Our Team
Pablo Anguiano
P.E.
Senior Consultant | McAllen, TX
Pablo Anguiano is a licensed Professional Engineer and Senior Consultant based in McAllen, Texas. He specialises in forensic engineering with a focus on the evaluation of residential and commercial structures damaged by various events such as hail, wind, plumbing leaks, construction defects, vibrations from construction equipment, fires, floodwater, roof collapses, explosions, and moisture intrusions.
Having completed more than 750 evaluations, he possesses extensive experience in roadway design, construction management, and the design and inspection of structures to comply with building codes and insurance requirements. His expertise extends to foundation design (pier, post-tension, slab-on-grade) and mechanical and plumbing system design for both commercial and residential properties.
Richard V. Baratta
PhD, PE
Senior Vice President - Biomechanical Practice | Houston,TX
Dr. Richard Baratta is a licensed Professional Engineer with experience in multiple aspects of orthopaedic, facial, and spinal biomechanics and rehabilitative engineering and research. He has an extensive publication record addressing basic, applied, and clinical orthopaedic topics. His primary areas of consulting expertise include injury consistency biomechanics, accident reconstruction, medical device failures, and intellectual property.
As a forensic investigator, Richard performs biomechanical analyses on cases involving low-speed accidents, driver determination, falling objects, slip and falls, amusement rides, and other accidental events. He has reconstructed accidents involving low-speed accidents, high-speed fatality collisions, pedestrian accidents, and vehicle rollovers, among others.
Richard also provides expertise in modified, high-performance, and racing automobiles, high-performance vehicle occupant protection systems, and injury analysis.
Stephen A. Cocco
Special Consultant | Phoenix, AZ
Stephen Cocco is a highly skilled former FBI agent and executive manager with 27+ years of experience in security management skills, crisis and consequence management, criminal investigations, and forensic investigations and interviews. As a Joint Terrorism Task Force Manager, he gained broad experience in investigating violent extremists and terrorist organisations and conducting and overseeing FBI homeland security investigations on a global basis.
Stephen can adapt to change and apply critical thinking and analysis to complex matters, summarising findings to allow for fact-based decision making. He provides strong law enforcement liaison skills, including serving as an FBI representative at Arizona state and local law enforcement and intelligence-sharing working groups.
Stephen’s areas of expertise include crisis and emergency management, investigation, evidence collection, investigative reports, premises liability assessment, use of force (expert witness), “Active Shooter” training, domain assessment, intelligence collection, and analysis. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and has a working proficiency in Arabic.
Lino O. Garcia
PhD, PE, ACTAR
Senior Consultant | Houston, TX
Dr. Lino Garcia holds a doctorate in mechanical/civil engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada, with specialised accreditation in accident reconstruction. He has extensive knowledge in the rollover dynamics of heavy trucks, supported by extensive experience in vehicle and machinery inspections, mechanical failure analysis, and a broad spectrum of motor vehicle accident reconstructions. His expertise spans commercial truck collisions, pedestrian and cyclist incidents, low-speed impacts, occupant kinematics, highway design assessments, and human factors such as visibility and perception-reaction time. Lino is also certified in data acquisition from vehicle systems, including Bosch Crash Data Retrieval, ECMs, and infotainment systems.
Lino has reconstructed complex collisions involving commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians, often incorporating signal timing and digital data analysis for deeper insight. His investigative work includes mechanical failure cases, product liability, and fraud detection through digital forensic analysis. He has served as an expert witness in both Canada and the United States, offering courtroom testimony on a variety of technical and forensic topics.
Rose Figueroa
PhD, CHFP
Principal Consultant | Tampa, FL
Dr. Rose Figueroa is a Board-Certified Human Factors Professional with expertise in cognitive, perceptual, and physical human factors related to accidents, injuries, and usability.
She has extensive experience in a wide range of human factors/ergonomics topics, including product safety and warnings, risk communication, training and behaviour, visibility and conspicuity, decision-making, kinematics/human movement, accessibility/reasonable accommodations, and human factors in accident investigation.
Regarding forensic investigations, Rose has analysed and explained if a person’s capabilities, limitations, and actions may or may not have contributed to accidents in domains such as amusement rides and devices; sports; professional/consumer products; maritime and recreational boating; industrial, occupational, and construction; premises; transportation; micromobility; and railroads.
Hugh Corrigan
CEng, ChPP, C.WEM, FICE, FCIWEM, MAPM, MEWI
Director, Technical - Civil and Structural | London, UK
Hugh Corrigan is a highly experienced Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer and Chartered Project Manager with 30+ years of experience. He has considerable experience in forensic investigations spanning a broad variety of sectors in Africa, APAC, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Hugh has been appointed as an expert witness on more than 50 occasions in litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, land tribunal, and public inquiry, ranging from student accommodation buildings to wastewater treatment process plants. He has extensive experience in the pipeline and utility sector, including planning, design, demand/capacity and hydraulic assessment, condition assessment, rehabilitation, procurement, and requisition.
Guillermo Lopez
EUR ING, CEng, MIMechE
Director - Technical, Mechanical | London, UK
Guillermo Lopez is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with 20+ years of experience in EPC projects, processing plants, and mechanical equipment. His areas of expertise include rotating equipment and process equipment, and specifying specialist process equipment for concept studies and large-scale projects.
Guillermo performs damage assessments in accordance with international standards and has a particular interest in developing solutions to mitigate economic losses. He has experience in developing cost estimates to assist claims on a range of complex facilities, such as offshore installations, gas processing plants, petrochemical plants, storage terminals, and pipelines. Guillermo provides consulting and litigation support services for legal, insurance, and corporate clients. He carries out technical investigations of equipment failure related to inadequate design, material and welding defects, manufacturing faults, quality control, and incorrect operation of machinery. He provides technical support and claim management support for losses involving engineering, design, construction contracts, planning and estimating, failure to perform, offshore operations, and major safety incidents.
Michael T. Jeffery
PE, CGC
Principal Consultant | Miami, FL
Michael Jeffery is a registered Professional Engineer with 15+ years of experience in the design and management of civil site development projects, water resources, and transportation projects, as well as extensive experience in the construction industry, providing project management, construction administration, and on-site inspections.
He has employed his strong project management experience to manage large infrastructure projects and demonstrated his skills in managing all aspects and details of projects from the planning and design development stage to issuing construction documents and implementing inspections to ensure that proper standards are followed.
His prior construction experience in single-family homes, multi-unit residential construction, as well as large-diameter pipe installation, allows him to understand the details of building and site construction.
As a forensic consultant, Michael investigates, evaluates, and analyses failures in civil/structural engineering and general construction-related disciplines related to residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial buildings and verifies construction compliance with applicable building codes, industry standards, and contract specifications.
Joaquim Medeiros
PE
Principal Consultant | Miami, FL
Joaquim (Jo) Medeiros is a Principal Consultant and licensed Professional Engineer. His forensic engineering expertise encompasses structural analysis of flooring and roofing system collapses, evaluations of roof wind damage, stucco and EIFS failures, internal and external leak damage claims, building envelope water intrusions, storm and fire damage, roof drainage systems, corrosion damage in reinforced concrete structures, and vibration claims due to blasting.
Jo has also assisted clients with construction dispute resolution, evidence evaluation utilising both destructive and non-destructive testing, construction compliance issues, and resolving contract and specification disputes.
Jo is qualified in the evaluation and interpretation of various standards, including ASTM, the Florida Building Code, API, AWS, ACI, and AISC, among others. He has provided legal deposition and court testimony in support of technical findings.
Carmelo Garrido
PE, SE
Principal Consultant | Atlanta, GA
Mr. Carmelo Garrido is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Rimkus Principal Consultant in Atlanta, Georgia, with more 16+ years of experience in forensic structural engineering. His expertise encompasses the structural design, coordination, and management of high-rise and mid-rise building projects, as well as oversight of a structural engineering department specialising in Aluminium Composite material (ACM) panels. Additionally, he has extensive field experience as a threshold inspector for concrete condominium and parking garage projects.
Carmelo has significant experience investigating damage to commercial and residential structures caused by wind, hail, construction vibrations, and structural collapse, including failures of precast elements, corrosion issues, and structural wall failures.
Octavio J. Oliu
PE, CFEI
Practice Leader - Mechanical and Electrical Engineering | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Octavio Oliu is a mechanical and electrical engineering practice leader, a registered Professional Engineer, and a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator. With 50+ years of experience, he has expertise in electrical design, fire alarm systems, low-voltage installations, construction defect claims, and construction administration across residential, commercial, industrial, and healthcare projects. His background is further strengthened by extensive hands-on field experience, having worked as a journeyman and master electrician in his early years. His wide-ranging experience has familiarised him with the International Building Code and design procedures. He is also trained in the design and installation of ambulatory/outpatient medical centres.
Octavio has worked in electrical forensics since 2008, specialising in the investigation of electrical failures, fires (including structural, automotive, marine, and CSST-related), and electrocution incidents. He also conducts assessments involving lightning damage, power surges, elevator systems, code compliance, design and construction defects, appliance and wiring failures, vandalism, and water damage to electrical equipment, as well as standard-of-care evaluations in electrical construction.
Additionally, he provides expert legal testimony in support of technical findings.
Blanca Abellan
BEng (Hons), MechEng
Business Development Director - Claims and Disputes | London, UK
Blanca Abellan has a strong background in the mechanical engineering industry, logistics, resource planning, and alternative dispute resolution. She has successfully managed, minimised, and scrutinised project delays on major DSU and BI claims across a wide variety of sectors.
Blanca specialises in forensic delay analysis for the insurance and reinsurance markets and strongly believes in working co-operatively with clients. She prioritises the need to proactively facilitate the entire claims resolution process, successfully expediting interruption periods and preventing the onset of disputes or contentious working environments.
Blanca has knowledge and understanding of all the major contract forms, including JCT, NEC, and other bespoke forms. She regularly advises clients in Latin America and globally in English and Spanish.
Frank H. Ramos
PE
Principal Consultant | Miami, FL
Frank Ramos is a registered Professional Engineer with 43+ years of experience in the design, inspection, code compliance, construction of buildings, and maintenance and construction of bridges and roadways.
Frank is an experienced civil/structural engineer who provides attorneys and insurance companies with structural condition assessment reports, roof evaluations, foundation damage evaluations, flood and wind damage evaluations, wind vs. flood evaluations, construction defects, water intrusion, flooring, windows, construction accidents, and construction work zone evaluations using the latest MUTCD.
Frank is experienced in the utilisation of the new Florida Building Code (2020), BOCA and IBC model building codes, the New York City, ASCE for wind loads, and design specifications ACI for concrete, PTI for post-tension concrete structures, AISC for steel structures, AISI for cold-formed steel structures, SJI for steel joists, SDI for steel decks, Tile Roofing Institute (TRI), National Roofing Contractor Association, Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Association (FRSA), and NDS for wood structures.
Jose M. Salinas
PE, ACTAR
Senior Consultant | New Orleans, LA
Jose Mario Salinas has 8+ years of experience in musculoskeletal biomechanical engineering and research. His biomechanical research work focused on developing numerical models to study the knee joint during rehabilitation exercises using motion capture cameras. His work in biomechanics has culminated in multiple peer-reviewed conference proceedings and technical presentations held by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Jose is a licensed Professional Engineer with expertise in engineering consulting and a specialised focus on analysing injury mechanisms in low and high-velocity vehicle collisions, as well as slip, trip, and fall accidents. He is a certified Bosch CDR tool technician and an ACTAR-accredited accident reconstructionist, proficient in using advanced technologies such as photogrammetry and collision simulation software. As a biomechanical engineering expert, Mr. Salinas has contributed to cases involving claims from passenger, commercial, and construction vehicle collisions.
Fatiesa Sulejmani
PhD, ACTAR
Senior Consultant | Atlanta, GA
Dr. Fatiesa Sulejmani is a Biomedical Engineer and an accredited Accident Reconstructionist. Her extensive expertise includes biomechanical analysis and assessments, medical device design and analysis, cardiovascular biomechanics, mechanical testing, and computational modelling. She employs biomechanical principles and methods of vehicle accident reconstruction to analyse injury consistency and the potential of injury causation in vehicular collisions, slip and fall events, as well as other accidental events.
Fatiesa’s research has involved national and international collaborations, as well as collaborations with industrial partners. She speaks English, Albanian, Italian, French, Spanish, and Russian.
Erik Valle
PE
Senior Consultant | San Antonio, TX
Erik A. Valle is a Senior Consultant based in San Antonio, Texas. He is a licensed Professional Engineer who specialises in forensic structural engineering. Erik's expertise encompasses structural design and analysis for large-scale institutional buildings, including cast-in-place concrete, steel-framed, reinforced masonry, and wood-framed structures. He has extensive experience in non-linear blast design, having developed structures to withstand explosive forces for petrochemical clients and government agencies.
Erik’s work includes designing glazing systems for vehicle-borne explosive devices, control rooms for petrochemical environments, and conducting finite element analysis and root cause investigations for offshore incidents. Additionally, he has coordinated multi-disciplinary engineering teams and performed construction management reviews, quality control, and structural integrity investigations. He is also certified as an XL Tribometrist and holds FAA 107 Drone Certification.
Melissa de Oliveira
MSc, BA (Hons), MRICS
Associate Director - Quantum | London, UK
Melissa de Oliveira is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 10+ years of experience providing quantum professional services to the oil and gas and construction industries. Her experience spans APAC, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Europe, encompassing buildings, energy and infrastructure.
Melissa has also undertaken the valuation of quantum entitlement, claim submissions, variation orders, terminations, prolongation, and acceleration on multi-claim disputes and for major insurance groups.
Melissa has been instructed as a quantum expert on behalf of a main contractor to produce an expert report for the purposes of defending in adjudication and has extensive experience in expert witness support.
Heidi Watton
PE
Property Practice Leader | Phoenix, AZ
Heidi Watton is a Property Practice Leader and licensed Professional Engineer based in Phoenix, Arizona. With 20+ years of experience, she specialises in land development and transportation projects across the Midwest and Southwest, focusing on grading and earthwork analysis, utility layout, and stormwater management system design.
Her forensic consulting expertise includes investigating foundation settlement, grading and drainage issues, floodplain and runoff analysis, roofing installation, storm damage evaluations, and general construction defects for residential, commercial, and industrial sites.
Christopher Wendt
PE
Principal Consultant | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Christopher Wendt is a Principal Consultant, Professional Engineer, and certified XL Tribometrist with 23+ years of professional experience. His expertise encompasses condition assessments of building systems - including substructures, flooring, superstructures, exteriors, finishes, and roofing - as well as the testing of construction materials such as concrete strength, soil compaction, and soil density. He has investigated and assessed the condition of both underground and above-ground storage tanks, secondary containment systems, and has conducted Phase I and II environmental site assessments.
Additionally, Christopher has overseen the maintenance and repair of shipboard mechanical and electrical systems in engine rooms. As a forensic consultant, he investigates, evaluates, and analyses failures in civil/structural engineering and general construction-related disciplines for residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial buildings. His work also includes investigating premises liability, verifying construction compliance with applicable building codes, industry standards, and contract specifications, and assessing construction job site safety issues.
Pedro Vazquez
PE
Senior Consultant | Miami, FL
Pedro Vazquez is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Florida and Puerto Rico, with 19+ years of experience in project management from planning through to the construction phase. He specialises in implementing quality control, construction safety, evaluation of damage and claims processes, essential infrastructure recovery plans, and immediate relief response efforts following natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, storms, and flooding events.
Pedro has developed scopes of work for water and sewer infrastructure projects, including buildings, offices, dams, pumping stations, pipelines, and treatment plant rehabilitations. His expertise includes hydraulic modelling and evaluating infrastructure capacity to support new developments and guide necessary improvements.
Pedro is experienced in judicial processes and depositions related to the laws, regulations, and technical aspects of building codes and water/wastewater operational standard specifications. Also, in the preparation of evaluations, technical reports, and cost estimates for the water/wastewater industry operational damages claiming process and requested infrastructure improvements to developers.
Angel G. Dominguez
MSc (Dist), MEng (Hons), CEng MICE, FCIArb
Director - Delay | London, UK
Angel Dominguez is a Chartered Civil Engineer with 17+ years of experience in the engineering and construction industry. He has worked for large contractors as a site engineer, project manager, and senior planning engineer, gaining practical experience across the civil engineering, infrastructure, building, and renewable energy (solar and wind farms) sectors.
Angel has been appointed as a delay expert in litigation, international arbitration, and adjudication proceedings in the field of delay and disruption, where he has provided testimony in both in English and Spanish. He is highly proficient in all recognised forms of delay analysis.
Backed by his broad practical experience, Angel is highly skilled in determining the critical path without relying on planning software. He proficiently assists legal teams by clarifying complex issues in a clear, concise, and straightforward approach while maintaining a firm grasp of the factual details. He is experienced in the use of JCT, FIDIC, and the NEC form of contract, and has led training sessions on programming, project controls, and delay analysis principles for employer organisations, main contractors, and subcontractors.
Roberto A. Rada-Prada
PE
District Manager | Miami, FL
Roberto Rada-Prada is a registered Professional Engineer with 32+ years of experience in planning and project management control, including construction, design, supply, and assembly of electromechanical equipment with an emphasis on hydropower, telecommunications, water and wastewater, infrastructure, and transportation systems.
Roberto provides property and construction forensic engineering services to a broad customer base, including attorneys and insurance professionals. His primary forensic engagements encompass a range of areas, including property insurance claims and construction delay analysis. He has also provided testimony in depositions and trials.
Roberto’s experience and industry knowledge cover project management and design, including construction administration, reporting, inspections, permitting, and technical analysis of public and private projects. His expertise spans residential, commercial, industrial, hydropower, and oil exploration projects, with a strong focus on managing master schedules and validating design purpose and costs.
