Services
Litigation Support
Having the right expert witness on your side can make all the difference.
Salas O’Brien is a trusted provider of expert witness and litigation support services for legal teams, insurance companies, and other clients. Our team of seasoned engineers possesses extensive knowledge of the technical challenges that often arise in engineering disputes. With our team’s successful track record in providing testimony and analysis in both trial and deposition settings, leveraging our expertise and experience, we can assist you in building a strong case and presenting compelling evidence to support your position. We strive to provide you with the guidance and support necessary to achieve a successful outcome based on the merits of your case and the relevant legal standards.
Whether you require expert witness services, forensic analysis, or consulting support, our team is committed to providing you with tailored expertise and valuable insights. You can rely on us to offer the specialized knowledge and support necessary to resolve complex engineering disputes effectively.
Courtney Schoedel,
INCE Board Cert, LEED AP
Courtney Schoedel is an experienced expert witness in the field of acoustics, sound isolation, and noise disputes. She has served on both the building owner and tenant side providing consulting services, expert testimony, and helping to resolve disputes related to noise levels in a variety of building types.
Courtney serves as an Associate Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact her at [email protected].
Philip Dregger, PE, RRC
Phil Dregger provides expert expert testimony involving a wide range of roofing, waterproofing, and building enclosure systems. He is deeply experienced in depositions, arbitrations and trials. Phil has expertise in California Title 24 Part 6 (Energy Code); roof drainage; wind/hurricane damage; patent litigation and condensation problems; including hygrothermal analysis of wood decay, biological growth, and corrosion using WUFI Pro, ASHRAE Standard 160 and ASTM E3054.
Phil serves as a Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Stephen Shanks, CxA, BECxP, NDT Level III
Stephen is a building scientist and commissioning provider with over 40 years of experience. He possesses a unique blend of expertise in physics and building construction. His knowledge and experience allow him to effectively bridge theory and practice.
Stephen is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx), Air Barriers, Whole Building Airtightness Testing (WBAT), and Thermal-Infrared (IR) Examinations. He is actively engaged in industry standard and code development including ASHRAE Technical Committees 4.4 Building Envelope Performance and 7.9 Building Commissioning, in addition to ASTM Committee E06 Performance of Buildings with a focus on building enclosure commissioning (BECx) and whole building airtightness/air leakage testing methods. Hi is Chair Emeritus of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) and Chair of the Codes Task Group for the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA).
Stephen has provided testimony in mediations, arbitrations, depositions, and at trial. His litigation
Stephen serves as Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Jeff Warden, FMPC, RRO, CEI
Jeff Warden is an expert in new construction field testing and in post-storm forensic diagnostic testing of window and door assemblies. He has been involved in over 100 projects relating to hurricane assessment and diagnostic testing. Jeff has expertise in AAMA and ASTM testing standards and utilizes his experience and factual data to provide expert testimony under oath and in appraisal hearings.
Jeff serves as an Associate Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
John Dunlap, PE
John Dunlap has consulted on dozens of cases that have involved expert opinions. He has been deposed on numerous occasions and has testified at trial over a dozen times on cases ranging from mechanical failures to assessments of installations.
John serves as a Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Stan Everett, PE, CxA, LEED AP, EXW
Stan Everett has experience in various forms of alternative dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration and has served as an expert witness in the field of mechanical engineering in dozens of cases involving many types of building mechanical systems.
Stan serves as a Managing Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
John Salas, PE, LEED AP, CEM, GBE, CBCP
With over 40 years of experience, John Salas has developed a deep understanding of project management, construction management, mechanical, controls, and plumbing design for various sectors, including educational, commercial, institutional, industrial, and public projects. His extensive experience includes inspecting and testing hundreds of HVAC and control systems to address issues related to comfort, energy usage, and noise. With a proven track record as an expert witness, John has provided testimony in mediations, depositions, and arbitrations. With John’s specialized expertise and experience providing litigation support, he is well-equipped to assist legal teams, insurance companies, and other organizations in resolving engineering disputes. You can rely on his experience, insights and analysis to provide clear, accurate, and convincing testimony and support in litigation proceedings.
John serves as a Senior Managing Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].