Environmental Litigation Services

Halliwell Engineering Associates (HEA) has had extensive experience in providing Environmental Litigation Services to our clients. Our professional engineers have utilized their expertise to perform a wide range of Building Investigations which have continued through to Cost Recovery Litigation and Expert Witness Support.
HEA’s Environmental Litigation Services include:

  • Building Surveys
  • Analysis of Defects and Causes
  • Analysis of Roles and Responsibilities
  • Remediation Plans
  • Consultations
  • Depositions
  • Expert Testimony

HEA has performed environmental litigation services for some of the nation’s largest facilities and most technically oriented building owners. Some representative projects are described below:

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the owner BC/BS.
  • Acted as design engineer/construction manager for the asbestos abatement and rebuild of the building.
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition and trial testimony.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
  • Acted as lead design engineer and provided construction oversight for the resolution of original building design deficiencies.
  • Surveyed the building and assisted in developing damages estimates.
  • Provided expert support during the deposition of defendants and expert witnesses.

Atlanta Committee on the Olympic Games (ACOG)
Inforum Building, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Investigated indoor air quality complaints on behalf of ACOG.
  • Analyzed the rapid build-out of office spaces and adjacent occupied areas.
  • Made design/construction modifications.
  • Provided project management services.
  • Provided expert witness testimony in deposition.

American Red Cross
Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the American Red Cross.
  • Surveyed the building for the extent and cause of extensive microbial contamination.
  • Developed an expert report of our findings. Provided expert witness support in deposition.

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
(Airports and World Trade Center)

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the NY Port Authority.
  • Surveyed the towers and airports and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.

Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles, California

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of Los Angeles Unified School District.
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages.
  • report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition.

The Chase Manhattan Bank
New York, New York

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the Chase Manhattan Bank.
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition and trial testimony.

Northridge and Southridge Malls
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the owner. 
  • Surveyed the malls and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition and trial testimony.

The Prudential Insurance Company of America
San Francisco, California

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of Prudential.
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition.

The City of Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the City of Norwalk.
  • Surveyed the building and developed an expert’s report for the causes of defective HVAC system operation.
  • Developed a remediation plan and acted as project manager for its successful implementation.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition and trial testimony.

Solow Building Company
New York, New York

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the owner (SBC).
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages report, and performed asbestos abatement design and management services.
  • Provided expert witness support in trial testimony.

Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company
Hartford, Connecticut

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the owner (CML).
  • Acted as design engineer and construction manager for the asbestos abatement project for the entire building.
  • Surveyed the building and developed a damages report, including past and future abatement costs.
  • Provided expert witness support in deposition and trial testimony.

Appleridge Assisted Living Center
Horsehead, New York

  • Performed litigation support on behalf of the construction general contractor.
  • Surveyed the 4-building multi-unit elderly living center as the environmental consultant.
  • Provided full-time on-site remediation contractor supervision, and worked to ensure that reasonable and appropriate microbial remediation practices were followed.

What Generally Typifies Litigation Issues?

  • Commercial disputes regarding design or construction-related building defects.
  • Commercial disputes regarding breached contracts, withheld payments, contested completion or acceptability of the final product.
  • Pursuit or avoidance of economic damages.
  • Construction dispute resolution in the form of negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation.

What Generally Typifies the Problem?

  • Complaints from the building owner or occupants regarding incomplete or unacceptable construction of the building.
  • Complaints of unacceptable performance of the building and its systems.
  • Hot/cold complaints; indoor air quality complaints.
  • Electrical (power distribution, controls and lighting) problems.
  • Building envelope problems (roof, walls, and glass)
  • Structural/seismic problems.