My First Time on the Stand

The defense attorney pushed an electrical code book toward me and asked me to locate a specific reference. Fortunately, it was an outdated edition. I simply said I was familiar only with the current code book. He accepted that, put the book away, and continued attacking my credibility, experience, and knowledge.

It was my first time at trial, and I was not enjoying it.

The project involved construction of a new drive-through truck wash and maintenance shop for a nationwide delivery service. The general contractor sued the client over change-order work he believed he was owed. I represented the client as the construction manager.

As I sat on the stand under pressure, the turning point finally came. The defense tried to show that the general contractor was not behind schedule, despite what I had stated in my reports, emails, and meeting minutes. To support that argument, the attorney produced a large poster-sized photo of electrical conduits mounted on a poured concrete wall and running into an open section of concrete floor.

He confidently claimed the photo proved the contractor was on schedule because the conduits supplied power from the main building to the truck wash. When he pressed me to agree, I replied, “Those are not the electrical conduits in the truck wash building.” I explained that the truck wash was built with cinder blocks, while the photo showed a poured concrete wall. “That is the main building,” I said, “not the truck wash.”

His demeanor changed instantly. He stared at me, stunned. He had not expected that answer and was not prepared for that fact. Apparently, the general contractor had misled him too—and ultimately lost the lawsuit.

That experience shaped my career. For more than 30 years, I have focused on helping construction projects avoid disputes before they become courtroom battles—and on bringing clear, credible technical analysis when disputes do arise.

Today, law firms and clients rely on my construction, engineering, and contracting experience in matters involving construction disputes, accidents, change orders, project documentation, schedule issues, and related claims. As an expert witness and consultant, I provide testimony, depositions, technical review, and practical insight grounded in decades of real-world construction management experience.