CONTACT US
Home > Browse by topic > Engineering > Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering Expert Witnesses

Systems engineering disputes arise when a complex system fails to perform as a whole, even though its individual components may each meet specification. Defense and aerospace contractors litigate over requirements creep, interface failures, and cost and schedule overruns; manufacturers pursue integrators whose automation and control systems never reached contracted throughput; and technology companies contest patents and licenses covering communications, data, and e-commerce architectures. The contested question is typically one of responsibility. When performance falls short, the parties must establish whether the failure originated in requirements definition, system architecture, integration, testing, or operation, and that allocation largely determines who bears the loss.

A systems engineering expert reconstructs the system's life cycle from the documentary record, tracing requirements through design, interface definitions, verification, and acceptance. That analysis can reveal whether requirements were ambiguous or changed, whether interfaces between subsystems were adequately specified and controlled, and whether testing actually demonstrated the performance a contract promised. In schedule and cost disputes, the expert can evaluate whether risks were identified and managed in line with accepted practice. In patent matters, systems engineers explain how claimed architectures function and whether an accused system practices them. Each line of analysis ties technical facts to breach, causation, and the measure of damages.

Because systems engineering spans defense, aerospace, manufacturing, communications, and information technology, the strongest expert is one who has engineered systems comparable to the one in dispute. Round Table Group's network includes systems engineers with decades of experience in space, weapon, and nuclear systems who have published on quantifying cost and schedule uncertainty, defense researchers who have published on satellite modeling, control, and robotic testing, and specialists in manufacturing automation, sensor networks, and decision support software. It also includes communications engineers who have testified on wireless systems and information technology architects who have testified on e-commerce claim construction. Drawing on more than 75,000 expert searches, we can help you match the system at issue to the right engineer, so let us know what your matter requires by calling us at (202) 908-4500.

Kinds of Cases We Work On

Round Table Group helps our clients find a wide variety of Systems Engineering expert witnesses for cases like:

01

Bridge Design Firm Disputes DOT Over Load Rating.

A state transportation agency sued a civil engineering firm after a newly completed highway bridge failed a routine post-construction load rating inspection, alleging the firm's structural design calculations had used an outdated live-load standard inconsistent with the project's governing specifications. We identified experts with experience in bridge structural engineering, load rating methodology, and transportation infrastructure design standards. The expert's independent load analysis confirmed the design had applied a superseded loading standard, supporting the agency's claim for retrofit costs against the design firm.
02

Chiller Plant Design Flaw Disrupts Industrial Facility.

An industrial manufacturer sued a mechanical engineering firm after a newly installed central chiller plant failed to meet the cooling capacity specified for the facility's production equipment, forcing costly supplemental cooling measures during peak production periods. We identified experts with experience in industrial mechanical systems engineering, chiller plant design and sizing, and thermal load calculation standards. The expert found the design had used an outdated equipment heat-load estimate that understated the facility's actual thermal output, supporting the manufacturer's claim against the engineering firm.
03

Substation Design Firm Disputes Utility Over Sizing Error.

A regional utility sued an electrical engineering firm after a newly commissioned substation's transformer bank experienced repeated overload trips within months of energization, alleging the firm's load-growth projections used to size the equipment fell well short of the utility's actual documented demand forecasts. We identified experts with experience in electrical substation design, transformer sizing methodology, and utility load forecasting standards. The expert found the design had relied on a load forecast several years out of date at the time of design, supporting the utility's claim against the engineering firm.
04

Reactor Design Dispute Rattles Chemical Plant Startup.

A chemical manufacturer sued a process engineering firm after a newly commissioned reactor system failed to achieve the production yield guaranteed in the plant's design specifications, forcing an extended and costly commissioning period. We identified experts with experience in chemical process engineering, reactor design and scale-up methodology, and industrial process commissioning standards. The expert found the reactor's mixing geometry had been scaled up from pilot data using an inconsistent scale-up ratio, supporting the manufacturer's claim against the engineering firm.
05

Foundation Engineer Disputes Developer Over Bearing Capacity.

A real estate developer sued a geotechnical engineering firm after a mid-rise building's foundation began experiencing differential settlement shortly after completion, alleging the firm's soil bearing capacity analysis had significantly overestimated the site's load-bearing properties. We identified experts with experience in geotechnical foundation engineering, soil bearing capacity analysis, and foundation design standards. The expert's independent soil analysis found the original borings had missed a soft clay layer beneath the building's footprint, supporting the developer's claim against the geotechnical firm.
06

Treatment Plant Design Falls Short of Municipal Guarantee.

A municipality sued a water treatment engineering firm after a newly constructed treatment facility failed to consistently meet the effluent quality guarantees specified in the plant's design-build contract, triggering regulatory compliance concerns. We identified experts with experience in water treatment process engineering, effluent quality standards, and design-build performance guarantee compliance. The expert found the treatment train's filtration stage had been undersized relative to the design's own stated influent quality assumptions, supporting the municipality's claim against the engineering firm.
07

Levee Design Firm Disputes District Over Structural Adequacy.

A regional water district sued a civil engineering firm after an independent structural review of a levee system the firm had designed found significant deficiencies relative to the applicable flood-control design standards, forcing a costly remediation program. We identified experts with experience in levee and flood-control structural engineering, geotechnical slope stability analysis, and flood-control design standards compliance. The expert's structural review confirmed the levee's slope design fell short of the applicable stability safety factor, supporting the district's claim against the engineering firm.
08

Pump System Design Defect Disrupts Plant Operations.

An industrial plant operator sued a mechanical engineering firm after a newly installed pump system experienced repeated cavitation failures under normal operating conditions, forcing costly unplanned shutdowns across the facility. We identified experts with experience in industrial pump system engineering, fluid dynamics and cavitation analysis, and mechanical systems design standards. The expert found the pump's suction-line design created a pressure drop inconsistent with the system's rated operating conditions, supporting the plant operator's claim against the engineering firm.
09

Grid Interconnection Delay Disrupts Solar Project Timeline.

A solar energy developer sued an electrical engineering firm after significant errors in a grid interconnection study caused a lengthy delay in the utility's approval process, pushing a large solar project's commercial operation date back by an extended period. We identified experts with experience in electrical grid interconnection engineering, renewable energy interconnection study standards, and utility approval process compliance. The expert found the interconnection study had omitted a required short-circuit analysis specified in the utility's interconnection standards, supporting the developer's claim for delay damages.
10

Pipeline Corrosion Design Flaw Sparks Energy Company Suit.

An energy company sued a pipeline engineering firm after a newly constructed pipeline segment experienced accelerated internal corrosion within a few years of operation, alleging the firm's corrosion protection design failed to account for the pipeline's actual product composition. We identified experts with experience in pipeline engineering, corrosion protection design methodology, and oil and gas infrastructure standards. The expert found the cathodic protection system had been designed for a different product profile than what the pipeline actually transported, supporting the energy company's claim against the engineering firm.

Here are a few of our favorite Systems Engineering Expert Witnesses:

Massachusetts Systems Engineering, Control Expert #15679

I have 25 years of experience in the field of systems and control engineering, with specific knowledge of manufacturing automation, decision support software, and sensor networks. I have published on such topics as systems and controls, manufacturing systems, and computer simulation.

 

Massachusetts Systems Engineering, Antennas Expert #17692

I have 23 years of experience in the field of electronics and communications engineering, with specific knowledge of signal processing, wireless communications and electromagnetic. I have published on such topics as wave-based signal processing, wave inverse problems, and information theory. I have testified 10 times on topics such as wireless communications.

 

Massachusetts Systems Engineering, Space Expert #19001

I have 25 years of experience, and specialize in the field of systems engineering with specific knowledge in the areas of space systems, weapon systems and nuclear systems. I have published on such topics as technology development and quantifying cost and schedule uncertainty.

 

Texas Systems Engineering Expert #20729

I have 30 years of experience in the field of defense and research, with specific knowledge of dynamics, control and systems engineering. I have published on such topics as satellite modeling and control, testbeds for robotic testing of satellites and state-of-the-art assessments.

 

Pennsylvania Systems Engineering Expert #20866

I have 40 years of experience in the field of information technology, with specific knowledge of manufacturing, mechatronics and production monitoring. I have published on such topics as manufacturing systems, non-linear control and chaos.

 

Your Case Deserves The Best Systems Engineering Expert Witnesses

Registered icon

The right expert witnesses and consulting experts can make your case. That’s why we have spent so many hours over the past quarter century making sure our clients have just the right expert team — whether one expert or many, early-stage advice or expert reports and testimony. Across over 50,000 expert search assignments, we have honed a unique, customized approach to identifying, analyzing and connecting with expert talent so you can focus on winning your case.

LET US HELP YOU

Washington Systems Engineering Expert #26364

I have 30 years of experience and specialize in the field of systems engineering, with specific knowledge of requirements, interface definition and systems engineering tools. I have testified on pension reform, immigration reform and research and development funding.

 

Virginia Systems Engineering Expert #35072

I have 40 years of experience in the field of information technology with specific knowledge of database management, systems engineering and e-commerce. I have published on such topics as semantic search, information integration and interoperability, and information systems architectures. I have testified on e-commerce claim construction.

 

Colorado Systems Engineering, Materials Expert #42433

I have 30 years of experience, and specialize in the field of systems and mechanical engineering with specific knowledge in the areas of systems, materials and experimentation. I have published on such topics as materials solidification, experimental methods and thermo fluidmechanics.

 

Put Our Systems Engineering Expert Network to Work for You

Registered icon

Our huge network of experts – eminent university professors and practitioners who have achieved renown as thought leaders in their fields – combined with unparalleled research capabilities puts the experts you need at your disposal when and where you need them.

If you’re a litigator or general counsel, we want to put this network to work for you and your clients. Let us know how we can help by calling us at (202) 908-4500 or filling out the form on this page. We’re so confident you’ll love what we do that unless you retain an expert we present there’s no charge!

LET US HELP YOU

Questions Attorneys Ask About Systems Engineering Expert Witnesses:

A systems engineering expert is needed when a dispute turns on why an integrated system failed to meet its requirements and which party's work caused the shortfall. Common matters include defense and aerospace contract disputes, manufacturing automation and integration claims, large-scale IT implementation failures, and patent litigation involving complex system architectures. Retaining an expert early helps counsel identify which requirements, interface, and test documents will control the analysis.
Search again

GET STARTED FINDING THE RIGHT EXPERT WITNESS

Spend your time working with your experts, not searching for them! We're here to de-stress the process of having a great expert witness team so that it’s easy to have the right experts every time. We'll conduct a quick but thorough search and deliver a roster of top candidates for you to review. There's no charge for the custom search — you pay only the hourly rate if you retain one of our experts.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Or call 202-908-4500 or email us.

Related topics

Database
E-commerce
Engineering
Information Technology
Logistics
Materials
Mechanical Engineering
Modeling
Robotics
Wireless Communications