Product Design Expert Witnesses

Encinitas, California

Automotive, Aviation & Aerospace - Automotive Design, Car Design, Aircraft Design, Product Design, Human Factors, Ergonomics, Styling, Interface, Intellectual Property, Patent, Manufacturing, Engineering, FAA, FMVSS, Interior, Exterior, Seats, Utility Patent, Design Patent, Design Process

Jamie Klopp owns and operates Klopp US LLC, an Automotive, Aircraft, and Product Design Expert Witness service. In addition to expert work, Mr. Klopp is an active design professional working in automotive and aerospace product development. Mr. Klopp holds broad design expertise with specific focus on Passenger Automotive Vehicles and Part 23 Fixed-Wing Aircraft and Part 27 Rotorcraft. Jamie Klopp provides litigation graphics services that complement his expert witness work in automotive, aircraft, and product design. He creates 3D animations and renderings for intellectual property cases, including technology tutorials and patent disputes, as well as manufacturing processes, industrial systems, and technical subjects. His work includes visualizations of product defects, engineering failures, design processes, and human factors issues. He also produces 2D trial graphics such as diagrams illustrating design elements, patent claims, manufacturing sequences, and engineering specificati...

Los Angeles, California

Failure Analysis, Metallurgy - Automobile, Aircraft, Tools, Appliance, Engineering Expert, Construction, Construction Defect, Corrosion, Maritime, Machinery, Materials selection, Glass, Medical Implant, Medical Device, Manufacturing Design, Plumbing Expert, Products Liability, Fire & Explosion, Product Design, Pipe

Joseph Quinn, MS, PE, is a Forensic Metallurgy and Metallurgical Engineering consultant. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Metallurgical Engineering and is registered in 7 states (CA, PA, UT, NV, AZ, CO, WA) with the Model Law Engineering (MLE) designation. He has provided over 1,000 Failure Analysis investigations on metallic and non-metallic (glass, plastic, rubber, and composite) materials or products. Mr. Quinn provides metallurgical and materials consultation, expert witness testimony, and forensic failure analysis in civil litigation matters for defendants and plaintiffs. He has received awards in the International Metallographic Contest and has delivered several presentations on metallurgical engineering and failure analysis subjects at universities, ASM meetings, and industry events. He has served as Past President of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in California and remains active in industry standards development, technical societies, and pro...

Los Angeles, California

Industrial Design, Intellectual Property - Design, Design Patent Infringement, Design Patent Validity, Utility Patent Infringement, Utility Patent Validity, Patent Litigation, Trade Dress Infringement, Trade Dress, Secondary Meaning, Functionality, Likelihood of Confusion, Product Design, Industrial Design, Trademark Infringement, Trademark, Patent

Formerly a corporate lawyer, I graduated Harvard Law School and later earned a Master's in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute. From toys to complex medical devices, I've spent over 30 years guiding innovation through strategic product development, and have helped hundreds of clients bridge the elusive gap between creative insight and commercial success. As design consultant to a broad range of markets and industries, I keep my finger on the pulse of critical trends in consumer electronics, medical devices, transportation, IOT, toys, and a host of other product categories. With clients including LG Electronics, Swingline, Kimberly Clark, Olympus, Qualcomm, Novartis, Fisher Price, Blackberry, Dell, Intel, Disney and Hallmark, I bring that foundation of understanding to my work as design expert witness, and it has proven invaluable to developing effective litigation strategies and legal arguments. Designers think in such a unique way that it's been coined “Design Thinking,” while l...

Los Angeles , California

Products Liability, Engineering - Product Design, Plastic Product Design, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), N95 Mask, Earplug, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Protection, Medical Device, Dental Device, Toy, Consumer Product, Durable Medical Equipment (DME), Furniture, ISO 9000, Product Development, Design For Manufacturing, Product Liability, Product Defects

◼ BACKGROUND: 40+ years' experience including in product design, product development, and manufacturing in consumer, medical, and industrial product markets. Product innovation part-time academic since 2009, public speaker since 1985. Certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) since 2008 by the Product Development and Management Association. Member of: Society of Plastics Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society for Quality. Expert witness services to Product Liability, Intellectual Property, and Commercial Dispute litigators. ◼ PRODUCT LIABILTY EXPERTISE Retained by both plaintiff and defense counsel. Specialize in personal injury cases involving product defects, manufacturing defects, product safety, engineering design, mechanical failures, material failures, product quality assurance, and foreseeable misuse. ◼ CASE EXAMPLES - Retained in cases involving 3M, Honeywell, Clorox, Ace Hardware, and others. - 3M Combat Arms earplug case, retained by...

Maimi, Florida

Industrial Design, Intellectual Property - Industrial Design, Product Design, Design Thinking, Design Strategy, User Research, Intellectual Property creation, product functionality, Plastic Product Design, Design For Manufacturing, Consumer Product, toy design, biomimicry, nature inspired design, sustainability

With over thirty years of global design leadership in consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, luxury goods, and sustainable design, I bring authoritative and impactful expertise to complex legal cases. My expertise covers product and industrial design, patent development, intellectual property assessment, and design analysis, providing the strategic insight necessary for successful litigation outcomes. As an innovator, I have led groundbreaking advancements at major industry players. At Motorola, I developed successful iDEN products, designed Nextel’s complete portfolio, pioneered the world’s first wearable communication devices and Android tablet, and set new benchmarks in mobile design with the i830 product line. At Pininfarina, I contributed to iconic projects such as the Maserati Birdcage 75 and Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, leading the firm’s U.S. expansion into sustainable architecture and lifestyle design. At Masimo, I played a key role in transforming B2B healthcare w...

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Chemical Engineering, Failure Analysis - polymers, plastics, patent infringement, adhesives and films, security documents, micro-optics, extrusion, injection molding, product development, failure analysis, laminates, polymer coatings, materials, product design, chemicals

Dr. Haas is an expert in materials with decades of experience manufacturing plastics, films, parts, and adhesives with a special focus in security documents such as passports, identity cards, currency, and labels. Ample skills in trouble-shooting and failure analysis. He is an Engineering Fellow at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering where he has taught since 2008, including courses on materials , polymers in design, senior design, fluid mechanics laboratory, and thin films. He also teaches on materials at the University of Minnesota with access to its testing laboratories. More than 25 years of industry experience at 3M and Gemalto/Thames during which he generated, supported, and defended numerous patent filings and developed products that have achieved over $250MM in sales. A member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Northwestern University Chemical and Biological Engineering Advisory Board, and the Document Security Alliance. Dr. Haas ha...

Pennsylvania

Failure Analysis, Metallurgy - Automobile, Aircraft, Tools, Appliance, Engineering Expert, Construction, Construction Defect, Corrosion, Maritime, Machinery, Materials selection, Glass, Medical Implant, Medical Device, Manufacturing Design, Plumbing Expert, Products Liability, Fire & Explosion, Product Design, Pipe

Joseph Quinn, MS, PE, is a Forensic Metallurgy and Metallurgical Engineering consultant. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Metallurgical Engineering and is registered in 7 states (CA, PA, UT, NV, AZ, CO, WA) with the Model Law Engineering (MLE) designation. He has provided over 1,000 Failure Analysis investigations on metallic and non-metallic (glass, plastic, rubber, and composite) materials or products. Mr. Quinn provides metallurgical and materials consultation, expert witness testimony, and forensic failure analysis in civil litigation matters for defendants and plaintiffs. He has received awards in the International Metallographic Contest and has delivered several presentations on metallurgical engineering and failure analysis subjects at universities, ASM meetings, and industry events. He has served as Past President of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in California and remains active in industry standards development, technical societies, and pro...

El Paso, Texas

Products Liability, Manufacturing - Ladders, OSHA, ANSI, CSA, Laboratories, Testing, ISO 17025, ISO 9001, Fall Protection, Storage Eqipment, SRLs, Safety Harnesses, Safety Landyards, Failure Analysis, Quailty, Manufacturing, Engineering, Accidents & Safety, Product Design, Consumer Products

Rene Melendez is a seasoned expert witness and independent consultant with over 15 years of experience specializing in ladder safety, design, and manufacturing standards. His work focuses on evaluating ladder-related injuries and incidents for litigation across the United States. Rene’s consulting engagements span residential, commercial, and industrial ladder use, with deep expertise in extension, step, tripod, and fiberglass ladders. He specializes in failure analysis, product liability, and injury investigation for climbing products including extension ladders (up to 60 ft), stepladders, scaffolds, planks, attic ladders, and fall protection equipment. Rene regularly partners with engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure all products meet strict U.S. and international safety certifications. Mr. Melendez has been retained in numerous high-profile cases involving ladder product failures, safety violations, and workplace accidents. He has worked on behalf of both plaintiffs an...

THE WOODLANDS, Texas

Risk Management, Statistics - Reliability, Quality, Automotive, Chemicals, Lean, Manufacturing, Warranty, Aluminum, Systems Engineering, Failure Analysis, Inventory, Product Development, Data Analysis, Design Verification, FRACAS, FMEA, Product Design, Database, Six Sigma, Optimization

Employment SKF - Senior Director Quality Systems and Transformation Collins & Aikman - Senior Director Corporate Quality & Continuous Improvement Visteon - Associate Director Quality & Reliability Engineering and Senior Technical Fellow Continental Teves - Manager Reliability Engineering & Quality Information Systems Alcoa - Reliability Leader & Technical Quality Consultant Morton Thiokol – Industrial Engineer Licenses & Certifications Professional Engineer – Michigan Six Sigma Master Black Belt Design for Six Sigma Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Awards Distinguished Alumni Louisiana Tech University Society of Automotive Engineers Forest R. McFarland Award for Technical Leadership Fellow – American Society for Quality Fellow – Society of Automotive Engineers Publications Developer of NASA’s standard reliability life data software Dodson, Bryan, Pat. Hammett and Rene, Klerx, Probabilistic Design for Optimization and Robustness for Engineers, John Wiley & Sons,...

Yakima, Washington

Mechanical Engineering, Products Liability - Aerial Lift, Aerial Work Platform, AWP, Boom Lift, Mobil Elevating Work Platform, MEWP, Spider Lift, Nut Harvesting Equipment, Frost Fans, Construction Accident, Manufacturing Equipment, Weld Failure, Weld Design, Bolted Joint, Metal Failure Analysis, Product Design, Agriculture Machinery

I am a mechanical engineer with nearly 20 years of experience in the design, development, testing, and failure analysis of aerial lifts and agricultural machinery. My career includes direct responsibility for engineering, product safety, structural analysis, prototype development, field evaluations, compliance testing, reliability assessments, and root-cause investigations for complex equipment systems. I have extensive, hands-on experience with aerial work platform entrapment cases, including multiple serious-injury and fatal events. My work includes analyzing the interaction between equipment design, operator position, platform motion, safety devices, and environmental/jobsite factors. I bring a unique combination of technical engineering expertise, industry standards knowledge, and practical field experience that is critical for accurately assessing liability, causation, and defect allegations. I support attorneys on both plaintiff and defense matters and understand the urgency...