Bars / Nightclubs Expert Witnesses: 3

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:

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.

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.

Preston Rideout is a nightclub and bar consultant specializing in Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony. He has 25 years of bar operations experience and 75 alcohol safety certifications. Preston is CEO of Rideout Hospitality and Founder of The Dram Shop Experts.

Upon graduating from the University of Mississippi, Preston relocated to Las Vegas to work for Pure Management Group. While in Las Vegas, Preston operated Coyote Ugly, Tangerine Nightclub, Pure Nightclub, PCD Lounge, LAX Nightclub, Noir Bar Audigier Nightclub, EVE Nightclub, Venus Pool Club, and Rehab Pool Party inside Treasure Island Casino, New York New York Casino, Caesars Palace, The Luxor, Aria Casino, and The Hard Rock Hotel. After Las Vegas, Preston launched Rideout Hospitality.

As CEO of Rideout Hospitality, Preston provides consulting to casinos, hotels, resorts, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and hospitality management groups across the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Clients retain Preston to optimize bar operations, create alcohol service policies, implement operating procedures, and conduct bartender training. Together. Preston and his team of consultants have provided consulting to over 250 clients.

As Founder of The Dram Shop Experts, Preston provides plaintiff and defense attorneys with Liquor Liability, Premise Liability, Personal Injury, Catastrophic Injury, and Wrongful Death expert witness testimony. Attorneys retain Preston to provide insight into alcohol-related industry-standard operating procedures, intoxication identification, training adequacy, management oversight, alcohol service policies, procedures, bottle service, mechanical bull operations, pool parties, underage alcohol prevention, security, use of force and deadly force.

Areas of Expertise: include but are not limited to Alcohol Service, Alcohol Policies, Alcohol Procedures, industry Standard Bar Operations, Casino Bar Operations, Nightclub Operations, Restaurant Operations, Mechanical Bull Operations, Pool Party Operations, Management Oversight, Bartender Training, Intoxication Identification, Liquor Liability, Premise Liability, Wrongful Death, Slip & Fall.

Alcohol Certifications: Preston Rideout has 75 Alcohol Safety Certifications, including Techniques for Alcohol Management  (TAM), Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), Responsible Beverage Service (RBS), Responsible Alcohol Server Program (RASP), Alcohol Seller Server Training (ABLE), Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC) in all 50 states.

Litigation Support: Preston Rideout provides Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Litigation Experience: Preston Rideout has been retrained 73 times to provide Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony. He’s been retained 23 times by Defendants 50 times and by Plaintiffs.

View Preston Rideout's Business Consultant Profile.