Materials (General) Expert Witnesses: 26

David Smith is an experienced mechanical engineer (MS, PE) with seven issued patents. Award-winning inventor. Vice President of Alpine Engineering and Design, a mechanical engineering consulting company with clients around the United States ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies. Worked on the development of multiple successful products including among other things: aerial lifts, garbage trucks, thrill rides, ziplines, trailers, oil and gas equipment, exercise equipment, manufacturing equipment, and multiple consumer products. 

Graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Completed a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in product development. Licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified safety professional in comprehensive practice (CSP). Certified trainer for boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain, and counterbalanced forklifts. Over 10 years of experience in product development, patents, equipment safety, and risk assessments. 

Experienced expert witness having drafted over 200 reports/declarations in patent cases and catastrophic injury and death cases. Designed and built multiple custom testing devices to obtain data and evaluate opinions. Created multiple demonstratives to explain the mechanics and circumstances of accident sequences and patented devices. Testified in deposition 11 times and in trial once.

Keith M. Cianfrani, MAS, CRSP, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, the founder and owner, has over 30 years of aviation experience. He is a master army aviator, aviation safety officer, commercial pilot, instructor pilot, and was an accident investigator for the U.S. Army Safety Center.

Background - Mr. Cianfrani is rated in both rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. As a safety officer, he has managed safety programs in organizations with over 100 aircraft stationed throughout 5 states. Mr. Cianfrani is currently an instructor for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Kansas State University. He is also presently attending Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) as a PhD Student in Aviation Science.

Mr. Cianfrani is a certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and has also worked in the civilian, commercial aviation industry. He has been flying for companies such as Petroleum Helicopters, Damin Aviation, Keystone Helicopters, Island Helicopters, and Chopper 6 and Chopper 3 in Philadelphia. He also has experience in the flight for life, aero medical evacuation industry.

Litigation Support - Keith Cianfrani specializes in Human Factors and Material Failure in Aviation Accident Investigations. He serves as an aviation safety consultant for the Federal Aviation Administration and FIT. An IS-BAO Certified Safety Auditor, he provides safety evaluations in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations. His services are available nationally and internationally and include written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

View Keith Cianfrani's Consulting Profile.

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:

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)

Dr. Rolf Biernath, PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and BChE, Georgia Institute of Technology) has over 35 years of experience in the Chemical Industry with a concentration on Polymer Science and Engineering and Material Science Fracture Mechanics. He worked in Materials and Processes at 3M for 31 years in senior technical roles developing materials, processes, and systems. His 58 US patents span a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines.

Litigation Support - Dr. Biernath is a Patent & Civil Liability Expert Witness having worked with in-house and outside attorneys in prior art searches. He's drafted claims and strategized claims in a variety of fields. He has written Expert Reports for Civil Liability, including material failure analysis, computer simulation, and manufacturing assessment. He is known for his ability to explain complex technical problems simply.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Dr. Biernath has 58 Issued US Patents on new products and processes, including:

• Industrial Adhesives and Tapes – materials selection, development, automation, and tape application processes
• Electronic Materials – epoxy thermoset adhesives & application process, high speed electronic connectors
• Electronic Displays and optical display films, outdoor digital displays
• Microreplication and textured adhesives and processes, microfluidics, e-Paper
• Signage – retroreflective signage, license plate recognition, ADAS, and Human Invisible, Machine-Readable Coding System
• IoT and IIoT / Automatic and predictive selection and replacement

Dr. Biernath has expertise in stresses in planar systems due to a range of causes including, thermal expansion mismatch, humidity and solvent uptake or loss, and cure shrinkage. He understands assembly processes for tapes and adhesives including interpreting Technical Data Sheets, Application Data Sheets, developing test methods, and selecting materials.

View Biernath Consulting, Inc.'s Business Consultant Profile.

Michael A. Pollock, PE, USPTO, is a Mechanical Engineer responsible for the design and engineering of commercial, industrial, manufacturing, institutional, and residential venues, as well as efforts relating to services and products used in and around these facilities. Mr. Pollock's full CV can be viewed at cogentexpert.com.

Business and industries include electronics, safety and construction, building materials, polymers and plastics, instrumentation manufacturing, petrochemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, colleges, athletic facilities, textiles, coatings and resins, food storage, biosciences, supermarkets, inks & pigments, automotive, facility and real estate operations, agricultural, transportation, nuclear, healthcare, nutrition, retail, distributors, pulp and paper, packaging, utilities, apparel, and R&D centers.

Litigation Support - Mr. Pollock is a subject matter expert in Commercial and Industrial Engineering Applications and Projects, as well as engineering standards and applicable codes (ASHRAE, ASME, NIST, NFPA, NBIC, ASTM, SAE, LEED, ASCE, GMP, ISA, BOCA, and EPA Regulations.) He has engaged with local, state, and governmental officials and agencies regarding numerous matters over his commensurate years of experience.

Areas of Expertise:

Registrations

• Professional Engineer: PA (PE075410)
• American Bar Association (ABA) – Construction Forum
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act Certification – Universal (includes Chillers, HVAC & Refrigeration)
• United States Patent & Trademark Office Registered (USPTO)                              

Forensic Consulting Experience

Warehouse Distribution Facility – Maryland - Evaluated a $10M (million) claim relating to purported construction defect claims by the 600,000 sq. ft. facility owner against the facility construction contractor and an original equipment manufacturer relating to installed infrastructure in the facility. Developed an expert opinion and expert report regarding the analysis of the purported defects and a proposed repair solution to correct said defects. 

 Psychiatric Hospital Facility – North Carolina – Evaluated a $28M (million) construction claim by the general contractor against a hospital facility concerning a $100M facility construction project.  Developed an expert opinion and report for general construction issues, constructability, design revisions, and corresponding delay analysis for mechanical, HVAC, electrical, smoke and fire, structural, security and building automation systems. 

Forensics Consulting Work-in-Progress 

• 2022 – International Trade Commission (ITC) Matter – Resin Manufacturing Facility Construction Delay / Completeness Analysis
• 2022 – Mechanical Systems Coatings Matter Analysis
• 2021 – Industrial Manufacturing Facility Standard of Care Matter, Construction Defect, Construction Delay     
• 2021 – Electrical Distribution System Construction Defect Matter, Standard of Care
• 2021 – Hotel Facility HVAC Materials of Construction Related Defect Matter

Dr. David A. Rockstraw, PE, is a distinguished figure in the fields of Chemical Engineering and Intellectual Property, with an impressive blend of academic and professional credentials. He has over 30 of years of experience in chemical processing and phenomena in industry, national labs, academia, and private consulting.

Dr. Rockstraw is the former Robert Davis Distinguished Professor and Academic Department Head of Chemical Engineering, Interim Academic Department Head of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Creator and Director of Brewery Engineering at New Mexico State University, with over a decade of experience in the chemical process industry and national labs. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Rockstraw has supported NSF grants as a co-PI and consultant, testified in trials, arbitrations, and depositions on dozens of occasions, and has the experience of over 80 expert witness engagements and over 30 technical consultant engagements, the majority involving patent infringement, trade secret theft, and patent validity.  Work on these cases has frequently required Rockstraw to perform laboratory research or direct full-scale plant tests to collect the evidence needed to support a client’s position. He is a clear communicator, skilled educator, having experience in a wide range of chemical manufacture processes. Dr. Rockstraw is licensed in TX, NM, and CA.

Areas of Expertise:

David Morris has over 30 years of deep understanding and hands on experience of Construction and Construction Processes that give him a unique perspective in the industry. Having worked in many roles, Mr. Morris has the ability to formulate conclusions based on practical experience. Staying abreast of new technologies, he is able to apply them to outdated construction processes.

Mr. Morris has welding certifications in nearly all processes (MIG, TIG, Stick) and most materials, (Carbon Steel, Various grades of Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Chrome,). He has extensive experience in Instrumentation, Controls, Building automation Systems, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing Codes and Design, Drafting and Detailing, layout and quantity take-off, medical gas installation, Plumbing and Piping Detailing, Computer Aided Drafting, and BIM

Litigation Support - Mr. Morris serves as an expert witness for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include onsite inspection, thorough reporting, depositions and trial testimony as needed. Cases include:

Select Background Experience:

• Prior to founding DMorris.consulting, Mr. Morris served as Director of Virtual Construction for EMCOR Construction Services from 2008-2016. In this role, he directed the virtual construction activities and operations of 82 EMCOR companies. His scope of work included drafting contract language for BIM and pre-construction, setting up new projects in lean and BIM delivery methods, and reviewing new construction technologies among other duties, Managing 3D and BIM processes
• From 2001-2008, Mr. Morris worked with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors as Director of Virtual Construction. He was responsible for estimating Plumbing, HVAC Piping and Process Piping for numerous research laboratories and healthcare facilities valued at over 100mm + each. He also delivered conceptual estimates for numerous Biotech, Power, and Co-Generation plants.
• Select Project Participation: San Joaquin County Hospital, City of Gilroy Waste Water Reclamation Plant, Shafter Prison, Vandenberg Air Force Base HVAC Replacement, Space Shuttle Launch Complex Project, Tehachapi State Prison Level-4 High Security Prison Housing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Co-Gen Facility, Kern Medical Center New Hospital Wing Expansion, Anheuser Busch Yeast Plant Expansion, and multiple Piping, Petrochemical, Hospital, and School projects.

*This Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables is a derivative work of a best practice guideline written by David Morris in 2003 and modified for the AGC BIMForum in 2009. It is the result of capturing ten years of practical methods on real world construction projects and reflects continual feedback and improvement gained from that process.

View Dmorris.consulting's Business Consulting Profile.

Randy Phares is an expert in Packaging, specializing in Corrugated, Crating, Baling, Shipping, Warehousing, Manufacturing Safety and Load Securement. He has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in Packaging, Procurement, Shipping, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Productivity, and Business Improvement.

Since he began his career in 1990, Mr. Phares has held almost every job in packaging operations. These include manufacturing, distribution, sales, design, safety, transportation, and running entire multinational business units for a Fortune 1000 Corporation. He has worked on projects in Asia, Jamaica, Afghanistan, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, USA, and Canada.

Mr. Phares has run packaging testing labs, design centers managed fleets of trucks, manufacturing machinery, and managed world class packaging manufacturing operations. He is a published international author, and speaker who was the President of the South Texas Manufacturers Association. He is a Packaging and Procurement Subject Matter Expert since 2019 saving over $10 million for SGS-Maine Pointe the #1 Supply Chain Consulting Firm according to Consulting.us and one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms of 2022 according for Forbes Magazine.

Honors and Awards - Best Achievement of Organizational Business Improvement in Manufacturing Award presented by the Global Six-Sigma and Business Improvement Awards for an extensive plant turnaround for Temple-Inland (now International Paper). Best Performing Plant Award for 4 consecutive years out of 26 plants for Gaylord Container (now International Paper).

Litigation Support - Randy Phares is a leading Packaging and Load Securement Subject Matter Expert relied upon for his experience, knowledge, and in-depth understanding of packaging, logistics, manufacturing, distribution, freight, and intellectual property. He performs forensic analysis and testing of packaging failures, loading, unloading and distribution failures that caused damage or injury. His services include thorough reporting, depositions, consulting, and trial testimony as needed.  

Cases involve crated, palletized, banded or boxed products, or boxed products loaded in railcars, trucks, vans or parcel trucks, warehoused, transported (loaded, or unloaded), or injury using a pallet jack, forklift, or by hand.

 Areas of Expertise: 

View Randy Phares' Consulting Profile.

Paul Eason is a Licensed Professional Engineer, Nationally Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and Forensic Consultant. His expertise comes from a strong background in industry and academia. In addition to his consulting practice, he is a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of North Florida, and maintains a graduate faculty appointment in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Florida. 

Dr. Eason has testified in numerous trials and depositions in the following practice areas: 

Product Design & Manufacturing Analysis - Metallurgy & Materials - Fire & Explosions - Industrial Accidents 

Areas of Expertise: Product Liability and Materials Failure Analysis, Product Defect & Safety Issues including: Metals, Plastics, Glass, Ceramics, Corrosion, Fatigue, Overload & Material Selection 

Fire and Explosion Analysis including: cause and origin determination, product related fire causation, industrial process accidents, dust explosions, welding / brazing accidents

Envista Forensics is a global leader in Forensic Engineering & Recovery Solutions. They provide Cause & Origin, Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigations, Accident Reconstruction, Damage Evaluations and Equipment Restoration Services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has offered Consulting Services to the insurance, legal and risk management industries, as well as businesses, public entities, and universities for over 25 years.

Their Experts travel globally from 30 offices located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia and Singapore. Envista's experience counts when equipment, systems, structures, or data have been threatened by catastrophe or litigation. Their experts and advisors determine cause and responsibility, and identify the nature and extent of damage or loss and provide a full range of solutions to protect their assets.

Envista's technical professionals are trusted advisors and industry leaders. Their expertise is broad and deep, capable of withstanding all forms of scrutiny. Envista's services are available globally so that certainty is assured no matter where in the world it is needed. As the recovery from disasters has grown more complex, Envista has developed a comprehensive array of services to help their clients and has associates located around the globe to provide assurance no matter the type of loss or location of the disaster. Envista helps attorneys quickly get to meaningful answers on the many technical issues at the center of a dispute. Their engineers have decades of experience working with both defendants and plaintiffs.

They offer effective Expert Witness Testimony, with the ability to communicate effectively, build rapport with juries and judges, and maintain adherence to structured, methodical approaches in drawing conclusions are all extremely critical. Envista Forensics understands how critical the selection of an expert can be, and we understand what makes experts effective. Their court qualified experts have extensive experience providing expert testimony on a wide variety of engineering and technical matters.

Areas of Expertise:

View Envista's Consulting Profile.

• Expert Witness
• Analytical Instrumentation Adaptation to Processing Equipment
• Friction Analysis
• Melt Rheology
• Extrusion Equipment: Design & Analysis of Production
• Telecommunication Cables and Insulation
• Power Cables and Testing XLDPE
• All phases of PVC Compounding & Extrusion
• Thermal Stability of Polymers
• Surface Chemistry, Metals & Polymers

Radhakrishnaiah Parachuru is a Textile Engineer with BS, MS and PhD degrees in Textile Engineering & MS degree in Applied Statistics. A multidisciplinary scientist, Dr. Parachuru possesses more than 35 years of teaching, research, and industrial experience in Polymer, Fiber, Textile, Apparel, Carpet, and other related disciplines. 

Serving as the coordinator of industry and public support activities at Georgia Tech, Dr. Parachuru has completed more than 180 applied research projects for the benefit of all segments of the Textile and Allied industries. Projects completed fall in the following categories:

• Product / Process Optimization
• Testing and Evaluation of all Types of Fiber Products Including Woven & Knitted Fabrics, Nonwovens, Carpets, and Technical Textilles
• Flammability Testing of Fabrics, Garments, Carpets and Nonwovens
• Application of Advances in the Materials Field, Especially Advances in Nano and Bio Materials for the Advancement of Fiber Product Industry
• Application of Performance Finishes to Fiber Products Through Wet Treatments
• Technical Trouble Shooting in Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Dyeing, Printing and Textile Finishing Processes
• Design and Evaluation of New Fiber Products for Application in Medical, Construction, Transportation, etc. Sectors
• Assistance for Product Diversification
• Establishment of Quality Control Facilities and QC Routines

Dr. Parachuru has also conducted basic research in the area of Textile Manufacturing and served as the main advisor of several graduate students at Georgia Tech. He has been an active member of Fiber Society, AATCC, ASTM and TQCA. Dr. Parachuru currently serves as an active member of several AATCC technical committees and also as chairman of the AATCC committee on statistics. His current research interests are in the area of medical and industrial textiles. 

Consultation Services - Dr. Parachuru offers technical consultation to manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. His services cover the entire spectrum of the fiber product industry. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Parachuru has been qualified as a Fiber / Textile Expert after appearing as an expert in more than Forty court cases. His experience covers federal, state, and county courts in multiple states within the United States.

Areas of Expertise:

Meyer R. Rosen, FRSC, FAIC, CPC, CChE, is a leading creative consultant for the Legal Profession and specialty Chemical / Personal Care Industries. He is the Founder & President of Interactive Consulting, Inc. (www.chemicalconsult.com). 

Meyer is a Forensic Litigation expert for both plaintiff and defense in hazardous chemicals, products liability, personal injury, fires and explosions, intellectual property and trade secret cases. He also provides Technical Marketing, New Business Development, Technical Consulting and Professional Editing services internationally to the Specialty Chemical, Personal Care, Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Allied Industries. 

Meyer also has 15 years of experience as a Professor of Fire Technology at Westchester Community College. Mr. Rosen is Editor- in- Chief of Harry’s Cosmeticology, 9th Ed. A 2,600-page trilogy on all aspects of the cosmetic industry (www.harryscosmeticology.com)’ as well as being Emeritus-Editor-in-Chief for EuroCosmetics magazine (Germany) and Editor-in-Chief of the Delivery System Handbook. 

Technology Expertise (Intellectual Property/Chemical Industry): Mr. Rosen provides consultation and litigation support in patent infringement, trade secret issues, and licensing matters. His scientific areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

• Organosilicones: Surfactants, Emulsions, Foams, Antifoams, Silane Coupling Agents
• Water Soluble Polymers, Poly(ethylene oxide), Polyethylene Glycol, and Poly (acrylamide) and Water Insoluble Polymers
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry: Stability of Dispersions, Wetting & Spreading Phenomena, Suspensions & Emulsions, Clays, Paint & Coatings, Personal Care, Cosmetics
• Flocculating and Coagulating Agents
• Applied Rheology, Rheology Modification of Aqueous & Non-Aqueous Media

Certifications:

• Chartered Chemist and Fellow: Royal Society of Chemistry – London
• Nationally Certified Professional Chemist and Professional Chemical Engineer
• Fire and Explosion Expert (Advanced Training)
• Fellow: American College of Forensic Examiners
• Fellow: American Institute of Chemists
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Examiners
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Engineering and Technology

View Meyer Rosen's Consulting Profile.

Jose Villalobos, PE, is a licensed Civil and Corrosion Engineer with over 48 years of experience in the design and condition assessment of corrosion protection systems for municipal infrastructure including Water and Wastewater Conveyance, Treatment, and Storage.

Mr. Villalobos and his team at JLV Wolf Inc. are based in San Leandro, California and specialize in assisting owners and engineering firms when it comes to forensic investigations. With their help, clients can collect all the needed information to properly assess structural integrity or causes of the structural failure. The firm offers services throughout the US.

Litigation Support - Mr. Villalobos provides professional assistance to owners, design engineers, and attorneys in evaluating operational issues at water and wastewater plants that may require forensic investigations. He is retained for cases involving the deterioration of Concrete and Corrosion of Metals in Water and Wastewater Facilities including atmospheric, immersed, and buried exposures at:

Relevant Project Experience (Partial List):

• A.C. Transit, Oakland, Bus Maintenance Facility Buries Hydraulic Fluid Line Investigation
• Thompson vs. Standard Oil
• Landels Ripley Diamond Union Oil Tank Investigation
• Field, Richardson et al – Contra Costa Water District PG&E Claims Seaport Center Stainless Steel Pipe Support Cable Failure and Corrosion of Concrete Piles
• Bay View Condominiums Copper Recirculation Hot Water Systems San Luis Water District Cement Mortar Coated Pipe Failure
• Sea Colony Residential Housing Subdivision Reinforced Concrete Slab  Foundation Failure

Randal Hill, PhD, Thought leader in chemistry, materials science and intellectual property.  Award winning PhD scientist with 30+ years in applied chemistry.  Visiting Scientist at MIT for 5 years to foster silicone-based nanotechnology projects.  Holder of 69 issued patents.  Author of Silicone Surfactants book and 60 articles.  Served as Patent Science Advisor to grow patent portfolio by 1500%.  Deveoped display for Amazon Kindle.  Readily adapts expertise to new problems.  Served as adunct faculty at Stanford and University of Minnesota.  Organized two international symposia.  Invited speaker at Gordon Conference and four international colloid meetings.  Associate Editor of Journal of Surfactants and Detergents.  Involved member of American Chemical Society, Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Physical Society, and American Oil Chemists Society. Awards  include 3 Dow Corning Technical Achievement Awards, as well as the AOCS Samuel Rosen Award for Surfactant Chemistry.  

Experience includes fire-fighting foams, well fluids, adhesives, silicone defoamers, formulation of household and personal care products, applications of silicone surfactants, silicone-based nanotechnology for soldier protection, development of pigments for electronic displays.

Background Experience - Dr. Hill began his career at a major detergent company followed by developing sugar-based surfactants. He went on to spend 20 years with Dow Corning developing personal care applications for silicones, leading the pigment science group at E Ink developing the next generation of color electrophoretic ink displays, and leading the Formulation Development group at Flotek to expand the product line by 300% and grow the patent portfolio by 1400%.

Dr. Hill is now known for his work on silicone surfactants, especially for his work on super wetting. During his time as MIT Visiting Scientist with Dow, he also initiated work on silicone-based superhydrophobic surfaces, which led to a publication that has since been cited nearly 1,500 times.

Dr. Hill is the author of 60 publications, including an authoritative book entitled, Silicone Surfactants. He is a highly awarded inventor with accolades that include 3 Dow Corning Technical Achievement Awards, as well as the 2017 AOCS Samuel Rosen Award for Surfactant Chemistry.