer-related crimes or misuse.

Explore our range of service offerings:

Computer Forensic Investigations

Computer forensics and enterprise investigation services identify, gather, analyze, and preserve electronic evidence to establish a sustainable posture for internal or legal action.

Electronic Discovery

Manage large volumes of electronic data and quickly identify and isolate electronic evidence that is critical to the success of a litigation.

Litigation Support

Legal consultants and attorneys translate litigation issues into strong case strategies that effectively utilize electronic evidence.

Expert Witness

Supports the resolution of security incidents and active litigations by offering impartial and independent expert testimony, opinions, and customized reports in legal proceedings.

Shawn H. Malone, CISSP, CTPRP, CTPRA, is an award winning Information Security and Cyber Risk Expert.  He has over 35 years of experience delivering Cybersecurity Solutions and Third-Party Risk Management Programs to the financial services, insurance, consulting / advisory, and defense industries.  

Mr. Malone has degrees in Electrical Engineering Technology and Network Security.  He co-developed industry leading Third Party Risk Management professional certification. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Third Party Risk Professional (CTPRP) and Certified Third-Party Risk Assessor (CTPRA). 

Litigation Support - Shawn Malone provides effective consulting and advisory support including expert witness services in Cybersecurity and Third Party Risk matters.   His service are available to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant and include high quality reports, depositions, and trial testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Security Program Deficiencies Cybersecurity Standard of Care Malware Events Vendor Cyber Incidents Secure Communication Systems

Network Security Data Protection / Data Breach Security Program Management Security Policy Development Compliance Oversight Negligence

View Security Diligence, LLC's Business Consulting Profile.

Dr. James F. Pastor, Ph.D, JD, CPP, is a multifaceted security expert with a rich background that spans security, policing, legal, public policy, and academia. His career began as a tactical officer in Gang Crime Enforcement with the Chicago Police Department, where he gained hands-on experience in one of the nation's most dynamic policing environments. This real-world foundation laid the groundwork for his extensive expertise in security and public safety.

Transitioning from the streets to the courtroom, Dr. Pastor built a distinguished legal career representing police unions, security guard firms, and electronic security companies. His legal acumen allows him to provide comprehensive counsel and advice on various security and public safety matters.

With a doctorate in Public Policy Analysis, Dr. Pastor has a nuanced understanding of how policies shape incentives and influence human behavior. This academic insight, combined with his practical experience, gives him a unique perspective on risk and liability, making him a sought-after advisor for corporations and communities aiming to prevent crime or mitigate its impacts.

Dr. Pastor's "security sense" is a blend of street-level policing intuition, academic scholarship, legal expertise, and technical know-how, further enhanced by a deep understanding of geopolitical trends. His decades-long study of terrorism and extremism also informs his work, allowing him to contribute valuable insights and assessments for your case.

Areas of Expertise:

Security Law Premises Liability Private Policing Foreseeability & Lawlessness Terrorism & Extremism Search & Seizure Policies / Procedures Security Technology Search & Seizure

Risk & Liability Inadequate / Negligent Security Policies & Use of Force Church Security  Public Safety Disciplinary Methods & Management Security Monitoring

Litigation Support - Dr. Pastor is a highly regarded expert witness with experience in policing, security, public safety, and legal issues relating to these. His depth and breathe of experience is substantive, yet practical. Bringing a unique background, along with credentials and skills, including participating in over 700 prior depositions, has proven to be very effective in his expert witness role.

Dr. Pastor has over 20 years of university teaching experience in security, public safety, and policing, including Northwestern University- Center for Public Safety and the International Law Enforcement Academy. 

Author of four books on security and public safety, plus chapter on Private Policing in ASIS International's Protection of Assets Manual and created Privatization of Policing Bibliography for Oxford University Press, both being comprehensive, substantive works relating to Private Policing.

View SecureLaw LLC's Consulting Profile.

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: 

Security Policies and Procedures Use of Force Human Resource Issues including Hiring and Firing Terminated Employee Risks, and Policies Police Procedures Physical Security  Assessments

Negligence Determinations for Businesses Houses of Worship, and Schools High Threat and Security Vulnerability Analysis Drugs and Substance Abuse Issues Lone Wolf , Active Shooters, and Hate Groups Law Enforcement Procedures and Operations

View Timoth A. Dimoff's Consulting Profile.

Alan J.  Robinson brings over 35 years of Security / Law Enforcement experience to the  security, safety, fire safety, emergency management field. Mr. Robinson is a former Supervisor, Protection Services for Disney-ABC, Inc. in New York, where he coordinated the security of millions of dollars in equipment for both Reagan Presidential Inaugurations. While at Disney-ABC, he was credited with creating the first hostage negotiation training class after an incident at ABC News in Washington, D.C.

Background Experience: For  the past 25 years, Mr. Robinson has been the Director of Protection and Security Services/Emergency  Management for Atlantic Health System; a hospital system based in New Jersey where he manages: Public Safety and Security, Fire/Life Safety, Emergency  Management, Investigations, and Special Events for a healthcare system that approximately 10 million square feet of physical plant and campus, spread  throughout New Jersey.

Mr. Robinson directly and indirectly manages over one-hundred (100) security  officers, investigators, fire safety officers, emergency management officers, and contract law  enforcement officers. He has successfully navigated numerous external agency regulatory compliance  surveys including those from the “Joint Commission,” State Department of Health, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security, and New Jersey Office of  Counter-Terrorism.

Litigation Support: Mr. Robinson has been retained to provide consultation, security analysis, and security expert witness testimony by plaintiff and  defendant in a wide variety of civil suits. He is available to consult and testify in matters concerning:

Premises Liability Inadequate Security Negligent Security

Crime Foreseeability Private Security Officer Training Security Industry Standards

Areas of Expertise

Workplace Violence Prevention and Investigation · Public Safety & Security · Emergency Management · Preventing Infant Abduction · Child Predator Protection · Narcotic Diversion Investigations · Multi-Facility Management · Asset Protection · Hospital Security · Continuous Process Improvement · Crisis Event Management

View Risk and Threat Analysis Management, LLC's Consulting Profile.

R. Leslie Nichols, CPP, specializes in cases involving Sexual Abuse in schools, churches, camps, mentoring programs, sports organizations, and after-school programs.  He is the former National Vice President over child safety for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (National Headquarters) and oversaw the development of organizational policies and practices to protect 4 million youth at 4,000 sites in the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, Mr. Nichols began private practice as an expert witness and as direct consultant to schools and other youth-serving organizations.

Mr. Nichols has authored, co-authored, or contributed to numerous publications addressing various aspects of protecting children and has been interviewed, quoted and cited in various print and broadcast media.  He was a contributor to the Maryland Guidelines and Best Practices for the Design, Assessment and Modification of Physical Facilities and Spaces to Reduce Opportunities for Child Sexual Abuse (2020, SCANN) and the Recommened Guidelines and Best Practices: Background Screening in Youth-Serving Organizations, 3rd Ed. (2021, NCYS). He co-authored the textbook, Extreme Violence: Understanding & Protecting People from Active Assailants, Hate Crimes & Terrorist Attacks (2021, Cognella Academic).

Mr. Nichols is a member and past president of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, a board-certified security professional (CPP) with ASIS International and holdds a Master of Science in Security Administration.

Mr. Nichols has been retained or served as a fact witness in over 30 cases, involving sexual abuse and other harm within organizations.

Examples include:

• A contract school bus driver molests a student on the bus
• A school music instructor grooms and molests his teen student
• A organization’s screening process misses obvious red flags
• A college ministry fails to provide oversight to prevent an accidental death
• A disabled child is molested by another child while being transported on a bus
• A sports organization fails to audit its child protection program
• A church volunteer systematically grooms and molests young boy
• Two teens rape a female, special needs student between classes
• A child is injured on a roof during an afterschool program
• An organization fails to provide effective sex abuse prevention resources to its affiliate
• A young boy is molested by other boys at a church retreat

View Les Nichols' Consulting Profile.

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:

Use of Force - Reasonableness, Excessive, Deadly Undercover Operations Police Misconduct Informant Recruitment, Management, Corroboration Investigative Procedures, Interview Tactics Evidence Handling RICO Title Three Investigations / Electronic Eavesdropping Devices Asset Seizures Narcotic / Drug Enforcement Undercover Use of Informants to Entrap

Internet Drug Trafficking Blind Mule Defense Undercover for Internet Child Predatory Practices Undercover Entrapment (all areas) Smuggling Money laundering International drug trafficking practices and mores Police Misconduct Official Corruption Reasonableness of Arrest Tactics, Raids, Search Warrants Cooperation Deals

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.

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Information Technology, Audio Visual, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioning. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

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:

Hotels Resorts Restaurants Travel and Tourism Meetings and Events

Theme Parks Airlines Cruise Lines Casinos Golf Courses

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).

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:

Electronic Security Security Systems Burglar Alarm Systems Intrusion Detection Motion Detection Wireless Alarm Systems Wired Alarm Systems Occupancy Detection Systems Premises Security Residential and Commercial Security Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs)

Research and Development Engineering Management New Product Development Electronic Engineering Embedded Systems Alarm Control Panels PIR (Passive Infra-Red) Motion Detection uW (Microwave) Doppler Motion Detection Solar LED Flood Lights (Patio to Street Level) Patent Litigation Intellectual Property

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.

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) and 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 $600M and earned plaintiffs over $280 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 officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, 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
• Human Factors

Donald L. Leach, II, is a Jail / Corrections Management expert with over 30 years of experience. He has 20 years of consulting experience on jail management issues nationally, focusing on Risk Management for Jails and Jail Operational Methodology. 

Mr. Leach has extensive supervisory experience, having overseen up to 402 employees (indirectly). He also supervised internal affairs investigations, experienced in interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, motivating, evaluating, and dismissing personnel. He is experienced in administering and managing a large detention facility, developing and administering programs, budgeting, contract development and monitoring, conducting research, monitoring compliance with policies and procedures, community relations, public speaking, controlling costs, problem-solving, and preparing reports.

Litigation Support - Mr. Leach has served as an expert witness for 5 years, in both State and Federal court. His services are available to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense and include case review, testimony, and consultation for jail and prison issues.

Areas of Expertise:

Jail Management Use of Force In-custody Death Security / Operations Medical and Mental Health Services

Classification Contract Management for Privatized Services Management Information Systems Strip Search Gang and STG

View Donald Leach's Consulting Profile.