Topic: The engineer as expert witness
In the complex world of litigation and arbitration, the role of an expert witness has become increasingly crucial, especially when technical matters are involved. In energy-related disputes, engineers, using their specialized knowledge and analytical skills, can play a particularly vital role. Their objective and informed opinions can assist the court or the arbitration panel in achieving fair and just decisions. This presentation will discuss the significance of engineers as expert witnesses in energy disputes, highlighting their responsibilities and the challenges they face. Examples of several key cases in which the presenter served as an expert witness will also be recounted.
Speaker: John O’Brien, Chair of the Board, Baker & O’Brien, Inc.
John O'Brien co-founded the energy consulting firm, Baker & O'Brien, Inc., in partnership with Kenneth Baker, in 1993. Now retired from full-time consulting, he currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. John earned two degrees from MIT in Chemical Engineering before joining Caltex Petroleum Corporation after graduation. John has over 40 years of consulting experience in the energy industry, with particular emphasis on petroleum refining and marketing. His career has included extensive involvement on international projects in Australia and Asia-Pacific, where he was Energy Director for the consulting firm Arthur D. Little based in Singapore. He often worked closely with the financial community in providing transactional due diligence services. Later in his career, he frequently was called upon to offer expert opinion and testimony in energy-related disputes, arbitrations, and litigation, having testified in Federal, State, and international judicial settings, as well as hearings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). John also previously served as a board member for several publicly traded, energy-related companies, including a large refinery services firm in Houston and an oil recycling company based in Florida.
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