EW#3994 , CHA specializes in hotel litigation support nationwide. He is a leading hotel authority with over 30 years of experience in operations and corporate hotel management. Hotel operations experience includes senior management positions with ITT Sheraton Hotels and Holiday Inns in Chicago, Boston and New York City. Hotel and restaurant consulting practice in New York City and as Partner with Laventhol & Horwath in Los Angeles. As Executive Vice President of Operations for Ken + Asset Management, he directed the opening of several Embassy Suites Hotels and managed a nationwide 9-hotel portfolio whose annual revenues exceeded $81 million. He has been widely quoted and was a regular guest lecturer at UCLA real estate financing classes while living in Los Angeles.
EXPERT WITNESS:
Trial and deposition testimony has included plaintiff and defense cases for owners, management companies, and franchisors. Services include assistance in drafting interrogatories, discovery and witness preparation, research and consulting. Has testified or consulted involving more than 40 hotel disputes relating to the following issues:
Operating Standards
Property Control
Premise Liability
Franchisor / Franchisee
Reporting Practice
Assault
Cash Flow Analysis
Misrepresentation
Security
Mismanagement
Wrongful Termination
Negligent Hiring/Retention
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS:
Court-appointed expert regarding 11-hotel portfolio dispute, testimony on behalf of franchiser in death and near-death cases and testimony involving premise liability representing the municipality (owner) of a national chain affiliated hotel.
CLIENT BASE:
Developers, owners, management companies insurance companies and national hotel franchisors.
Elected law firms:
Morgan, Lewis, Bockius; Burkley, Greenberg & Fields; Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp; Stutman, Treister & Glatt and Clark; Scott & Streetman.
EDUCATION: BSBA, University of Denver, School of Hotel and Restaurant Mgt.
LICENSES: Pennsylvania and California Real Estate License.
CERTIFICATIONS:
Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), American Hotel & Lodging Assn. annual Real Estate Finance course.
GUEST LECTURER:
UCLA,Cal Poly, Pomona, CA Senior Class Seminar.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Executive Committee, Embassy Suites Owners Associations.
Association for Corporate Growth, Pittsburgh.
Hotel Asset Managers Association.
Southern California Hotel/Motel Group.
Rotary Club of Downtown Los Angeles.
MILITARY:
United Sates Army Reserve, Honorable Discharge, 1975.
Expert Witness & Litigation Consulting Cases
Valuation, operational and cash flow analysis associated with hotel bankruptcy (Santa Barbara)
proceeding on behalf of the debtor-in-possession. Stutman, Treister & Glatt.
Projected loss of profits from the alleged wrongful development of approximately 20 hotels representing a breach of an agreement between two California limited partnerships. Mitchell,
Silberberg & Knupp.
Projected loss of profits and rebuttal analysis on behalf of the owner of a San Francisco hotel
from alleged telephone system failure. Berman & Clark.
Alleged wrongful termination of long-term hotel employee versus a major international 500-room
hotel at LAX. Defendant client. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.
Misrepresentation, mismanagement and breach of the management contract by major
international hotel company associated with a 250-room hotel in Anaheim. Plaintiff client.
Burkley, Greenberg & Fields.
Assault case of a registered guest involving breakdown of room service and employee training
procedures by a 570-room major chain hotel in Orange County. Plaintiff client. Law offices of
Jared Gross.
Breach of management agreement and misrepresentation of income statements by owner versus
well recognized conference center management company whose 350-room property was in
Denver. Defendant client. Moye, Giles, O’Keefe, Vermeire & Gorrell.
Assault case of a guest at a 55-unit independent hotel in Whittier involving operational and
security procedures regarding an emergency situation. Plaintiff client. Law offices of Edward J.
Deason.
Assault of a hotel guest by an employee of a special events promoter associated with an event
held in an Orange County 300-room hotel. Plaintiff client. Law offices of Michael F. Coley.
Premise liability case involving operational, maintenance and emergency operating standards of
well known 175-room Beverly Hills area hotel. Plaintiff client. Law offices of Fierstein &
Sturman.
Operational standards associated with dispute involving food and beverage service as well as
assault by guest on hotel staff at a major 300-room Newport Beach hotel. Defendant client. Law
offices of Kern & Gonzalez.
Operational standards and estimates of revenue loss from property damage to 78-unit Buena
Park hotel and associated mismanagement by hotel operator. Defendant client. Law offices of
Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold.
Premise liability case of a well known 310-room Santa Monica hotel. Mismanagement, absence
of employee training, maintenance and duty of care by operator. Plaintiff client. Law offices of
R. J. Molligan.
Breach of operating lease by a food and beverage lessee in Los Angeles and Yuma, AZ
properties resulting in material property damage, loss of lease income and depressed levels of
related hotel business from the actions of the lessee. Plaintiff client. Law offices of Gordon &
Rees.
Cash flow evaluation of 11 hotels located in Los Angeles, San Diego and Killeen, TX relating to
the prospective aggregate value for use in a marital dispute. Both base-year and present year
reviews conducted. Worked with the law firm of Albert, Barr & Gross and the Law offices of
Loretta H. Selinger. Superior Court Appointed 730 Expert Witness.
Dispute involving a confirmed/guaranteed room reservation at a 260-room chain affiliated hotel in
Palm Springs. Credit card, right to evict, ability-to-pay, operational standards and policy issues
key points in the case. Plaintiff client. Law offices of Whitaker & Levine.
Summary of Municipal Testimony
Re-zoning hearing for a Budgetel Hotel, a limited service hotel development. Demonstration of
Need analysis, market condition and developer/operator performance major points of testimony.
Morris County, New Jersey.
Re-zoning hearing for a Budgetel hotel, a limited service hotel development. Demonstration of
Need analysis, market conditions and developer/operator performance major points of testimony.
Kenilworth, New Jersey.
Re-zoning hearing for the redevelopment of the Huntington Sheraton Hotel, a major 400-room
historic hotel situated on 13 acres. Demand analysis, market potential, property type evaluation
and facility review key testimony issues. Pasadena, California.
Re-zoning hearing for mixed-use development on the former Marine Land site. Project included
18-hole public golf course, public clubhouse, meeting and banquet facilities, hotel and residential
units. Estimated course usage by both public and hotel guests, public use of the banquet
facilities and the projected overnight usage of the hotel main issues examined. Palos Verdes,
California.
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