Consulting Engineer in Civil Engineering, specializing in Highway and Street Design, Traffic Engineering, Utilities Construction, Storm Drainage, Pedestrian Safety, Walkway Surface Evaluations, Concrete and Asphalt Pavement Evaluations. Extensive experience in Construction Management, Project Related Claims, Job Site Safety, Codes and Standards, ADA Compliance.
General and Air Carrier Aviation and Military Operations
Experienced aviation expert with over 25 years of experience as a pilot, instructor, examiner, and operations manager in both air carrier and military operations. He is also a licensed Florida attorney who has worked in insurance defense and understands the pressures of trial preparation and the use of expert witnesses and technical experts in litigation.
He has over 17 years in Part 121 air carrier domestic and international line operations, management, advanced training and FAA regulatory coordination for Delta Air Lines and is skilled in SMS, Human Factors, CRM, safety and standards evaluation. In addition, he is experienced in development of international routes and facilities and has served as an Operations Control Center Flight Operations Manager.
He has 20 years experience in military flight operations, flight training, base management, budget and accounting programs, as well as being experienced in Tactical Operations, Strategic Airlift, and Advanced Jet Training. He is a prior USAF Safety Investigation Board Member, USAF Command Pilot, and Master Instructor.
He is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Engineering Aviation Safety and Security Program and experienced with current ideas and management approaches to aviation safety and security. He is a trained accident investigator/trial attorney with in-depth knowledge of litigation strategies and expert witness testimony. In addition, he is a certified Aviation Safety and Compliance Auditor familiar with U.S. and foreign regulatory systems.
Aviation Law, Safety and Accident Investigation
Summary
He is an Airline Transport Pilot and former Check Airman with over 35 years of civil aviation flight experience and over 16,000 flight hours. He is also a practicing Expert Witness and Aviation Attorney. He has participated on Aviation Rulemaking Committees and development and evaluation of safety policies and procedures for Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (COPA) member pilots. He has also been involved in developing and evaluating Safety Management System (SMS) policies and procedures with his pilot union’s Safety Committee.
His legal experience includes practice in general civil litigation, labor and employment matters, and FAA certificate action matters.
He has acted, and is currently teaching online aviation law courses, as an Embry-Riddle adjunct faculty member in the Department of Doctoral Studies and Worldwide Online. He has developed courses for initial offering as well as syllabi and exams for the online aviation law courses.
Transportation Accident Law and Government Investigations Consultant who helps manage clients’ participation in various types of government investigations, regulatory enforcement proceedings, product safety recalls, and related litigation. Multi-faceted legal and public affairs services encompass every stage of government decision-making from congressional/regulatory affairs to strategy development and civil/appellate litigation.
He has worked for technology developers, manufacturers of transportation safety and security equipment, defense and homeland security contractors, transportation service providers and major insurance organizations. Manages clients’ participation in various types of government investigations, regulatory enforcement proceedings, product safety recalls and related litigation. He also serves as outside general counsel to the Dangerous Good Advisory Council, the world’s premier authority on the safe transportation of hazardous materials. Deals regularly with the Department of Transportation (particularly the Federal Aviation and Traffic Safety Administrations), the National Transportation Safety Board and other federal safety and investigative departments. Many years of experience in civil litigation, trial work and adversarial administrative proceedings, as well as in high-profile appellate litigation. He has represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in important administrative law cases. Co-author of the U.S. Supreme Court brief for the independent insurers when they won a unanimous decision reinstating the safety standard requiring airbags in automobiles. This expert also supports clients and their litigation counsel by managing participation in government investigations, especially those involving aircraft and other transportation accidents; and has successfully obtained crucial information from government sources that failed to surface in the traditional civil discovery process. He has managed automotive manufacturers’ safety recalls and provided advice concerning compliance with laws and regulations enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other consumer protection agencies.
