Forensics Practice at WWCOT

Originally established in the mid- nineteen fifties, the architects and specialists of the Architectural Forensics and Expert Witness Practice at Widom Wein Cohen O’Leary Terasawa (WWCOT), are committed to meeting the needs of the legal profession, building owners, and the design/construction industry. Led by a nationally known construction defect expert, our focus and our services include:

Litigation Support
  • Research, analysis and expert testimony relating to the “standard of care” for design professionals including contracts, project design and details, construction documentation and construction administration.
  • Research, analysis and expert testimony relating to construction industry standards including contracts, general conditions, shop drawings, certificates of payment, change orders and requests for information, along with the quality and the process of project execution.
  • Coordination of engineering and construction support experts.
  • Preparation of graphic support including three dimensional and animated exhibits.
Construction Defect Mitigation and Solutions
  • Research, analysis and preparation of design and documentation for repair and/ or reconstruction.
  • Investigation, research and analysis of existing water intrusion issues utilizing visual, infrared, and destructive investigation with an emphasis on practical and cost effective solutions.
  • Coordination of engineering support for repair and/or reconstruction.
  • Administration and coordination of the repair and/or reconstruction process.
Existing Building Analysis and Due Diligence Review
  • Research and analysis of potential adaptive re-use, functional appropriateness, code compliance, and potential construction/rehabilitation cost.
  • Preparation of special studies to provide solutions for problems relating to airborne contaminates, building envelope integrity, site conditions, etc.
Project Quality/Peer Review Support
  • Independent quality assurance and constructability review of drawings and specifications prepared by other design professionals.
Contact:
Dean Vlahos, AIA, NCARB, CCCA, Partner
WWCOT
3130 Wilshire Boulevard, 6th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90403
T 310.828.0040
F 310.453.9432

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