American Geotechnical, Inc. is approaching its 23rd year of service in the Geotechnical Engineering field. We have four offices with forty-five employees that serve all of California, Arizona and Nevada. Our professional team has vast experience in handling litigation cases from document depository to trial testimony. We also provide a wide range of investigations for soil related problems, including; landslide, earthquake, expansive soil, moisture intrusion, sulfate\corrosion and slope stability. We specialize in risk assessment, problem recognition and repair of difficult sites. For more information or a detailed description of our services please call 800-275-4436.
Background
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:A: · American Society of Civil Engineers
· California Geotechnical Engineers Association
· California Associations Institute
· California Association of Community Managers
· Engineering Geology and Soils Review and Appeals Board
· California State Board of Geologists Enforcement Committee
· American Society for Testing and Materials
· American Concrete Institute
· Geological Society
· Deep Foundation Institute
· Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
· National Society of Professional Engineers
· Post Tensioning Institute
· Registered Environmental Assessor
· Association of Engineering Geologists
· Customer Services Builders Council
· Southern Nevada Claims Association
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: Facilities Maintenance Seminar, CACM
Anaheim, Calif. Topic: Hi-Rise Construction.
Facilities Maintenance Seminar, CACM
Concord, Calif. Topic: Hardscape & Pavements.
Facilities Maintenance Seminar, CACM
Lake Forest, Calif. Topic: Water Worries & Slope Problems.
Facilities Management Conference, CACM
Concord, Calif. Topic: Water Worries? Detect, Diagnose & Manager Water Damage.
Orange County Bar Association
Costa Mesa, Calif. Topic: How to Look at a Landslide.
California Real Estate Inspection Association, Golden Gate Chapter, Livermore, Calif. Topic: Diagnosing Soil, Foundation and Drainage Problems.
Amerispec, Baltimore, Maryland. Topic: Diagnosing Soil, Foundation and Drainage Problems.
Amerispec, Costa Mesa, Calif. Topic: Diagnosing Soil, Foundation and Drainage Problems.
Amerispec, Memphis, Tenn. Topic: Diagnosing Soil, Foundation and Drainage Problems.
Liberty Mutual Insurance, Orange, Calif. Topic: Common Soil Problems.
BIA Customer Service Council, Orange, Calif. Topic: Erosion and Other Slope-Related Problems.
American Society of Home Inspectors, Berkley, Calif. Topic: Soil and Its Effect on Foundations.
John Hill & Associates Seminar, Los Angeles, Calif. Topic: Construction Defect Litigation and Cost Containment Measures.
American Society of Home Inspectors, Fremont, Calif. Topics: Soil and Its Effect on Foundations and Common But Serious Design and Construction Problems With Foundations and Slabs.
American Society of Home Inspectors, Palm Springs, California. Topics: Soil and Its Effect on Foundations and Common But Serious Design and Construction Problems With Foundations and Slabs.
California State Legislature, Senate Judiciary Committee, Sacramento, California; CTLA Invited. Topic: SB2007 (Maddy) Statute of Limitations For Latent Defects.
Monthly Meeting Consulting Structural Engineers Society. Topic: The Geotechnical Engineer's View on the Use of Helical Anchors.
CGEA 35 Semi annual Conference California Geotechnical Engineers Assoc., Panel Discussion Napa, California. Topic: Anatomy of a Construction Defect Lawsuit.
Annual Training Seminar Amerispec Home Inspection, Technical Training Seminar, Chicago, Illinois; Irvine, California. Topic: Diagnosing Structure and Foundation Problems.
Mock Trial San Diego Trial Lawyers Association Mission Valley, California. Topic: Construction Defects; Geotechnical Engineer "Expert Witness."
Spring Conference Construction Financial Management Association, Panel Discussion, San Diego, California. Topic: Avoiding Construction Defects.
ASHI Inspection '92 American Society of Home Inspectors 1992 International Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. Topic: "Foundation and Drainage."
82nd Annual Meeting Geological Society of America, Symposium on Landslide and Landslide Control, Los Angeles, California, March 25 28, 1986. Topic: "New Procedure for Analyzing, Designing and Repairing Soil Instabilities in Hillside Areas."
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: Varies per expert. Please call or email us for more information.
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: All geotechnical services are offered, from site inspections to expert witness to repair recommendations.
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: Fee schedule available upon request.
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: Fee schedule available upon request.
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: Fee schedule available upon request.
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: Fee schedule available upon request.
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: Fee schedule available upon request.
References
REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.What our clients are saying about us...
I wish the thank each of you for your diligent efforts and the excellent job that you did in helping us to prepare this case for arbitration as well as your invaluable testimony during the arbitration hearings.
You can generally cover inspections on little or short notice.
Mr. Axten presented himself as an exceedingly articulate and capable expert witness, one who is able to translate the often technical jargon of soils engineering science into easily understood English for mediators, arbitrators, judges and juries (and attorneys ) who lack technical training in the earth sciences.
You were a pleasure to work with. Thank you very much. I will not forget how you treated me. Also, I have referred several other attorneys over to you because I have found your company's work product to be nothing short of excellent.
I want to thank you for your assistance in the XXXX lawsuit. Your testimony was vastly superior to the defenses expert, and was instrumental in convincing the jury to return a verdict of 55,386 for Mr. XXXX.
We are grateful to you and your company for your good help in resolving our recent case and look forward to working with you in the future.
Great communication of evidence and investigation. Easy to get a hold of at any time. Great customer service.
You are professional, on time, courteous and generally a please to do business with. I look forward to our continued business relations.
As well the locations equipment and top-notch technical assistance your office possess allows me to confidently request service which few if any other geotechnical firms can deliver time and time again. Many times with short notice.
Following the jury verdict with only 1.5 hours of deliberation many of the jurors remained to discuss the case with us. The foreperson was a gentleman in the construction trades. He said the other jurors greatly appreciated the testimony an explanations you provided. They commented upon your lengthy professional background and felt that you were, as a result, unassailable and unimpeachable with regard to the geotechnical opinions you expressed. They liked the facts that you were ready willing and able to answer any questions put to you in a friendly and forthright manner without any arrogance or condescension. Not combative like a fatherly figure and you really knew your stuff.
