The need

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs, a precision machining company, in their case against an industry competitor needed an expert in mechanical engineering from the oil industry to bolster their case. The plaintiffs held multiple allegations against the defendant including claims of market monopolization, but the allegation with the most merit was the validity of the plaintiff’s trademark on the licensed oil pipeline component in question, a product with an expired patent. As such, the ideal expert would need to be able to opine on whether the product in question should be considered generic or a manufacturer-specific item.

Our approach

From speaking with the client and studying the elements of the case, we understood that the expert would also need to be able to opine on quality control in the manufacturing of the product as the defendant had contracted the manufacturing out to another party. Deposition and trial experience were preferred as was proximity to the location of the case.

The expert

We found an expert with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, 45 years of experience in the energy industry and 30 years of trial experience as a forensic engineer. Much of his trial experience centered around oil pipeline design and equipment. Furthermore, his industry experience included roles leading the design and manufacturing of oil equipment. He was the author of many technical manuals and named on many patents on mechanical systems related to oil. Finally, his location was convenient to the case.