Advisors/Experts @ MCS Associates
Managing PartnerNorman Katz
13681 Newport Ave.Ste. 8-387
Tustin, CA 92780 Phone: (949) 263-8700 Fax: (949) 263-0770 Email: experts@mcsassociates.com Website: www.mcsassociates.com
Specialties
A nationwide specialist consulting and expert witness company (established 1973) that concentrates exclusively in Banking, Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Financial Services, Economics / Statistics and Accounting and related Damages.
MCS Litigation Practice – CV
Areas of Expertise include:
BANKING: Operations/Administration, Depository/Checking Accounts, Regulatory issues, Compliance; LENDING (all categories - including Residential, Commercial, Construction, Corporate, Personal, etc.), Underwriting, Credit/Administration, Servicing, Policies/practice; FINANCE: Securities, Investments & Brokerage, Trusts & Fiduciaries, Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Workouts, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance; REAL ESTATE: Lending, Brokerage, Title/Escrow, Property Management, Development; INSURANCE (all categories): Coverage, Claims, Broker/Agent functions, Industry Custom/Practice, Policy Underwriting; Operations and Actuarial; DAMAGES & ACCOUNTING, Economics, Statistics, Valuations/Appraisals, Forensic Accounting & Accounting/Audit.
Degrees/Licenses
MBAs; PhDs; CPAs; ASA/MAIs; CPMs; CREs; CFPs; RE Brokers/Agents; Insurance brokers/agents; CPCUs; CLUs; ARMs and many more.
Prior Expert
Expert Witness and Litigation Consulting have been the primary focus of the company’s services for the past 30+ years, built on the expertise, resources and reputation of four decades as a leading provider of financial, operations, management and compliance consulting and expert services in our areas of specialization.
With 500 highly qualified and experienced experts/consultants providing evaluation, testimony and litigation consulting on behalf of both plaintiff and defendants of all types, our clients include leading national and regional law firms, many smaller/boutique litigation firms and attorneys, numerous governmental / regulatory agencies (FDIC, SEC, IRS, US and State DOJs, FHLB, etc.), financial institutions, and a wide-range nationwide of corporations and private individuals.
We also provide TARGETED SEARCHES AT NO COST for unique, hard-to-find/unusually specialized experts not already within our wide-ranging group; STRATEGIC ALLIANCES NATIONWIDE across the banking, financial, real estate and insurance industries; LEADING EXPERTS from the worlds of economics, accounting, academia and the regulatory agencies; POWERFUL CAPABILITIES IN DAMAGES, Forensic Accounting. Economic Analysis, and Valuations / Appraisals.
Eric L. Risberg MAI
Founder and PresidentAdvanced Appraisal International, Inc.
268 Bush Street, #2100San Francisco, CA 94104-3503 Phone: (415) 531-1414 Fax: (415) 449-3606 Email: eric.risberg@advanced-appraisal.com Website: www.advanced-appraisal.com
Specialties
Eric provides real estate appraisals of: shopping centers and all types of retail; apartments; condominium complexes; suburban or downtown office buildings; mixed-use facilities; industrial properties; hotels; waterfront properties; right-of-ways; easements; ground leases; subdivisions; resort properties; golf courses; airports; wineries and vineyards; and all types of land. He has completed many assignments needed for: landlord-tenant disputes, changes in market conditions, construction defects, fraud, and fair market rent determinations, for use in mediation, arbitration, appraisement and litigation.
Degrees/Licenses
MAI, ASA, SRA.
Formal Education
BS, Business Administration 1992 (Real Estate and Urban Land Economics), University of Wisconsin, Madison; BS, Business Administration 1992 (Risk Management & Insurance), University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has successfully completed over 70 real estate appraisal and brokerage courses since 1993.
Registration and Licenses
Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, State of California #025802, Licensed California Real Estate Broker #01231982, Certified General Real Estate Appraiser (Hawaii) #624.
Previous/Current Position
President and Founder of Advanced Appraisal International, Inc. Eric was formerly the lead real estate appraiser for American Appraisal, the world’s largest independent valuation firm, in their San Francisco office. He has over 25 years of commercial and residential real estate appraisal and consulting experience. Expert witness on over 100 cases.
Honors/Awards
Litigation Professional Development certificate from the Appraisal Institute. California Association of Realtors. National Association of Realtors. Approved Instructor with the Appraisal Institute.
Prof. Affiliations
American Society of Appraisers, Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA), Appraisal Institute, Designated Member (MAI), Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA), Appraisal Institute.
Prior Expert
Eric has provided expert witness testimony in the following California State Superior Courts: Alameda, Contra Costa, Orange County, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, and Yuba. He has been hired as an expert on over 100 cases. Large cases in recent years include: Millennium Tower, PGE Forest Fires, BART.
Neal Bordenave JD
President/CEORiskPro Insurance Services, Inc.
61060 Snowberry PlaceBend, OR 97702 Phone: (530) 891-8100 Alternate: (530) 864-6407 Fax: (530) 891-8101 Email: neal@riskpro.com Website: www.cainsuranceexpert.com
Specialties
Agent/Broker Standard of Care, Insurance Industry Customs and Practices, Bad Faith, Commercial and Personal Lines, Professional Liability, Surety, Life, Workers Compensation (see web site).
Degrees/Licenses
Licensed Broker/Agent; CPCU; RPLU; ARM; AIC
Formal Education
Juris Doctor; BS, Business Admin./Finance.
Prof. Affiliations
CPCU Society, Professional Liability, Underwriting Society, FEWA
Prior Expert
Expert work since 2009; 350+ retentions - Testifying in Deposition, Trial, Arbitration and Mediation
Robert Hughes Associates, Inc.
PresidentJohn Oakley
2100 N. Greenville AveSte 201-J
Richardson (Dallas), TX 75082 Phone: (972) 980-0088 Fax: (972) 233-1548 Email: joakley@roberthughes.com Website: www.roberthughes.com
Specialties
RHA, established 1979, as a group of insurance experts - former insurance company executives, agents, brokers, underwriters, Workers Compensation specialists, D&O/E&O expertise, risk managers, claims managers, adjusters, actuaries, and captive management specialists.
Degrees/Licenses
Masters; PhDs; CPCU; ARM; RPLU; More.
Kim H. Collins
Kim H. Collins, APC
560 Wall StreetSuite C
Auburn, CA 95603 Phone: (916) 215-2783 Email: kim.h.collins@kimcollinslaw.com Website: www.kimcollinslaw.com
Specialties
TRIAL EXPERT: Standard of Care/Coverage/Bad Faith. 50 years of litigation experience; founder of AIM Ins. Co./multiple published opinions.
Degrees/Licenses
BA; JD.
Formal Education
BA, Stanford, 1966; JD, Hastings, 1970.
Registration and Licenses
Certified to practice in all California state courts and federal courts; and Supreme Court of the United States.
Previous/Current Position
Founded & Managed Bad Faith Section at Haight Brown for 20 years; A founder and past Board of Director of Attorney Insurance Mutual (AIM.)
Honors/Awards
Rockefeller Fellowship, AV since 1985 by Martindale-Hubbell
Prof. Affiliations
CA State Bar. Defense Research Institute, Federation of Defense, and Corporate Counsel.
Publications
Articles: Independent Cumis Counsel: The second Prong (2013); Intentional Harms & Cumis rights; A Reply to Denial-first steps when the insured says no to client’s COVID-19 business interruption claim (2020)
Prior Expert
Testified as an expert in both state and federal court including a published opinion as an expert on the issue of the duty to defend under a CGL policy.
Guy O. Kornblum Esq
Guy O. Kornblum, A Professional Law Corporation
1388 Sutter Street, Suite 805San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone: (415) 440-7800 ext 2 Alternate: (415) 730-3485 Fax: (415) 276-1921 Email: gkornblum@kornblumlaw.com Website: www.kornblumlaw.com
Specialties
Practicing civil trial attorney and expert witness having extensive experience with issues concerning insurance claims handling and standard of care for civil trial counsel and lawyers handling civil litigation. He has qualified as an expert witness on issues pertaining to these subjects in both state and federal courts.
Degrees/Licenses
A.B.; JD.
Formal Education
Indiana University, A.B., 1961; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D. 1966
Registration and Licenses
California & Indiana Law Practice
Previous/Current Position
Specialized as a trial and appellate lawyer for over 45 years and in a wide range of civil litigation, including serious injury, wrongful death, financial, physical elder abuse, medical and legal malpractice; All aspects of insurance including “bad faith” claims; Handled over 4000 litigated matters to conclusion, Represented small businesses, individuals, and large Fortune 500 corporations.
Honors/Awards
Certified in Civil Trial Law and Pretrial Practice Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy; Fellow, American College of Board Certified Attorneys; National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyer (Personal Injury, Insurance); Charter Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer; Named, "Best Lawyers," 2018-2019; Lifetime Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum; Named, Northern California "Super Lawyer", 2006-2019
Prof. Affiliations
American Bar Association, Member; California and Indiana State Bar Association, Member; American Association for Justice, Member; Consumer Attorneys of California, Member; San Francisco Bar Association, Member; San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member.
Publications
Negotiating and Settling Tort Cases: Reaching the Settlement (2018) Fourth Edition, published by the Thomson West Publishing Company and the American Association for Justice; Co-author of books on insurance law; Authored over 150 published articles on various topics, including trial strategy and settlement techniques.
Prior Expert
Testified in over 35 depositions and 20 trials as an expert witness.
Lola Hogan
OwnerLola Hogan Insurance Consulting, LLC
1149 Seaview AvenuePacific Grove, CA 93950 Phone: (831) 402-4069 Email: lola@hogan-consulting.com Website: www.lolahogan.com
Specialties
Insurance claims handling, bad faith
Degrees/Licenses
CPCU, ARM, ARe
Formal Education
BA, History; MA, Secondary Education.
Registration and Licenses
Licensed as an independent adjuster is 13 western states
Previous/Current Position
Over 30 years insurance claims experience including 20+ years as Vice President Claims, Chief Claim Officer for two companies. Extensive experience in deposition and trial testimony.
Honors/Awards
Graduated Outstanding Woman University of California, Davis
Prof. Affiliations
Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) member 2013-present
Pacific Claim Executives Assoc. President 2007. Member 1999-Present
San Francisco Chapter CPCU 1997- Present
ADC of Northern CA. Industry Liaison 1996-1998, 2007-2019
Prior Expert
I have testified as an expert in 28 depositions and 7 trials as of April 2022.
Randy Sugarman
Managing PartnerSugarman & Company LLP
505 Montgomery Street11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111 Phone: (415) 395-7501 Alternate: (415) 314-6566 Fax: (415) 658-2858 Email: sugarmanco@gmail.com Website: www.sugarman-company.com
Specialties
Forensic accountant. Expert witness testimony on management and financial issues. Accounting malpractice expert. Litigation support. Workout and bankruptcy consultant. Assumes management responsibilities, implements cost controls, negotiates with creditors, and supervises asset liquidation. Acts as a State Court Referee and Receiver, Federal Bankruptcy Trustee, and Examiner. Federal Court Special Master.
Degrees/Licenses
CPA, MBA, CFE, CIRA, CFF.
Formal Education
BA and MBA, Stanford University.
Previous/Current Position
Randy Sugarman, Managing Partner, founded Sugarman & Company LLP in 1977. Mr. Sugarman was previously associated with the national accounting firms of Main Hurdman (now KPMG Peat Marwick) and Kenneth Leventhal & Company (now Ernst & Young).
Prof. Affiliations
Association of Insolvency Accountants, Turnaround Management Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, California Bankruptcy Forum, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, BASF and California Society of Certified Public Accountants. A founding member of the Turnaround Management Association, where he served on the Board of Directors. Mr. Sugarman also previously served on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum and on the California Society of Certified Public Accountants' Committee on Taxation.
Prior Expert
Expert witness testimony on management and financial issues in 60+ litigation cases. Appointed State Court Referee and Receiver, Federal Bankruptcy Trustee, Assignee for Benefit of Creditors or Examiner with over 50 years experience.
White, Zuckerman, Warsavsky, Luna, Wolf & Hunt
Barbara Luna, PhD, CPA, CFE, ASA, ABV, CVA, Partner
John Luna, CPA, CFE, ABV, JD, MBA, Partner
Dean Atkinson, CPA, CFE, ABV, Partner
Venita McMorris, MA, Partner
15490 Ventura Blvd., Suite 300Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Phone: (818) 981-4226 Fax: (818) 981-4278 Email: expert@wzwlh.com Website: www.wzwlh.com
Specialties
Expert witness testimony for complex litigation involving damage analyses of lost profits, unjust enrichment, reasonable royalties, lost earnings, lost value of business, forensic accounting, fraud investigation, and investigative analysis of liability. 500+ times testifying as an expert witness at trial and arbitration. Excellent communications with extensive testimony experience throughout CA and other states. Experts hold PhDs, MBAs, JD's, CPAs, ASAs, CVAs, ABVs, CGREAs, CFFs and CFEs. Prior "Big Four" accounting firm experience. Areas: Accounting, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business interruption, business dissolution, cash flows available for support, class actions, construction defects + economic damages, delays and cost overruns, elder abuse, false advertising, fraud, insurance, intellectual property including trademark, patent and copyright infringement, and trade secrets, lemon law, lender liability, misrepresentations, partnership disputes, personal injury, product liability, professional malpractice, real estate disputes, securities litigation, tracing, trusts & estates, unfair competition, valuation of businesses, white collar crimes, and wrongful termination.
Degrees/Licenses
PhD, CPA, CFE, ASA, CVA, ABV, CGREA.
Formal Education
PHD - Applied Math - Harvard
MBA/JD - UCLA
Janice A. Ramsay
AttorneyJanice A. Ramsay, A Law Corporation
5 SarosIrvine, CA 92603 Phone: (949) 854-9375 Alternate: (949) 400-5040 Fax: (949) 854-9375 Email: janiceramsay1023@gmail.com Website: www.janicearamsay.com
Specialties
Bad faith property insurance cases; 40+ years of experience with insurance companies' customs and practices; Handled coverage issues advice, claims procedures, litigations and appeals in personal lines and commercial property claims.
Degrees/Licenses
B.A.; J.D.
Formal Education
B.A. Indiana University; J.D. University of San Francisco School of Law
Previous/Current Position
Managing Partner, Ramsay, Johnson & Klunder; Management Committee, Berger Kahn; President, Janice A. Ramsay, A Law Corporation.
Honors/Awards
Subject of three magazine articles; OCBA Insurance Law Section, Spotlight Attorney; Member of Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences, Dean’s Advisory Board; Member of Board of Counselors, University of San Francisco, School of Law.
Prof. Affiliations
California Bar Association; Orange County Bar Association; Chair of Insurance Law Section 2014; Orange County Women Lawyers Association, Board of Directors (2016-2018); American Bar Association; Insurance Professionals of Orange County.
Prior Expert
Testified on numerous occasions in California state and federal courts; Deposed in state and federal court cases; Prepared Federal Court Rule 26 reports.
Frederick J. Fisher J.D., CCP
PresidentFisher Consulting Group
214 Main StreetSte 181
El Segundo, CA 90245 Phone: (310) 426-2105 Alternate: (310) 413-6200 Fax: (310) 356-3355 Email: fjfisher@fishercg.com Website: www.fishercg.com
Specialties
Insurance Agent /Broker Professional Liability; Wholesale / MGA/MGU Insurance Professional Liability; Insurer Bad Faith; Claims Adjuster/ TPA Professional Liability; other types of professional Liability / Standard of Care in a selective basis, Insurance Regulatory Expert on a selective basis.
Degrees/Licenses
J.D. degree; California Insurance Agent, Broker and Surplus Lines License; California Insurance Adjuster License
Formal Education
B.A., UC Berkeley, 1972; J.D. Degree, 1976 - Lincoln University Law School, San Francisco, Ca. (merged into USF Law School)
Previous/Current Position
President - Fisher Consulting Group 2010 - Present.; 1994 - 2010, Founder, President and CEO, Post Acquisition; Sr. Vice President, E.L.M Insurance Brokers (includes predecessor Sole-Proprietorship prior to Incorporation); 1975 - 1995, Staff Adjuster/Vice-President; Founder/President of The Fisher Associates, Adjusters (includes Predecessor Firm of Miller &Gilbert, Inc). Six 6 year Member, Board of Trustees; 1998, President of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).
Honors/Awards
2019 recipient of the PLUS Founders Award
Prof. Affiliations
PLUS; The CLM (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance); Sr. Tech. Advisor of Professional Liability Insurance, published by the International Risk Management Institute; 2021 Co-Chair of the Ins. Agent - Broker Committee; Prof Liab. Def. Federation.
Publications
Over 75 articles in Insurance Trade Journals on Professional Liability Prevention, Coverage and related issues from 1979 through current.
Prior Expert
30 years experience, over the past 10 years: retained on over 80 Cases, 17 trials + depositions; 50-50 Plaintiff/defense work.
Brian H. Kleiner PhD, MBA
Professor (Emeritus) of Human Resource Managementat prestigious CA university
551 Santa Barbara AvenueFullerton, CA 92835-2463 Phone: (714) 879-9705 Alternate: (714) 595-1891 Fax: (714) 879-5600 Email: bkleinerphdmba@gmail.com
Specialties
Compliance of organizational policies, procedures, and practices with standards of human resources management; preventing and investigating complaints concerning sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination and harassment; ADA, interactive process, reasonable accommodation; CFRA, FMLA, workers’ compensation; retaliation, discipline, wrongful termination; negligent hiring/retention/supervision; independent contractor vs. employee classification; compensation, wage & hours, benefits/pensions; performance evalution, promotion selections, workforce- reductions; workplace violence, safety, OSHA.
Degrees/Licenses
PhD, MBA, BS
Formal Education
PhD Management, University of CA, Los Angeles: 1977; MBA, Management, University of CA, Los Angeles; BS, Business Administration, Drexel.
Registration and Licenses
Lifetime California Community College Instructor Credential in both Business Management and Psychology.
Previous/Current Position
Human resources manager for Ford Motor Company; consultant to over 100 organizations concerning how to improve human resource management policies and practices.
Honors/Awards
2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 & 2011, Received university research award for quality of articles published in the most recent five years. 2008, Favorably featured in Employment Law Verdict Reports. 2007, Profiled in Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin. 2001, Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Award. 2000, Faculty Merit Award. 1998, Creative and Scholarly Activity Award. 1997 and 1996 Performance Award. 1996, "Teacher Scholar" Award. 1995-96, Taught first graduate Managing Human Resources and Human Behavior in Organizations courses ever to be publicly televised. 1993. Nominee for Bradford Outstanding Educator in United States Award. 1992, Finalist for Outstanding Faculty Award, SBAE. 1986-90, Meritorious Performance Award. Selected for Marquis' Who's Who in Business Higher Education, Who's Who in Finance and Industry, Who's Who in California, and Who's Who in the World.
Prof. Affiliations
Society For Human Resource Management; Society for Nonprofits.
Publications
Over 500 in high quality professional and peer-reviewed academic journals. These Include “When it's time to say good-by: how to discharge workers without legal hassles," and "Workplace reduction guidelines," which was reproduced in a college textbook titled "Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Management,” published by McGraw-Hill. Also, "Designing Effective Performance Appraisal Systems," one of the most downloaded articles of all time, with over 12,500 downloads.
Prior Expert
Have been retained in over 1,000 cases and have given trial/arbitration testimony over 80 times for plaintiffs and defense in over 15 California federal and state courts.