On-Demand Options

Firefly Solar is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. Davis began his career in solar sales in 2014 in Northern California and moved with his company to South Carolina to open an office in 2016. Shortly after moving to South Carolina, he founded Firefly Solar. Firefly Solar has had its work recognized and published in Solar Power World magazine on two occasions, with one of them being the most-read article in the magazine in 2021. They were one of just 22 installers nationwide to be recognized as a Panasonic Elite Installer when the exclusive program was rolled out in 2020, and in 2022 were added to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing, privately held companies in America.

Mr. Jones joined the Firefly Solar team as Project Manager in 2021. He manages the operations team which consists of 20+ team members from start to finish on all solar projects. Typically, this consists of over 100 projects in pipeline at any given time. Mr. Jones and his team handle the entire process from the point of sale to a fully installed operational system. This process includes site evaluation, design and engineering, permitting, interconnection, installation, inspection, PTO, tech support, and most importantly responsive customer service throughout its entire journey.

Mr. Painter has been in the solar industry eight years in varying roles including: installer, site evaluator, electrician, service technician, sales representative, and currently solar designer. He studied applied physics and electrical engineering in college and even hand built his own solar panels, charge controller, and inverter as a hobby project. He now designs solar and battery projects for Firefly Solar all over the tri-state area dealing with many different AHJ’s and utilities. Mr. Painter keeps up with the newest code changes along with each utility’s requirements as well as trying to keep up with the newest products and technologies as they come out.

Mr. VonderBecke has been in leadership rolls for over 20 years in multiple industries. He started in the energy industry in 2016, leading multiple companies in the southeast for Solar and eventually taking on leadership with Firefly Solar. As VP of sales at Firefly Solar, Mr. VonderBecke’s job is to ensure each solar representative is equipped to speak with clients about their energy needs and concerns. He addresses energy as a whole in the home and looks for the best possible solution to help clients be efficient, save money, and maximize the return on their solar investments.

Dr. Hoskins earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. He also received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2011 with an emphasis on building egress. Dr. Hoskins spent one year working for Arup on projects primarily dealing with life safety design and people movement. He then spent two years working for the National Institute of Standards and Technology working on projects dealing with building evacuations and emergency messaging. He is a registered fire protection engineer in the state of Oklahoma. Professor Hoskins is the chair of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) working group that developed a research roadmap for fire protection and a member of the Human Behavior in Fire Task group for SFPE. He serves on multiple code and standards committees. He has authored more than 20 articles related to building evacuations and human behavior in fire.

Dr. Kerski is a geographer and educator focused on GIS-based curriculum development, research in the effectiveness of GIS in education; professional development for educators; communication about the need for geographic skills, tools, and perspectives through keynote addresses, articles, social media, and workshops; and fostering partnerships to support GIS in education. He has given two TED talks and has created over 5,000 geo-related videos. Dr. Kerski also teaches online and face-to-face courses at primary and secondary schools, through MOOCs, and universities such as Sinte Gleska University, Penn State, and the University of Denver. He is active in educational nonprofit organizations, including NAAEE, AAG, and NCSS, and he served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education. After serving as geographer at NOAA, US Census Bureau, and USGS, since 2006 Dr Kerski has served as education manager for Esri, providing thought leadership in geospatial technologies in formal and informal education at all levels, internationally. He has written books such as Interpreting Our World, Spatial Mathematics, International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning with GIS in Secondary Schools, The Essentials of the Environment, Tribal GIS, and The GIS Guide to Public Domain Data. As a lifelong learner, Dr Kerski feels as though he’s just getting started and thus actively seeks mentors, partners, and collaborators.

Chris Naidu has more than 10 years of experience in drainage and flood control projects throughout New Mexico. His experience includes preparation of drainage management plans (DMP), hydrologic analysis, hydraulic analysis of flood control structures, sediment transport, and scour analysis for unlined arroyos and bridge structures. Using modeling/analysis software, Mr. Naidu produces high quality hydrologic and hydraulic models. He has a proven record of preparing easy-to-understand reports and corresponding maps and figures. He has prepared hydrographs and analyzed storm drains, weirs, pump stations, and detention/surge ponds. Additional skills include preparation of plan specifications, bidding and construction plans, cost estimates, and bidding services. He is familiar with Arc Geographic Information System (ArcGIS); Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) Hydrologic Modeling System, HEC Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension (geoHMS0), HEC River Analysis System(HEC-RAS), US Environmental Protection Agency Storm Water Management Model (EPA SWMM), StormCad, and CulvertMaster.

Mr. Bricklin has extensive litigation experience representing environmental groups, individuals, municipalities, and Tribes in a wide variety of environmental and land use matters. He has argued the Methow Valley case in the United States Supreme Court and has made frequent appearances before the Growth Management Hearings Boards, Shorelines Hearings Board, and other judicial and administrative tribunals. Mr. Bricklin provides consultation services to municipalities in the development of land use regulations and comprehensive plans and defending municipalities when challenged by dissatisfied land use applicants. He assists environmental organizations in drafting legislation. Mr. Bricklin co-authored Model Toxics Control Act (State Superfund law) and Initiative 547 (precursor to Growth Management Act). Mr. Bricklin is the past president of Washington Environmental Council and past co-chair of Washington Conservation Voters. He is a founding member/board member, Futurewise (formerly 1000 Friends of Washington) (1991-2021). Mr. Bricklin formed Bricklin & Gendler partnership with emphasis on environmental and land use law in 1982 and formed Bricklin Newman Dold partnership in 2002. He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars, including a presentation on land use law to the Washington State Appellate Judicial Conference.

Mr. Carmichael practices in land use planning and permitting, water law, municipal law, and real estate. He represents property owners, businesses, water and sewer districts, and municipalities on land use, water, real estate, and environmental issues. Mr. Carmichael is an experienced and creative problem solver, effective in litigation, and has a strong record of success in helping clients reach their objectives. He helps clients with transactions and in matters before city and county governments, hearing examiners, state boards, and in court. Mr. Carmichael joined the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office in 1984 where he served as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in both the criminal and civil divisions, before joining Simonarson, Visser, Zender, & Thurston (a predecessor to Carmichael Clark) in 1992.

Mr. Garlant represents municipal, regional, and private clients in litigation proceedings involving diverse issues including contract disputes, condemnation, and matters of municipal code interpretation. He advises clients on land use, real estate, and environmental matters, providing transactional assistance related to contract drafting and due diligence review. Mr. Garlant assists clients in obtaining land use entitlements and other permits. He also has experience litigating federal natural resource matters, including disputes arising under the National Environmental Policy Act, the federal Endangered Species Act, and the National Forest Management Act. Mr. Garlant uses both science and the law to effectively advocate for comprehensive solutions for clients.

Mr. McKenzie is an experienced real estate and commercial litigator, assisting small businesses, individuals, and large institutional clients in Washington and California with a wide variety of litigation involving, inter alia, lien priorities, boundary disputes, real estate fraud, quiet title, easements, title insurance, adverse possession, construction defects, probate litigation and administration, and general business litigation. His Washington practice is geographically concentrated in Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties. As a licensed real estate broker in both Washington and California, Andrew is familiar with real estate transactions and disputes surrounding broker and escrow duties. Andrew has successfully won and defended against claims of up to $9M. He takes a pragmatic approach to all matters, recognizing that both litigation and settlement efforts must be tailored to both the facts and the amount in controversy. Before joining the firm in 2018, Andrew worked in the commercial litigation group of an AmLaw 100 firm. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys playing piano, singing, hiking, traveling abroad, and spending time with his large family. He has sung professionally and performed at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

Catherine has been practicing in the areas of land use and real estate, municipal law, and water law since 2016. She advises cities, special purpose districts, developers, and individuals mostly in and around Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island Counties.  

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.

Ms. Avalos is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility-related services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over 40 years of experience, she provides expert witnessing on ADA, 504, Federal Housing Administration, and Air Carrier Access Act legal cases. In 1990 she founded Accessology Too, LLC which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues. Since its founding, Accessology has worked closely with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Access Board to remain knowledgeable and adept with the constant changes that occur regarding ADA guidelines. Accessology has worked on numerous multi-million dollar projects to impact accessibility compliance during all stages, from schematics to construction and final inspections. Since 2005 Accessology has specialized in the development, execution, and monitoring of the required ADA Transition Plans for Title II entities to help them avoid access-related litigation since so much litigation is tied to not having a Transition Plan on file. Ms. Avalos and her team at Accessology are committed to removing structural and attitudinal barriers that adversely impact people with disabilities.

Mr. Brem has been a registered professional engineer since 1987 in California and holds active registration in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. He has led his own small civil engineering and land surveying practice for over 32 years with two offices and up to 28 employees. His experience includes designing private land developments, stormwater management systems, sanitary sewer systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and roadways. His firm provides land surveying, construction management, engineering site design and a host of other professional services primarily for private, for-profit companies. He has been involved in the design of over 4000 residential single-family house lots many of which were open space or cluster developments, thousands of condominium units, and over 3 million square feet of commercial/ industrial/institutional space. He has advised MassDEP in numerous task forces and committees including as a present full member of the Stormwater Advisory Committee and on the Title 5, Septic System Stakeholders Group. He is the past president, past treasurer and member of the Board of Directors for HBRAM (the Massachusetts Homebuilders Association), past president of Northeast Builders and Remodelers Association (NEBA), and a national delegate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) based in Washington, DC. In 2024 Mr Brem was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to serve on the prestigious “Unlocking Housing Production Commission” to advise the Governor and the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities on strategies and recommendations to create over 230,000 new residential units in Massachusetts over the next 10 years. He is a proud 35+ year member of the Westford Rotary Club. He has co-authored, with Harvard Law School Professors Joseph William Singer and Brandon Storm, a legal case study on real estate development entitled the Case of the Interfaith Neighbors, July 2016 (PSW021-SM01). In addition to engineering, Mr. Brem has been a land developer and homebuilder, recently constructing 25 residential homes in four separate projects in Massachusetts. He enjoys skiing, golfing, Cape Cod, and his family.

Mr. Messmer has over 30 years of engineering experience in analysis, design, plan/specification development, and project management/personnel supervision for geotechnical, foundation and structural engineering projects in the transportation, industrial, municipal and commercial fields of civil engineering. Throughout his career he has placed an emphasis on quality control and staff training. Mr. Messmer is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, the American Society of Highway Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers. He earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Messmer was accepted into the Academy of Geo-Professionals in 2013.

While obtaining a degree in Land Survey Engineering and Civil Engineering at Purdue University, Mr. Jahn started working with very talented and respected individuals who shaped his career path. After graduation and around the same time he became a licensed professional surveyor, and also obtained an MBA from Anderson University. His first touch of land surveying was drafting a ‘Base’ and ‘Zoning’ Map for Cannelton, Indiana. LJahn@hwcengineering.com passion to is work and coaching, but Mr. Jahn’s overall love is my family. He’s been practicing as a licensed surveyor since 2009 for multiple firms in the greater Indianapolis area.

Mr. Gallagher is a consulting engineer in Reno, Nevada with long experience assisting clients in acquiring and managing water for their projects. Prior to his consulting business, Mr. Gallagher worked for 31 years at the Nevada Division of Water Resources and served under six different state engineers. He is an expert in Nevada water rights and offers expertise in related resource development regulatory compliance. He also offers expertise in regional groundwater and surface water hydrology and water availability, drilling engineering, well design and borehole abandonment, well flow testing and analysis of aquifer characteristics. Mr. Gallagher graduated with a B.S. degree in Hydrology from the University of Nevada and is a licensed professional civil engineer and licensed water right surveyor. He prepares applications for water and supporting maps, proofs of beneficial use, and extensions of time for water appropriations throughout the state. Mr. Gallagher also provides permitting expertise with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Water Pollution Control and Safe Drinking Water, as well as permitting resource development with the United States Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. He also provides expert witness testimony and formal reports for litigation. 

In this role, she oversees the organization’s policy-related initiatives, including the organization’s advisory committees, board processes, and other projects. She has been with the organization since 2005 and has supported a number of initiatives such as development code changes, water rate adjustments, conservation programming and others. A Las Vegas native, Ms. Horn received her bachelor of arts degree in History and Business Administration from the University of Redlands, and her Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Ms. Koebele is also associate director of the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. Dr. Koebele holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as B.A. degrees in English and Education from Arizona State University. She researches and teaches about water policy and governance in the western United States, with a focus on the Colorado River Basin. Dr. Koebele’s research has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others, and she has published her findings widely in policy and interdisciplinary environmental science journals. She also co-edits the scholarly journal Policy & Politics and regularly provides analysis of western water issues for regional and national media outlets.

Ms. Singletary has more than three decades of experience developing integrated research and outreach programs focused on land and water management challenges specific to Tribal Nations on reservation lands throughout the US. Her recent USDA-NIFA funded project, Native Waters on Arid Lands, involved 49 Tribal Nations in the Great Basin and American Southwest to identify Tribes’ climate data and information needs to support Tribes in their adaptation planning efforts focused on water management on reservation lands. In addition to publishing numerous journal articles and Extension curricula on this topic, she is lead author on Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report, Chapter 6, Economic Development: Renewables, Sustainable Economies, and Carbon Offsets (2021), and co-author on the 4th National Climate Assessment, Chapter 15, Tribes and Indigenous Peoples (2018).

Ms. Thiel has extensive experience in water rights matters. She has been qualified as an expert in Nevada water title before the Nevada State Engineer since 2015, and has reviewed and filed thousands of reports of conveyance for water rights across the state. Ms. Thiel represents clients in adjudication matters relating to the determination of vested water rights, in performance of due diligence in land and water transactions, in drafting opinion letters, and in permitting and regulatory compliance on water rights issues. Ms. Thiel also works on administrative proceedings at the State Engineer’s office, mitigation plans and permitting, and appeals of administrative decisions. She has provided research and support on ditch easement issues, and worked with irrigation companies relating to title, stock, and changes in water use. She has experience with water rights dedications for development with water municipalities, and effluent water re-use permitting. Ms. Thiel has extensive work in stockwater rights on federal and state range lands, including vested rights research, title, and permitting. Ms. Thiel also assists clients with real estate transactions. She has experience in preparing and reviewing easements, leases, deeds of trust and other securities.

Dr. McKelvey is the director of the Geotechnical Design Division at Earth Engineering Inc. in East Norriton, Pennsylvania. He is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) in California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Dr. McKelvey is also a Diplomate (D.GE) of the Academy of Geo-Professionals and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (F.ASCE).

Dr. McKelvey has extensive experience in geotechnical engineering including site assessment and field investigations, deep and shallow foundation design for buildings, bridges, and other structures, retaining wall design, embankment stability, mechanically stabilized soil structures, and subsurface hydrology.

He also has significant experience in mitigating heavy construction claims and in litigation support pertaining to impacted heavy construction projects. Dr. McKelvey has also handled construction support and construction quality assurance projects. His environmental engineering experience includes technical contributions to the remediation of many Superfund sites and over 50 landfill design projects.

Dr. McKelvey has published over 30 technical papers in journals, conference proceedings and trade magazines. He is the past chair for the Delaware Valley Geo-Institute (DVGI) and is a voting member in ASTM committees Soil and Rock (D18), and Geosynthetics (D35). He is an editorial board member of the Geotechnical Testing Journal. Dr. McKelvey also serves on two Geo-Institute committees: Earth Structures and Embankments and Dams. For the latter, he is a member of the subcommittee on landslide risk assessment.

John Buchanan, PhD, PE is an associate professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee where he is also the director of the Construction Science and Management Program. His experience includes teaching, research, and extension work in the areas of soil erosion prevention, sediment control, water quality, and agricultural waste management. He is past president of the Tennessee chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and has served on the board of the Tennessee Onsite Wastewater Association (TOWA). Dr. Buchanan is active as a speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences both regionally and nationally on the subject of onsite wastewater and is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee. 

Mr. Banks is the principal attorney at Banks & Associates, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm focused on meeting the needs of government and construction contractors throughout Texas. He is a trusted advisor for licensed professionals, CEOs and managers in construction firms, and government contractors. Mr. Banks was licensed as a CPA in 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience as a lead accountant and CFO for successful government contractors. He earned his B.B.A. degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and secured his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a member of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Mr. Blackwell represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation; corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters; sales and acquisitions of assets and ownership interests; contract negotiation and drafting; construction disputes involving delays, terminations for default, payment, asset seizure, fraud, labor and employment issues; and a variety of other disputes that arise during construction. Mr. Blackwell regularly lectures on matters affecting construction clients, on ethics and liability for engineers, and on changes in Louisiana construction law for construction managers. 

Mr. Ferrini has served as lead construction contract writer and negotiator for private, corporate, and institutional projects, ranging from school district facility upgrades to the restoration of historic and iconic buildings, new multiuse developments of up to $500 million, and first-of-their-kind buildings in the New York City area. He has developed novel agreements and strategies to assist owners in moving their projects forward and has resolved complex claims that have paved the way for major new projects in multiple metro locations. Clients benefit from his extensive trial and appellate court experience and his cross-disciplinary approach in addressing their issues. Mr. Ferrini also has extensive dispute-resolution experience, resolving wide-ranging construction disputes in and out of court, including delay, construction defect, change orders, and lien foreclosure claims, as well as issues regarding mistakes, concealed conditions, bid challenges, and design professional malpractice. He taught Construction Law in the LL.M. program at New York Law School and has authored numerous articles on construction and design industry topics. In addition, he serves as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, an invitation-only construction lawyer honorary society with membership limited to 1,200 practicing fellows from around the world. Mr. Ferrini has his own practice, but is also Of Counsel at Olshan Frome Wolosky, LLP.

Ms. Robinson’s primary areas of practice include construction contracts and litigation, surety law, insurance defense, zoning and planning, trademark prosecution and litigation, and general litigation. Ms. Robinson’s degree in Civil Engineering adds to her technical understanding of these practice areas. She represents general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, and sureties on a range of construction related issues including: 

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating construction contracts;
• Advising landowners regarding zoning, permitting, subdivision, and variances;
• The Louisiana Private Works Act and Louisiana Public Works Act;
• Complex construction claims for payment, default, delays, and defective work
• Contractor licensing

Mr. Vicknair worked as a software engineer for a major medical manufacturer and as an electrical engineer for a major chemical manufacturer prior to entering law school. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a BS degree in both Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and obtained his law degree from Loyola Law School in New Orleans. Mr. Vicknair has taught Louisiana Construction Law at Loyola law school as an assistant adjunct professor. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Louisiana, Texas and New York and is a licensed patent attorney. Mr. Vicknair regularly uses his prior work experience as a part of his legal practice. He is one of the founding partners at D’Arcy | Vicknair, L.L.C. His primary practice areas include construction law, construction litigation, surety law, and all phases of intellectual property, including litigation, prosecution, and transactional matters. Mr. Vicknair also practices in commercial litigation and claims related to construction defects, payment disputes, subcontractor claims, owner claims, and claims by general contractors. He lectures on construction law topics such as Louisiana lien law and general Louisiana construction law as well as intellectual property law topics, including trademarks, patents and copyrights.

With over 30 years’ experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr. Gerritsen provides professional construction code consulting, plan reviews, and inspection services. He has served as a Building Official for the cities of Bluffdale, Centerville, Holladay, Tooele, and as planning / construction director for master planned communities in Tooele and Draper, Utah. In addition to consulting, Mr. Gerritsen continues to share his experience with others through seminars, discussions, and webinars. He has always promoted building code development and education, including serving as the founding president of the Bonneville Chapter of the International Code Council 1993-1994, and on the Board of Directors 1994-1995. Mr. Gerritsen earned his B.S. degree from Brigham Young University and his M.B.A. degree from Western Governors University.  

Mr. Trinkaus is an internationally-recognized expert in the field of low impact development (LID), having presented at many American Society of Civil Engineers/Environmental & Water Resource Institute (ASCE/EWRI) international conferences and many other regional conferences and workshops on LID and water quality issues. He was invited by the Water Resources Agency in Taichung, Taiwan, to present a 12-hour workshop on LID in December of 2011. Mr. Trinkaus has been an invited presenter and consultant multiple times on stormwater and LID in China and South Korea since 2013. He has designed LID retrofits in Zhenjiang, China. Mr. Trinkaus has reviewed and edited LID reports by Pusan National University and Land & Housing Institute in South Korea. Mr. Trinkaus has written LID design manuals for the towns of Tolland, Plainville, Harwinton, Morris, and East Granby, Connecticut. He has designed many types of LID treatment systems for a variety of residential and commercial applications. Mr. Trinkaus is primary author of the EWRI Filter Strip/Bioswales Task Committee. Mr. Trinkaus is a licensed professional engineer in Connecticut and Maryland. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management in 1980 from the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Trinkaus has more than 39 years of experience in the land development field and more than 19 years of experience designing low impact development treatment systems and 10 years writing LID regulations and design manuals.

Mr. Grabske specializes in real estate and complex business litigation. His practice is focused on assisting landowners, businesses, and public agencies with eminent domain, inverse condemnation, contract disputes, land use and environmental issues. Mr. Grabske has successfully represented clients in high stakes trials and before the Court of Appeals. Mr. Grabske has also been recognized as a “Rising Star” in Los Angeles magazine’s Southern California Super Lawyer edition.

Mr. Hansen litigates disputes involving real estate law, land use, environmental matters, and commercial transactions. He frequently litigates, writes about, and teaches at conferences on easements and boundary disputes. Mr. Hansen graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from Biola University in La Mirada, California. He earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Among his many interests and community involvements, Mr. Hansen serves as an officer with the Real Property Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association and as a Dispute Resolution Conference pro-tem judge for the El Dorado County Superior Court. 

Mr. Hensley is an accomplished trial lawyer. With close to 40 years of experience helping his clients resolve disputes – through trials, arbitrations, mediations, and appeals – he’s argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court as well as all Southern California State and Federal courts. In addition, he’s often asked to assist clients across the country and as a result has made a number of pro hac vice appearances before various Federal and State courts throughout the United States. Throughout his career, Mr. Hensley has been involved in lawsuits related to a wide range of corporate disputes, from real estate, securities, and corporate governance issues, to trade secrets, employment matters, unfair competition, and California financing laws. He has significant experience defending class action lawsuits. Finally, Mr. Hensley has an active real estate and appellate practice covering both transactional and litigation matters: he’s helped clients structure and defend mechanics liens, purchase agreements, commercial leases, homeowner’s disputes, commercial common area maintenance disputes, subordination agreements, financing arrangements, and more.

Mr. Offord graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. Thereafter, he remained in Santa Barbara to work at a general litigation firm before attending law school at Santa Clara University and earning his J.D. degree in 2009. As a student at Santa Clara, he was named top of his class (receiving the CALI or the Witkin Award) in four of his courses, in addition to graduating on the Dean’s List. Mr. Offord joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for a law practice that primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. His experience includes law and motion practice and all stages of civil trials, including serving as lead counsel in many bench and jury trials. He has participated in State and Federal trials. He is heavily involved in the local real estate community, with an active role in several local real estate associations. He has also obtained his Real Estate Broker’s License from the California Department of Real Estate. He is regularly asked to be a speaker for local real estate organizations and brokerages, including SILVAR, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors®, and San Mateo County Association of Realtors®. He has also guest lectured at Menlo College for the Real Estate Law and Introduction to Law courses. In addition, Mr. Offord has been a speaker for both the Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Bar Associations. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, Mr. Offord works on matters representing real estate professionals and homeowners involved in neighbor and property disputes, as well as on commercial leasing matters and homeowner association issues. 

Mr. Hussein is the Executive Vice President of GRL Engineers, Inc. and Executive Director of Global Industry Relations at Pile Dynamics, Inc., the world’s oldest and largest specialty deep foundations testing services and testing equipment manufacturing companies, respectively. In his 40+ years career he has consulted on more than 1,000 deep foundations projects in 35 States in the USA and several countries. Mr. Hussein frequently organizes educational courses and seminars on deep foundations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Continuing Education Class: Deep Foundations Design, Construction, and Quality Control. In Mr. Hussein is a member of the deep foundations related committees of DFI, ASTM, PDCA, ASCE, and TRB. He has Chaired the Deep Foundations Committee of the ASCE’s Geo-Institute (2002-2009), and the PDCA’s Education Committee (2012-2013); and currently Chairs the PDCA’s Technical Committee. In Mr. Hussein is the recipient of several professional and industry awards and recognitions. He has published over 60 technical papers, and co-edited 10 engineering books. In Mr. Hussein has achieved expert level on the PDCA/PDI Dynamic Measurement and Analysis Proficiency Test and on the Foundation QA High Strain Dynamic Pile Testing examination and is a registered professional engineer in several States. He conceived and Chaired the first International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo (IFCEE-2009) that has been periodically repeated and is now an industry landmark.

Dr. Mousavi specializes in geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, transportation geotechnics, unsaturated soil mechanics, and in-situ and advanced laboratory soil testing. With a professional career spanning over 10 years, he has successfully contributed to a wide range of projects across multiple states, as well as in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He is well versed in applied research and design and evaluation of geotechnical systems as well as assessment and mitigation of construction defects, geotechnical failures, and natural hazards. Dr. Mousavi extensive experience extends to the design and evaluation of ground improvement systems, deep and shallow foundations, drilled shafts and driven piles, slopes, retaining walls, storage tanks, flexible and rigid pavements, geometric design of roadways, static and seismic-induced liquefaction, liquefaction mitigation techniques, wind farms, earthquake-induced settlement, site-specific response analysis, laterally loaded piles, soil heave and settlement and mitigation techniques, soft clay and peat, dewatering systems, earth-fill dams, differing site conditions, and defective specifications.

Dr. Vytiniotis is a member of the Geo-Institute’s Deep Foundation and Computation Geotechnics committees and a regional Director for the Society of Construction Law – North America.  He has background in structural and geotechnical engineering, geotechnical earthquake engineering, and numerical analysis. Dr. Vytiniotis has worked on numerous projects in more than 20 states and multiple countries, assisting project owners, law firms, insurance companies and developers. His analyses consist of assessing soil improvement, soil-structure interaction, dam safety, causation of MSE wall failures, effects of adjacent construction (such as vibrations or pile driving), soil heave or settlements, pipeline installation, water intrusion, and backfill quality. Dr. Vytiniotis is experienced in evaluating slope stability, performing mechanical and flow-through-porous media finite element analyses and soil-structure interaction using various software such as Plaxis, Flac, Geostudio, ABAQUS, LPILE, FEFLOW and GROUP. Additionally, he has experience in data analysis, signal processing and GIS.  Dr. Vytiniotis has performed research on the seismic response of pile-supported wharves, seismic slope stability, the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains (earthquake drains) and soil densification in reducing liquefaction risk, the effect of gravel drains in amplifying seismic accelerations, and numerical simulations of centrifuge experiments. In the past, He gained international experience in Greece and Switzerland, and was appointed lecturer at MIT.

Mr. Schaffer is the Associate Principal at WZG Structural Engineers and has 20 years of experience in structural analysis and design throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. He is a graduate of Penn State University Architectural Engineering program with an emphasis in Structural Engineering and has project experience in commercial, higher education, industrial, pharmaceutical, hospital/life care and multi-family residential markets. In 2012, he was selected by Consulting Specifying Engineer Magazine as a Top 40 Under 40 for his achievements in structural engineering.   

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.

Mr. Flack has earned his designations, among select thousands in the world, as a Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Controls (CPESC) as well as his designation as a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI), lending his experience and training to his customers to consult them in all their stormwater needs. He has also earned his status as a Qualified Compliance Inspector of Stormwater (QCIS) and as a Qualified Preparer of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (QPSWPPP. He also earned the Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL), which is a 17.5-hour certificate program as required by Washington State for all construction stormwater management. He is a subject matter expert and lead instructor for StormwaterONE, which has established itself as the leader in stormwater management training and credentialing, the school’s mission is to provide their students with the most comprehensive and up to date training of individual stormwater permits, online or in-person.

Brad has been invited to speak in-person on storm water and erosion control issues in many locations, including California, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado, Ohio and New Mexico, as well as internationally in Antigua, Guatemala, and in San Jose, Costa Rica. Furthermore, he has provided virtual online training for wide variety organizations across the country, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Stadium Authority, and more.

Additionally, he served as president and administrative vice president for the South-Central Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association. Furthermore, he directed the IECA Region 1 Education Committee: Stormwater Management Track as co-chair, which encompasses North America, South America and Europe. Brad also sat as the Region 6 Chapter President for EnviroCert International (ECI) and was a member of the Policies and Procedures Committee for ECI. He has served as the Region 7 representative for the CPESC, Inc., group as well as the technical vice-chair for the Council. He has been an IECA Mentor and served as a TCEQ EnviroMentor.

Brad has been involved with Stormwater Quality Management since 2004 where he learned about permitting, turf establishment, erosion control and detention pond maintenance and has continued to be a student of the industry throughout his career. His attention to detail and depth of knowledge about structural control devices, vegetative stabilization and best management practices are a valuable asset to his clients and students.

His wife is his high school sweetheart, and they have been married for over 20 years and have three sons. Brad has also actively served at his church and has ventured on over a dozen mission trips, from drilling for water in rural villages in Honduras to assisting in hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Brad was the Director of Hands and Feet Honduras/Puerto Rico, a 501(c)3 organization for over eight years.