Standard of Care Consultants

Gloria Kardong, MD, DLFAPA, DABPN is a Board Certified Psychiatrist who has been in private practice in Palo Alto, CA for over 35 years. Licensed in 10 states. She is adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University Medical Center and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.  She is on the Faculty of the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program at Stanford

EXPERT WITNESS/EXPERT CONSULTANT SERVICES to attorneys, businesses and professional organizations. 

1. Forensic Psychiatry Specialty Areas include: (Full description in Dr. Kardong's Expert Witness Profile)

OB-GYN and Psychiatry Pregnancy and Postpartum Psychiatric Problems Infertility Menopause / Hormonal Issuues Trauma / PTSD Sexual, Physical, Emotional Abuse and Assault Adoption

Impaired Professionals Physicians and Nurses Mental Health Care Providers Attorneys Executives Other Professionals / Professional Organizations

• Medical Malpractice
• Personal Injury
• Trial Consultant
• Medical Case Review

 2. Consultation Services for Businesses and Organizations also include those and additional specialties:

Standard of Care Hospital and Medical Ethics Healthcare Practices and Records Occupational / Environmental Health Discrimination Harassment Disabilities Human Factors

Human Resources Performance Review Alternative Dispute Resolution Workplace injuries Wrongful termination Product Liability Executive Coaching

I am a board-certified emergency medicine physician. I have been called upon to express opinions in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury, negligence, standard of care, and causation. I am involved in both plaintiff and defense cases, and expert witness work accounts for less than 10% of my total income. 

My qualifications include: 

• Award-winning emergency physician in active practice with 30 years clinical experience
• Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (volunteer)
• Current VP of company that staffs 500 emergency departments, overseeing more than 5000 ER providers in risk management and quality assurance issues 
• Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP) 
• Past President of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians 
• Medical Director of California Highway Patrol 
• Extensive publication and speaking experience in the area of emergency medicine

The Garibaldi Group is a accounting firm that takes accounting and financial management to a new level of responsiveness.

Providing a full range of traditional as well as non-traditional services, this boutique firm focuses on the closely held businesses that are the backbone of our nation. The Garibaldi Group lives by two rules...A commitment to excellence and a passion for accounting.
The complexities of accounting, compliance and the twists and turns of the financial markets is a full time job that requires specialized expertise and professional vigilance. We are committed to providing the best possible service, expertise and experience to help companies and individuals achieve their goals. With our accounting acumen and our desire for professionalism being our first and foremost value, we always try to help each client with a level of responsiveness they deserve.

The Garibaldi Group helps ensure that businesses comply with all current accounting regulations and trends in the financial markets that may affect them.

Consulting Services:

• Accounting, Auditing, and Consulting for Small to Mid-Sized Closely Held Businesses and Professional Practices
• Business and Professional Practice Valuations
• Forensic Accounting Fraud Engagements and Expert Witness Testimony
• Tax Planning and Compliance
• Private Wealth Management
• Business, Financial, and Estate Planning

Founder of The Garibaldi Group and one of the industry's leading law firm services experts, Michael J. Garibaldi, CPA, ABV, CFF, CGMA, has a strong background providing efficient and affordable solutions to complex matters of finance.

A Certified Public Accountant licensed by the State of New York, Mr. Garibaldi is Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is recognized as a Chartered Global Management Accountant by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

Mr. Garibaldi works closely with law firms and other professional service firms, manufacturing, wholesale/retail, medical, technology, restaurant/hospitality, artists and galleries, construction, and real estate clients where he is responsible for providing accounting, tax planning management consulting services, and financial reporting.

Michael Garibaldi is a Candidate Member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), Member of the Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the AICPA and the NYSSCPA. He is a past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the NYSSCPA Nassau Chapter, and has held a variety of positions on the Litigation Support Committee of the Nassau County and State Chapters of the NYSSCPA. Mr. Garibaldi has also held a number of positions on other committees and sub-committees within these organizations.

View Michael J. Garibaldi's Expert Witness Profile.

Frederick J. Fisher, JD, is the President of Fisher Consulting Group, Inc. and was the Founder of E.L.M. Insurance Brokers, a Wholesale & MGA facility specializing in Professional Liability and Specialty Line risks. He is a Member of the Editorial Board for Agents of America; a Faculty Member of the Claims College, and Member of the Executive Council, School of Professional Lines sponsored by the Claims & Litigation Management Association and a course designer and webinar Instructor for the Academy of Insurance. 

Consulting - Since his career began, Mr. Fisher focused on one vision: providing financial security to the client. The result was a successful 40 year career in Specialty Lines Insurance which have resulted in substantial cost savings for clients. He provides consulting and audit services in all areas of Professional Liability, D&O, and EPLI Insurance. This includes Processes, Underwriting, Claims, and Product Distribution. 

Background - In 1975, Mr. Fisher began his career on the service side, as an Independent E&O claims adjuster. In 1982, he bought the Company and increased annual billings by 400% in only 4 years. In 1995, he formed what is now known as ELM insurance Brokers, a firm that has acted as an MGA and Wholesale Broker of Professional Liability Insurance and Specialty Lines. From nothing, the firm grew rapidly to a $30 Million dollar facility when sold in 2008. 

Author and Speaker - Frederick Fisher has lectured extensively on professional liability issues since 1978, and authored over 64 articles in trade journals and periodicals. He is the author of BROKER BEWARE, Selling Real Estate within the Law. Mr. Fisher remains a Special Materials Expert for several RPLU courses and is the Senior Technical Advisor for The Professional Liability Manual, first published by the International Risk Management Institute in 1990. He has taught over 100 CE classes and lectures. Mr. Fisher can be reached at: fjfisher@fishercg.com

View Frederick Fisher's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Robert Evans, PhD,  is a Licensed School Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral sciences, including completing over 100 Child Custody Evaluations. Dr. Evans serves as a consultant to the medical, legal, and law enforcement community in Florida on Psychological and Educational matters. He consulted with Orange County Public Defender with cases involving arrest and incarceration of children. He has also provided Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to victims of crime in the Central Florida area. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Evans specializes in Parental Alienation cases which are commonly among those classified as High Conflict Divorce cases and he has written a book on Parental Alienation. He provides litigation support to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include support with hearing / trial preparations, review of current evaluations, and support during and after the litigation process. 

Dr. Evans has given sworn testimony as a Forensic Psychology expert witness in NY, IA, IL, PA, GA, FL ID, CO, OH, TX, TN, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, SC, WA, and OR. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Parental Alienation
• Child Custody Evaluations
• False Allegations of Abuse
• Treatment Considerations for Alienated Children
• Workplace Violence

Theresa A. Schmidt, DPT, is Board-certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. With over 25 years of experience in clinical, academic and administrative settings, she is an Approved Provider of continuing education for NY State Boards of Physical Therapy and Massage Therapy, and for the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Inc., (NCBTMB). She updates clinicians internationally on clinical practice guidelines, standards of care, examination and management of injuries, disease, movement impairments, and disability.

Dr. Schmidt is an approved provider of continuing education by National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Inc, NCBTMB, Inc., and New York State Board of Massage Therapy. She is also a published author in medical journals and has published her research in MOJ Orthopedics, Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Fascia Research Congress III.

In her current position as a business owner and approved provider of continuing education seminars and physical therapy with her company, Educise PC, Dr. Schmidt provides clinical and educational services to empower clients to achieve optimal health and wellness, and to inspire clinicians to incorporate best practices into the care of their clients, based on the latest evidence. 

As an instructor, Dr. Schmidt regularly updates her practice with research on the latest clinical prediction rules, clinical practice guidelines, and evidence-based research in physical therapy. As a long-term member of the American Physical Therapy Association, she has access to the latest research in the field, as well as best practices in contemporary care for promoting favorable patient outcomes and appropriate utilization of services. As a clinician, she provides individualized care programs for clients in outpatient settings, primarily focusing on the specialty of Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Personal Fitness, Massage, Ergonomics, and serving as an Expert Consultant for injury and malpractice cases.

Comprehensive Consulting Services:

• Orthopedic injuries, muscle strains, ligament sprains, fractures
• Post-surgical conditions, Sports injuries
• Auto accident injuries and work injuries
• Joint disorders and arthritis, Joint replacements, Spinal pain
• Chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain, TMJ, tension headache
• Hand injuries, Neurological disorders, Balance Issues
• Work injury prevention and ergonomic assessment and advice
• Therapeutic modalities include: cupping therapy, ultrasound, diathermy, electrical stimulation, thermal therapy, full body whirlpool, acustim, TENS, NMES, microcurrent, IASTM, paraffin wax and taping
• Exercise and fitness equipment includes: Elliptical climber, stationary bike, cross country Nordic track, Airdyne upper/lower body ergometer, free weights, rebounder trampoline, BOSU balance trainer, fitness balls, rockers, balance and agility trainers, steppers, and more

View Dr. Theresa A. Schmidt's Expert Witness Profile.

Dennis E. Coleman & Associates has been providing Healthcare Management Services to various healthcare provider clients since 1990. They offer services in a variety of areas, including, but not limited to:

Physician / Hospital Collaboration Medical Staff Development Business Development Operations Management Interim Hospital Management

Policy & Procedure Development Human Resources Management Marketing & Sales Delivery System Development Strategic Planning

Principal, Dennis E. Coleman, JD, MPH, has over 40 years of experience in Hospital and Healthcare Management. Mr. Coleman's academic background includes a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University in Los Angeles and a Masters in Public Health degree with a Hospital Administration major and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Coleman was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Community & Mission Hospital located in Southern California. He has also served as a part-time faculty instructor in hospital administration and healthcare management at both California State University, Northridge and California State University, Los Angeles. He currently maintains a national consulting and expert witness practice specializing in hospital administration / healthcare management.

View Dennis Coleman's Expert Witness Profile.

David Friedler, LMHC, MPH Is an expert in the regulatory Standard of Care in Nursing Facilities, Psychiatric, Alcohol/Substance Use Rehabilitation Facilities as well as Group Homes for the disabled. He has worked in clinical and administrative roles in these environments over four decades. He has extensive experience with survey compliance, Federal and State regulation, JCAHO and CARF accreditation, OSHA compliance and policy and procedure development.

Areas of Expertise:

• Long Term Care
• Nursing Homes
• Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
• Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Care in Drug Treatment Facilities
• Psychiatric care in Nursing Homes, Group Homes

Eugene Strasser, MD, JD , FACS, ACLM, principal at CosmePlast, is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with expertise in restoring form, function & aesthetics to the face & body . He offers 35+ year of Cosmetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery expertise and serves as Chief of Staff at The Outpatient Surgery Center in Coral Springs, Florida.

Procedures Include

• Face-Facelift (Rhytidectomy, Eyelid (Blepharoplasty, Chemical Peel, Dermabrasion, Browlift, Nose (Rhinoplasty, Chin Implant (Augentation Mentoplasty)
• Breast- Enlargement (Augentation Mammoplasty), Reduction, Lift (Mastopexy)
• Body- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty), Arm Lift (brachioplasty), Liposuction (Suction Lipectomy), Ear (Otoplasy), Labial Reduction/Augmentation

Dr. Strasser received his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1972.

Following his general surgery residency, he went on to complete his Plastic Surgery residency at Albany Medical Center in New York. He obtained his board certification in general surgery in 1979 and obtained his board certification in Plastic Surgery in 1981.

In 1998, Dr. Strasser went on to complete his postgraduate education in Wound Management & Hyperbaric Medicine.

In 2001, he received a law degree from Sheppard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University.

Memberships and Affiliations:

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.
• American College of Surgeons
• American Medical Association
• Florida Medical Association
• Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American College of Legal Medicine

Lawrence Amsel, MD, MPH, is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. An Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an Attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY, he specializes in:

Evidence Based Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders - PTSD - Psychological Sequelae of Terrorism

With an MD from Yale University and an MPH in Biostatistics from Columbia University, Dr. Amsel combined his clinical expertise with his analytic mathematics background to become one of the early champions of the application of Decision Science, Game Theory, and Behavioral Economics to Psychiatric Research. 

Dr. Amsel has published numerous articles and delivered presentations, symposia, and workshops on Behavioral Economics and Game Theory and other topics on Mathematical Psychiatry. His speaking services are in demand both nationally and internationally. Dr. Amsel will contribute to the proposed study, “Adolescent and Family Decision Making In Time of Disaster,” as Co-Principal Investigator and will serve as the team expert on decision tasks, helping to incorporate the selected tasks into the overall study design. He will be involved in supervising the collection of data related to these tasks and will help guide study design, data collection and analysis, and assist in the interpretation and publication of research findings. 

In 2003, Dr. Amsel organized the first ever American Psychiatric Association symposium on applications of Game Theory to psychiatry. He has published articles and presented posters on Game Theory modeling of suicide, OCD, and PTSD. After 9/11, Dr. Amsel joined the Trauma Studies and Services division at the New York Psychiatric Institute, and has been involved in treating victims of 9/11 and their families, in training community clinicians in cutting edge treatments for PTSD and Complicated (Traumatic) Grief, as well as in doing research on optimal methods of disseminating this training. 

Over the last several years, Dr. Amsel has been collaborating with Dr. Hoven at the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group (CPEG) working on understanding the connection between decision deficits, trauma and psychiatric disorders in the developing brain of children/adolescents. He has extensive clinical expertise within psychiatric research, as well as expertise in applying decision science tasks in psychiatric research settings.

View Dr. Amsel's Expert Witness Profile.

Clive M. Segil, MD, FACS, FRCS is an internationally renowned Orthopedic Surgeon with 30 years of experience in the management of Musculoskeletal Disorders. Dr. Segil sees the patient as a “whole person” not only a “disease,” and places great emphasis on the mind-body connection, applying the concept of what is best for the patient. This means that he uses treatments that result in a cure, at best, and at very least, a marked improvement in their well-being.

For the past 25 years, Dr. Segil has been involved in research and teaching. He is a past assistant clinical professor of orthopedics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and as a past Clinical Chief of Orthopedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He continues as a leading orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Segil treats the following Orthopedic conditions:

• Injuries - Bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, cartilage, nerves
• Deformities - Scoliosis, club feet, spondylolisthesis, leg length discrepancies
• Degenerative Conditions - Joints and Spine
• Tumors
• Congenital Defects - Hips, club feet

Dr. Segil is a lecturer and visiting professor in Japan, South Africa, England, Canada, Israel, and China. He speaks and teaches on such topics as sports injuries, spinal cord injuries, innovative orthopedic surgery procedures, and workers' compensation issues.

View Dr. Segil's Expert Witness Profile.

Jessica Chaudhary, MD, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with specialties in Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology. Her practice includes General, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry.  

Dr. Chaudhary has wide ranging experience using a variety of different treatment modalities. She offers individualized care based on the client's specific problems, concerns, and preferences. Dr. Chaudhary can provide all services through TELEHEALTH.

Dr. Chaudhary is in private practice and a consultant to attorneys nationwide.  She is a clinical instructor at Yale University and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.  

Consulting Areas Include:
•    OB-GYN and Psychiatry - Pregnancy and post partum-related psychiatric problems
•    Impaired Professionals - Physicians, nurses, mental health care providers, attorneys, executives, and other professionals and professional organizations
•    Substance Abuse Disorders
•    Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Neurocognitive Disorders, and Co-Morbid Psychiatric and Medical Conditions

View Dr. Jessica Chaudhary's Expert Witness Profile.

Ernest N. Charlesworth, MD, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Allergy & Immunology, and the American Board of Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology. He has over 40 years of experience in his field of expertise.

Dr. Charlesworth is one of only a few United States physicians who is board certified in both Allergy / Immunology and Dermatology. Well-versed in his area of expertise, he has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, several textbook chapters, and two textbooks. He has been honored by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology for both Distinguished Service and as a Distinguished Fellow.

Dr. Charlesworth offers litigation support, except independent medical examinations, to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense. He has been deposed and/or testified approximately 15 times since 2010. His services include issues of causation and standard of care. Dr. Charlesworth has completed the National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics. He retired from active medical practice in May of 2014 but continues to be active in academic medicine.

Areas of Expertise:

Respiratory Diseases Asthma Immunologic and Allergic Disorders Dermatologic Diseases Allergic Skin Diseases

Allergic Drug Reactions Skin Cancers Health Effects from Toxic Mold Mycological Diseases Allergic Pulmonary Disease

Garson M. Caruso, MD, MPH, CLCP, FACOEM, FIAIME is a board certified Occupational Physician and Certified Life Care Planner, with expertise in Life Expectancy Determination, in private consulting practice:

• Trained at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH) and the University of Pennsylvania (Residency in Occupational Medicine), with additional training at the American Academy of Insurance Medicine
• Broad background in consulting, medical direction, and occupational health services for organizations including AmTrust North America, Bechtel, Bell & Evans, Dean Foods, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Lockheed Martin, The New York Transit Authority, PepsiCo, Service Employees International Union, and the US Department of State and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Extensive experience with supervision of physician extenders (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) in onsite occupational health clinics
• Review of thousands of complex disability and workers’ compensation claims for Advance Medical, AmTrust, Assurant, CorVel, Mutual of Omaha, and others
• Medical Expert Witness in Life Expectancy Determination, professional liability, and impairment and disability evaluation (multiple depositions)
• Fellow, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators (IAIME)
• Certified Medical Review Officer (MROCC 2008-present) and Independent Medical Examiner (ABIME 2009-2014)
• Numerous Leadership roles in ACOEM, including: Chair, Practice Guidelines Revision Panel on Disability Prevention and Management (2009- present) and Co-Chair, Depression in the Workplace Project (2006-2010)
• Licensed in Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

 Areas of Expertise:

Causation Analysis Disability Prevention and Evaluation Drug Testing Fitness for Duty Impairment Evaluation and Rating

Life Expectancy Determination Occupational Medicine Physician Life Care Planning Return to Work Work Capacity

View Dr. Caruso's Expert Witness Profile.

Griswold Real Estate Management has been dedicated to providing superior Property Management, Receivership, and Expert Witness Services for over 30 years. With offices in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles, they serve southern Nevada and all five southern California counties. Properties include single family homes, condominiums, apartment communities, homeowners associations, commercial and retail space, and self storage facilities. Griswold Real Estate Management has been awarded the Accredited Management Organization (AMO®) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Across the country, less than 5% of all management firms have earned this distinction, by fulfilling the most stringent requirements in expertise, education, integrity, and financial stability. 

Property Management Services:

Highly Responsive Management Team Aggressive Marketing Plan Comprehensive Tenant Screening Aggressive Rent Collection 24-hour On-call Maintenance

Complete Financial Accounting Annual Budget Preparation Review of Vendor Contracts Vendor Supervision Personalized Service and Expertise

Principal, Robert S. Griswold, CRE, CPM, CCIM, ACoM, RPA, PCAM, CCAM, GRI, ARM, is currently active as a day-to-day hands-on, licensed practitioner, consultant, and expert witness in all aspects of real estate (except valuation). A 3-time graduate of the distinguished Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California with a BS ('81), MBA ('86), and MSBA (2nd Masters) ('88) in real estate and related disciplines, Mr. Griswold is a recognized expert on management of all types of residential real estate. He has actively managed over 70,000 residential units and several million square feet of commercial, industrial, self-storage, and retail properties nationally in the last 40+ years. He has extensive experience as a court-appointed receiver (over 200 times) for private lenders and major financial institutions. 

Litigation Support - In the last 30+ years, Mr. Griswold has consulted on over 4,000 litigation matters, been deposed over 750 times, and provided sworn testimony in trial or arbitration on over 200 occasions in both state and federal litigation matters throughout the United States. Also serving as a court-appointed bankruptcy Custodian and Referee, his casework is very evenly divided between plaintiff and defense work. Mr. Griswold is uniquely qualified to opine on real estate-related litigation matters, having authored or co-authored the 9 best selling real estate books: Real Estate Investing For Dummies, Property Management Kit For Dummies; Mortgage Management for Dummies and Landlord's Legal Kit For Dummies. His 15+ years as an On-Air NBC-TV Real Estate Expert and a similar tenure as a major radio station weekly talk show host have prepared him to explain complicated matters at an 8th-grade level and persuasively present opinions to juries.

Author - Robert Griswold is the author of the nationally best-selling book on real estate management, Property Management Kit For Dummies, which has sold over 100,000 copies in less than 5 years. He also co-authored Real Estate Investing For Dummies, another bestseller in the category with nearly 100,000 copies sold, and Landlord's Legal Kit For Dummies. 

 View Robert Griswold's Expert Witness Profile.