Mediation and Conflict Management Expert Witnesses: 12

Aaron T. Olson has decades of experience in the field of Police and Human Resources. His foundation of knowledge and skills comes from a career in law enforcement, and being a college educator, expert witness, consultant, trainer, and private investigator.

Background Experience: Mr. Olson has 26 years of police experience with the Oregon State Police managing assignments in communications, recruitment, and patrol. He supervised and evaluated both police and non-police employees. He was a member of the OSP Procedures and Rules Advisory Committee and worked with Oregon's Department of Justice legal team in rewriting and validating OSP's trooper and cadet applicant hiring process. 

As a patrol supervisor, Mr. Olson directed major crime scenes and motor vehicle fatalities investigations. He reviewed and approved administrative, police, and use of force reports. He investigated allegations of police officer misconduct, conducted background checks, and participated in specialized tasks in community policing, dignitary protection with the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies. In his tenure he had experience in police pursuits, the use of physical force and deadly force and next-of-kin death notifications.  

Mr. Olson is a former human resources investigator with Local Government Personnel Institute, Salem, OR. He conducted background and misconduct investigations on city and county employees and city and county elected officials, as well as city police chiefs. His misconduct investigations included sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and hostile work environments. He wrote the investigative reports and made the findings of facts on all misconduct allegations.

Besides being an expert witness, Mr. Olson is a private investigator. He is insured and bonded and licensed through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, Private Investigator License #113509. Mr. Olson is a contract expert consultant to the Oregon Public Defense Commission on police practices and investigations. His vendor number is 1833121097-000. 

Mr. Olson is a published co -writer of multiple books, CARE Approach: Seeking Solutions to Human Problems and Multicultural Law Enforcement: Strategies for Peacekeeping in a Diverse Society. Further, he is an adjunct professor teaching at a community college and state university.

Litigation Support: Mr. Olson meets the criteria of an expert witness as outlined in the Federal Rules of Evidence. He has experience as an expert on cases involving police misconduct, police procedures, police and non-police use of force, police pursuits; wrongful death; personal injury; employer investigations on employees; and cases involving employer negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, negligent retention, management performance and retaliation. He also has experience in reviewing criminal cases for defense attorneys. Mr. Olson's services are available to attorneys' representing plaintiffs and defendants and include diagnostics, thorough reporting, depositions, arbitration hearings, and trial testimony as needed. Contact him today for a free initial consultation.

Areas of Expertise:

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Police Practices and Procedures Police Investigations and Arrests

Human Resources Practices and Investigations Negligent Hiring, Retention, Failure to Train/Supervise  Bias, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

View Aaron T. Olson's Consulting Profile.

Steven Proto is a Nationwide Certified Auto Appraiser (IAAA Certified, USAAP compliant) with over 20 years of experience as an Auto Valuation Expert.

Mr. Proto's expertise is in Fraud Investigations, including diminished value, dealership practices, new and used auto transactions, prior accident damage detection, and vehicle valuations from a Corolla to a Ferrari. He currently serves as the GM of an Auto Auction, Auto Mediator Umpire and he establishes and maintains markets in automotive vehicles, appraising vehicles, and arbitration disputes for top tier auto franchises.

Litigation Support - Hired by Auto Manufacturer's, Top Tier Auctions, the D.O.J.  and qualified to testify in Federal/ State Court as an  Expert in Vehicle Valuation, Dealer Fraud, Dealer Business Practices, Wrongful Death, Tesla Repair process. He can assist in the discovery stage to ensure clients are able to document real damage or the bogus nature of fraudulent claims. Serves as an expert witnesses for both plaintiff and defendant. 

Steve Proto Automotive Mediator and Expert Witness

Areas of Expertise:

Dealership Business Practices Automotive Industry Standards and Practices Diminished Value Market Valuation Total Loss Vehicle Valuation Tesla Repairs Wrongful Death Fraud Investigations Auto Leasing/Auto Rental Automotive Auction Appraiser Automotive Auction Arbitration Inspector Prior Repairs and Previous Paint Work

Automotive Mediator Auto Dealer Disputes Dealer vs. Dealer Disputes Insurance Claims Consumer Disputes Lemon Law Total Loss Claims Manufacturer Warranty vs. Dealer Disputes

Coleman & Horowitt, LLP is a Civil Litigation and Transactions Firm. It provides a wide variety of services to businesses and individuals through its two departments. By concentrating in these areas, members of the firm have become exceptionally proficient in dealing with all phases of preventive law, litigation, alternative dispute resolution and the negotiation and preparation of documentation to meet the needs of today's businesses. The firm has a varied client base ranging from small family operations to large, publicly traded corporations.

Darryl Horowitt, Esq. has conducted all phases of litigation in the areas of Banking, Business Disputes, Securities Fraud (class action and individual), Construction, Real Estate, Environmental, Casualty Insurance Defense, Personal Injury and Commercial Collections, from initial client contact to settlement, mediation, arbitration and trial - court and jury (State and Federal Court) and administrative proceedings (before the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, National Labor Relations Board, California Department of Fair Housing and Employment, Worker's Compensation Appeals Board and Agricultural Labor Relations Board).

Mr. Horowitt has also assisted in transactions, including incorporation, purchase and sale agreements, secured and unsecured transactions, and employment contracts. In the field of alternative dispute resolution, he has served as an arbitrator (for the American Arbitration Association, NASD Regulation, Inc., Better Business Bureau Dispute Resolution Center, and the Fresno and Madera County Superior Courts), mediator (privately and for the Better Business Bureau Dispute Resolution Center), special master (for Judge James Ware, United States District Court, Northern District of California) and judge pro tem (Fresno County Courts).

Firm's Areas of Practice Include

Banking

Commercial Real Estate

Business

Casualty Insurance Defense

Construction Litigation and Transactions

Insurance Coverage

Environmental Law

Commercial Collections

Personal Injury Litigation

Alternative Dispute Resolution (mediation, arbitration and mini-trials)

Estate / Tax Planning

John G. Minor, President of Complete General Contractors, is a third-generation Contractor and licensed instructor certified by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. He is a recognized expert on the costs and applications necessary to repair buildings damaged by manufacturer, builder liability, water damage or intrusion, mold, or asbestos. Mr. Minor has worked in construction and contracting dispute resolution throughout the Southeast for over 17 years. He has been involved in the successful discharge of 150+ million dollars as an expert witness in property claim lawsuits and disputes. He is retained by both the plaintiff and defense for a fair appraisal of the issues at hand. Mr. Minor works with attorneys to generate a plan based on damages to property and in compliance with the provisions and spirit of the insurance policies in effect at the time of the loss. For personal injury cases, he works to establish the code requirements in place at times of the injury to find how they relate to the cause of action. Areas of Expertise:

Loss Appraisals Construction Claims Construction Disputes Construction Safety Construction Damages

Fire Damage HVAC Issues Insurance - Property, Casualty Mold Asbestos

View John Minor's Consulting Profile.

Sanford C. Loy , CCM, B.Arch, MSCE, has over 40 years of experience in the Construction Industry. Mr. Loy has Degrees in Architecture and Engineering. A Certified Construction Manager (CCM), he is committed to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice established by the Construction Management Association of America. CCM is the ANSI accredited professional designation for construction management and is the gold standard for CM service providers in over 145 countries.

Background Experience - Mr. Loy's experience spans virtually every type of building and design process. His strength centers on his understanding of the dynamics and interactions of the various trades and professions unique to every building project. He has experience with Construction Management at Risk, Construction Management Agency, Design-build, and Design-bid-build. Having successfully managed the completion of over one billion dollars of construction, Mr. Loy served as a Regional Engineer for the American Institute of Steel Construction and as Director of Construction and Development for Belz Enterprises, the largest development company in Tennessee, before founding Construction Strategies in 1988.

Litigation Support - Mr. Loy provides Construction Claim and Dispute Analysis services, with special expertise in Concrete Design and Design-Build. Having been a teacher of many of the principles and processes used in the industry he knows how to explain the difficult technical aspects of the information and analysis in a way which makes the facts understandable and believable to opposing counsel, insurance companies, judges, and juries. Mr. Loy has experience and provides assistance with various dispute resolution approaches, such as Owner / Contractor dispute resolution boards, arbitration, mediation, and provides expert witness testimony if necessary.

See services offered at https://www.construction-strategies.com/what-we-do 

View Sanford Loy's Consulting Profile.

Mitchell L. Lathrop, has over 50 years of experience in the practice of law, and specialized knowledge in Insurance, Reinsurance, and Lawyers' Professional Responsibility. For the past 30 years, Mr. Lathrop has served as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Expert Witness in his fields of expertise. A seasoned trial lawyer, he brings his many years of practice to alternative dispute resolution. 

Mr. Lathrop is admitted to practice in California, New York and the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Ninth, Tenth, District of Columbia and Federal Circuits. Mr. Lathrop is a former Presiding Referee of the California State Bar Court. He serves on the National Panel of the American Arbitration Association and is a Distinguished Neutral of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), as well as a member of the London Court of International Arbitration. He is the author of "Insurance Coverage for Environmental Claims," published by Lexis-Nexis Matthew Bender. He has qualified as an expert in insurance and legal malpractice in both state and federal courts. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Insurance bad faith and standard of care and conduct
• Reinsurance Law - Property and Casualty insurance
• Treaty and Facultative Reinsurance
• Environmental Insurance
• Complex insurance coverage Issues
• Lawyers' Professional Responsibility

Jeffrey D. Diamond specializes in Insurance Coverage Disputes and Litigation. He has established his law firm as one of the premier Insurance Coverage law firms in the Metro Atlanta area on behalf of policyholders, as well as throughout the State of Georgia and, as he was initially admitted to the State Bar of California in 1978, he serves policyholders in California, as well.

In addition to his full time law practice, Mr. Diamond has served as an Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law since 1995 in both California and Georgia, having joined the Georgia State University College of Law faculty in 2009 as an Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law and, in 2012, he joined Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in a similar capacity. 

Mr. Diamond is also a law instructor for the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), a national educational organization which conducts continuing education programs for financial professionals across the country, teaching in NACVA’s Expert Witness Bootcamp program. Mr. Diamond has been an invited guest speaker on topics of interest at numerous insurance conferences throughout the country.

Over his 37 year career, Mr. Diamond has successfully represented policyholders, and formerly Insurance companies, in a wide variety of insurance coverage and bad faith actions including:

• Business Insurance Litigation
• Homeowners Insurance Litigation
• Construction Defect Litigation
• General Business Property and Liability Claims
• Long Term Disability Claims
• Life Insurance Claims

Litigation Support - Mr. Diamond's experience as an insurance litigator and insurance law professor allows him a unique perspective as an expert witness. His extensive knowledge of insurance law and keen insights into insurance policy interpretation, as well as the covenant of good faith and fair dealing under each State’s insurance related statutes and case law, make him an exceptional expert witness with regard to coverage and bad faith actions. 

Mr. Diamond's services are available to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. He has been retained more than 20 times for his expertise in matters regarding Bad Faith, First and Third Party Insurance Coverage, and Insurance policy Interpretation for the following:

Liability & Property Insurance Fire Insurance Life Insurance Business Insurance

Homeowners Insurance Automobile Insurance Disability Insurance

View Jeffrey Diamond's Consulting Profile.

William A. Muñoz, Esq., is a Civil Trial Attorney, Legal Ethics Expert, and Third-Party Neutral with over 20 years of experience defending attorneys, and other professionals such as architects and engineers, real estate agents/brokers, real estate appraisers, and insurance brokers, as well as defending personal injury, toxic torts, products liability, defamation, wrongful termination / harassment, wage and hour and discrimination claims.

 Mr. Muñoz is currently a member of the California State Bar Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (“COPRAC”) where the Committee interprets and issues opinions regarding legal ethics and the California Rules of Professional Conduct. Mr. Muñoz also serves as an arbitrator for the State Bar’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration program.

Mr. Muñoz previously served as the Chair for the Legal Malpractice Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization responsible for preparing and grading the legal malpractice law legal specialization examination as well as assessing the qualifications of potential applicants seeking the legal malpractice specialization designation and recertification.

Legal Malpractice Litigation Support - As a Subject Matter Expert, and with his wealth of experience, Mr. Muñoz is prepared to address the nuances of each case. His services are available to attorneys representing injured parties in the following areas:

Standard of Care Conflicts of Interests

Legal Ethics Reasonableness of Attorney’s Fees

Mr. Muñoz also serves as a Dispute Resolution Conference judge for El Dorado County Superior Court, a judge pro tem for Sacramento County Superior Court’s Settlement Conference Department, and more recently, a mediator for the Third District Court of Appeals Mediation Program. His approach is further informed by the renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law mediation training program and the National Conflict Resolution Center mediation training program.

An expert in his field, Mr. Muñoz has presented locally and nationally on issues of legal malpractice, conflicts of interests and legal ethics and regularly contributes a column in the Association of Defense Counsel for Northern California and Nevada’s Defense Comment entitled “The Lawyer’s Lawyer” addressing issues of legal malpractice avoidance and legal ethics.

View Muñoz Dispute Resolution's Consulting Profile.

John D. O'Connor has more than 40 years of experience dealing with complex Attorney Fee Disputes. He is a member of the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis (NALFA) and is recognized as one of the top legal fee experts in the country.

Mr. O’Connor has tried over 70 cases in federal and state venues throughout the country, with highly enviable success in complex, contentious disputes. Retained by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as trial counsel in key cases, he has achieved a pretrial dismissal in each concluded action. He has held the highest Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating for over 25 years, and has consistently been named a “SuperLawyer” by his Northern California peers.

A former Federal Prosecutor, Mr. O’Connor was chosen lead outside counsel in certain S&L crisis litigation, defended a California Attorney General in campaign-related litigation, and successfully represented Golden State Warriors basketball Coach Don Nelson in significant contract claims.

Litigation Support - Since the advent in the late 1980’s of adversarial legal auditing, Mr. O’Connor has served extensively as an expert, litigator, and JAMS mediator throughout the country, analyzing audit criticisms, applying community standards, and construing applicable case law. Through written Declaration and oral testimony, he has consulted on hundreds of adversarial legal fee disputes over three decades. Mr. O'Connor's work has been widely lauded by clients, lawyers, courts, and arbitrators.

Areas of Attorney Fee Dispute Expertise:

• Billing Rates / Overbilling
• Litigation Efficiency
• Task Assignment and Staffing
• Prevailing Party Determination
• Litigation Skill

Consultants. Experts. Innovators.™

Operating from more than 110+ offices around the globe, we provide services to corporations, insurance companies, law firms, and government agencies. 

Our quantum and delay experts are experienced in the following areas:

Adjudication Arbitration Assistance in the Preparation of Pleadings Attendance at Hearings Compilation of Evidence Conciliation Deposition Disclosure and Discovery Dispute Advisory Boards (DABs)

Dispute Management Strategy Implementation Dispute Resolution Boards (DRBs) Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) Expert Determination Factual Witness Statements Litigation Mediation Structured Negotiation Tactical Dispute Management Advice

Whether the matter relates to construction or insurance, we bring years of valuable industry experience to help our clients limit long and costly formal proceedings. Our experts can operate individually or collaboratively as an integrated team, providing clients with unbiased assessments of construction delays and their cost implications and contract dispute assistance. Backed by evidence and research, Rimkus experts serve as impartial voices, presenting compelling arguments and providing professional testimony that sheds light on the critical intricacies of complex, global issues.

Rimkus Global Services Overview

OUR EXPERT SERVICES EXPERTISE

DELAY EXPERTS

Construction delays can have significant financial implications and lead to strained relationships on a project. Rimkus delay experts understand schedules, project management, and contractual obligations. We can analyze complex timelines, identify causation, measure the effect on the project’s deliverables, and provide expert opinions that stand up to scrutiny in legal proceedings. Our Delay Experts are experienced in the following areas:

• Extension of Time Assessment
• Disruption Analysis
• Project Planning
• 4D Modelling and Visualization

QUANTUM EXPERTS

Quantum disputes require a unique set of skills and expertise. Rimkus’ quantum expert witnesses specialise in evaluating and quantifying the financial loss or damage from a variety of matters, including breaches of contract, valuation issues, or financial loss claims. In addition, our team is often engaged on expert advisory commissions, helping clients build an appropriate commercial strategy to navigate a complicated or contentious issue and assisting the client in achieving its targets. Our quantum specialists are well-versed in all aspects of dispute resolution, whether through litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, or complex negotiation. Several members of the Rimkus quantum team are multilingual, allowing us to help clients from jurisdictions across the globe. Our Quantum Experts are experienced in the following areas: 

• Contract Administration
• Damages Claims 
• Quantity Surveying Best Practice
• Quantum Assessment and Analysis
• Loss and Expense Claims 

Visit our full suite of: Delay and Quantum Expert Services.

GLOBAL OFFICES

Rimkus operates from 110+ offices worldwide, with headquarters in the following cities.

Australia Grosvenor Place, Level 31 225 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: +61 2 9290 1495 Email: APEnquiries@rimkus.com

Malaysia Menara Citibank Suite 20.04 Level 20, 165 Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur Phone: +60 3 9212 1204 Email: APEnquiries@rimkus.com

New Zealand Level 2, 1 Broadway Newmarket Auckland 1023 Phone: +64 9 5201929 Email: APEnquiries@rimkus.com

Singapore  138 Market Street Level 5, CapitaGreen 048946 Phone: +65 6016 6057 Email: APEnquiries@rimkus.com

United Kingdom 5th Floor 40 Lime Street London EC3M 7AW Phone: +44 12 5767 6107 Email: EurEnquiries@rimkus.com

United States 12140 Wickchester Ln Ste 300 Houston Texas Phone: +1 800 580 3228 Email: Expert@rimkus.com

View a full list of Rimkus Office Locations.

View Rimkus Forensic Expert Services Profile. 
View Rimkus Life Sciences Expert Services Profile.

GRANT D. STIEFEL, ESQ. | www.grantstiefel.com | grant@litigationlimited.com

• Grant D. Stiefel, Esq. is a nationally-recognized, full time attorney fee consultant, testifying expert and the principal of Litigation Limited, a boutique legal fee consulting firm
• Mr. Stiefel has testified in nearly 100 lawsuits, including matters in federal district courts, California trial courts, JAMS/AAA arbitrations, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, State Bar courts, and attorney-client fee arbitrations
• He has qualified to testify and has testified live at trials and arbitrations as a designated attorney fee expert
• Mr. Stiefel’s methodology for reviewing, auditing and evaluating legal invoices has been cited, approved and adopted by California state and federal courts
• He has been retained as a testifying attorney fee expert by the world’s largest law firms, including Reed Smith; McDermott Will and Emery; Jones Day; Sheppard Mullin; Sidely Austin; Dykema Gossett; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe; and Littler Mendelson, among many others
• Mr. Stiefel is a member of the California State Bar and is unique among fee experts in that he practiced law for many years at two of the world’s largest law firms (Akin Gump and K&L Gates)
• Mr. Stiefel has managed a multi-billion dollar litigation portfolio and has audited hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees from law firms nationwide since 2008 
• He has developed and implemented outside counsel billing and case management guidelines for Fortune 500 corporations
• He is a California State Bar-approved continuing legal education instructor on attorneys’ fees who has trained hundreds of executives and in-house counsel from a host of Fortune 500 corporations
• Mr. Stiefel is qualified as an attorney-client fee dispute arbitrator with the California State Bar’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration program and as a judge pro tem with the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles

SAMPLE ENGAGEMENTS

• Grant Stiefel was the testifying fee expert on a series of fee applications by class counsel in Jones v. Wells Fargo, on behalf of aggrieved California consumers in the first consumer class action brought under the Unruh Act.  Relying upon Mr. Stiefel's testimony regarding the reasonableness of hourly rates and overall work performed, the trial court awarded more than $25 million in attorneys' fees to class counsel
• The district court for the Central District of California adopted and approved Mr. Stiefel's methodology for identifying and quantifying block-billed, vague and redacted billing entries in cutting Plaintiff's fee request by more than sixty percent in CNS v. Planet, from $4.8 million to $1.9 million
• In Vides v. ABM Janitorial Services, the trial court reduced Plaintiff's fee request in a FEHA action by over $1 million based upon Grant Stiefel's expert testimony.  Plaintiff moved for an award of $1,578,232.50 in attorneys' fees, which the trial court reduced to $544,183.12.  Mr. Stiefel's testimony showed that the hourly rates claimed by Plaintiff's counsel were unreasonable under the circumstances, that excessive time was spent on inter-office communications, and that the matter was overstaffed

LITIGATION LIMITED 3377 W. Clyde Place Denver, Co 80211 (424) 223-8252 www.grantstiefel.com grant@litigationlimited.com

"Grant Stiefel draws on his experience as a big firm trial lawyer to help companies save on outside legal fees." -- NALFA (National Association of Legal Fee Analysis) “Mr. Stiefel’s qualifications as a testifying fee expert cannot seriously be in dispute.” Hon. Michael Paul Lindfield, Los Angeles County Superior Court (Trial Proceedings, February 14, 2014).

View Grant Stiefel's Consulting Profile.

Bruce Fredrics, International, TI, BSM.h, GA-BC, RGA (EGA), ICEP, GMGA, MPA, SME, CGA, AIC, PPIA, ACA, CACP, CALAc, CCA, CMI, PCLA, LPCS, CMS, HCI/R-C, FSRT, WINDP, AMRT, CPLA, CPLU, CPAU, UCC, CPCUc, CCPc, ACPc, SPPAc, LS-LC (CFLC)

As a U. S. Registered Federal & State Court Certified Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Insurance Appraisal, Claims Processes, and Industry Standards of Practice and Care, practicing since 1986, he is an Exclusive Expert at the most advanced pinnacle. 

A Loss Consultant, Public and Independent Claims Adjuster, Mr. Fredrics is engaged / retained by consumers, insurance companies, and Governments to handle insurance claims settlements and to resolve disputes. His experience includes educating and teaching State Regulators including Directors of Insurance Commissioner Offices, their Attorneys, Plaintiff and Defense Counsel, other Federal Experts, and Professionals, including Managers, Supervisors, and Professionals.

Mr. Fredrics is the Provost of a global and international College where he teaches his unique expertise that he alone has developed. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors for a global and international trade association which qualifies Experts under U.S. Congressional Rules.

Litigation Support - Mr. Fredrics has been qualified, approved, and confirmed by Federal & State Judges. As an Expert, he has never been impeached, neither under Daubert nor by any Judge. He has conducted Judge and Jury education in live courtroom testimony, and has testified about 30 (thirty) times as an Expert, none of which has ever been invalidated. Mr. Fredrics assists Attorneys in preparing for trial during litigation in both Federal and State Courts, similar to a Litigation Specialist (LS). He has never lost a case.

Areas of Expertise:

Claims Processes Industry Standards of Practice and Care Man-Made Damage Commercial Property Condominium Construction Defects Claims Disputes Equipment / Mechanical Breakdown Business Interruption Residential Dwelling Manufactured Housing Sinkhole Mold Fire Investigation and Adjustment Environmental / Pollution

Property Liability Catastrophe Losses: Hurricanes, Tornadoes,  Total Losses Product Liability General Liability Professional Liability Harassment Casualty Bodily Injury Fatalities Murder / Homicide, Attempted Murder Weapon Assault Auto Liability / Auto Physical Damage Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cargo Workers Compensation Liability

View USAE's Business Consultant Profile.