For Attorneys
Bringing integrity from the left seat to your case.
If you are evaluating an aviation matter, this page is the short version: what I can assess, how engagements begin, and what you can expect from me.
The Questions an Aviation Case Turns On
After an aviation event, the questions arrive in a predictable order. They are the ones you will be asking, and the ones opposing counsel will be asking too.
Was the operation legal? The regulations set the floor: Parts 91, 121, and 135 for the operation, Part 117 for crew rest. Most operations pass this question. It is the easiest one, and it settles very little.
What did the operator’s own documents say? Operations manuals, the fatigue risk management plan, the SMS manual. These are the operator’s promises to the FAA, and they are compared line by line against what the schedule, the dispatch release, and the crew actually did. This is where most operators discover what their own paperwork committed them to.
Was the crew trained and checked to do it? Training programs and check airman standards decide whether a procedure in the manual ever reached the cockpit. A line check that signed off on a habit the manual prohibits is evidence, in both directions.
Did the crew do what they were trained to do? Standard operating procedures, crew resource management, and the decisions made in the last few minutes. This is the question juries think the case is about. It is usually the fourth one that matters, not the first.
Did anyone see it coming? The Safety Management System, the fatigue reports, the operational control desk. A pattern of reports that nobody acted on is a different case from an event with no warning at all.
A legal schedule and a compliant manual are the beginning of a defense, not the end of one. This practice works every one of these questions from the same seat the crew was in.
What I Can Assess
Crew performance and standard operating procedures, training and check airman standards, Safety Management System adequacy, operations manual compliance, Part 117 fatigue and duty-time issues, and FAA regulatory compliance under Parts 5, 61, 91, 117, 121, and 135. The full list is on the Expert Witness page.
How Engagements Begin
A conflict check first, always. Then a case evaluation and records review, followed by a scope discussion before any formal retention. You will get a candid early read, including where the technical record is weak. I do not offer testimony I cannot support on the merits, and I would rather tell you that in the first conversation than in a draft report.
What You Can Expect
Reports written to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26. Plain-language translation of technical material for judges and juries. Responsiveness to case deadlines. Work with plaintiff and defense counsel, insurers, and aviation organizations, nationwide.
Materials
A formal credential summary and CV are available on request, along with a fee schedule. All initial conversations are held in confidence.
To Discuss a Matter in Confidence
Every initial conversation is confidential, whether or not a case moves forward. Reach out to talk through what you are evaluating.
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Practice Areas
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