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Consultant, Forensic Analyst, and Expert Witness:
Michael Panish is an expert witness, forensic analyst, and consultant in the field of construction (most trades). His specialty fields of expertise include, but are not limited to, door injuries relating to manual doors, door hardware defects, automatic doors, gate injuries of all kinds, and cabinetry/millwork defects and injuries. Michael has a consistent proven record of success for his clients. He has been the retained consultant on hundreds of non-legal claims and testified in deposition and court proceedings in state and federal personal injury cases pertaining to automatic door, manual door, and gate related issues for both plaintiff and defense. He has consulted on many occasions on premises security issues relating to adult day healthcare centers and long-term care facilities and has testified both in deposition and court pertaining to abuse in a residential care facility. He has consulted and testified in depositions and trial for cabinetry and architectural millwork product defect and product liability cases for both plaintiff and defense. He has consulted and testified regarding construction defects, product liability, and poor workmanship relating to contractor vs. homeowner and commercial owner disputes. He has consulted and testified with regard to slip trip and fall and building code issues. He has been retained equally by both plaintiff and defense with excellent results for both sides.
In the year 2000, Michael Panish began offering his expertise as a legal expert witness in the fields of casework and cabinetry, manual and automatic door systems, overhead door systems, gate and access control systems, contractor fraud and construction defects as well as other specialty trades based upon his extensive background in the construction industry. Since 2000 he has been retained on over 2500 cases retained evenly for plaintiff and defense. He is recognized as the leading door expert in the nation for his services by manufacturers, service providers and installers in defense of claim, and routinely has over 350 active cases at any one time for both plaintiff and defense. Approximately 80 percent of his expert and consulting services pertain to door or gate systems of all types. He has been retained by almost every major product manufacturer and master service provider in the automatic door and door hardware industry in defense of claims. The balance of his active cases is composed of contractor fraud, construction defects, construction and jobsite accidents, and casework and cabinet related issues. Michael is the only true casework and cabinetry expert in the field.
Michael provides unbiased opinions, with accurate and consistent information that applies equally to plaintiff or defense claims. He has participated in numerous trials offering concise and accurate testimony in both state and federal cases. His expert services are recognized throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Michael Panish is licensed in the State of California as a General Building Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Door, Lock & Security Equipment Contractor, Cabinet & Millwork Contractor, and Painting & Finish Specialties Contractor. Michael has over 40 years of hands-on experience in the construction industry. He owns an active general construction company and does not rely upon his expert services for his source of income. Michael Panish has testified in most areas of construction, with emphasis in the categories of construction defects, doors, automatic doors, gates, slip/trip/fall, cabinetry, and architectural millwork. He is a truly unbiased and a highly qualified expert in all professional fields that he practices. Michael has offices in California and New England and is available for nationwide inspection, consultation, forensic analysis, and testimony.
Expert services available for building inspections (all types), site evaluation, product evaluation, analysis of defects, poor workmanship, assessment of building charges, costs and estimates, built per plans verifications, jobsite safety, analysis of improper application, proper installation, product defect or liability. All facets of construction related claim analysis. Expert witness, forensic analysis, evaluation, and consultant relating to existing buildings, building components such as cabinetry, finishes, doors, automatic doors, gates, windows, hardware, plumbing, concrete, paint, electrical, roofing, water intrusion and waterproofing issues, acoustical sound isolation and control, heating, air conditioning, video surveillance and security integration for residential, commercial, County and State government facilities. Commercial and industrial construction and project management (all facets) for new and remodel. Construction consultation for existing construction projects of all kinds.
Over 40 years of hands-on experience in the following categories:
General Construction
Commercial, Industrial, Residential, Multi-Residential, Housing Tract Developments, Condominium, Retail Construction, Shopping Malls and Strip Centers. Chain store and franchised business construction. Healthcare Facilities, Restaurant and food processing facilities. Walk-in refrigeration and cold storage units. Auto malls, car rental facilities, storage and repair facility construction and service maintenance.
Cabinets and Millwork
Custom Fabrication, manufacturing and installation of cabinets, counter tops, furniture, casework, architectural millwork. Wall protection products and railing systems. Historic wainscoting and architectural treatments.
Door, Lock and Security
Doors, door hardware, automatic doors, gates, drop down doors, garage doors, access controls, fire/life safety, ADA (American Disabilities Act) installations/applications. Video and audio surveillance. Themed attractions and integration into historically significant structures.
Hospitality Industry
Hotel concept design construction (model room mock-up), hotel renovation, and new construction. ADA modifications and repurposing of existing rooms and equipment areas.
Healthcare Construction
Hospitals, surgical centers, acute and transitional care, nursing homes and senior housing facilities, senior/adult day care centers, medical offices, labs, pharmacies, medical records storage facilities. X-ray and specialty diagnostic and treatment facilities. Installation of proprietary contract equipment such as Gamma knife, MRI, Magnetic scanners. Installation of security hardware, video surveillance equipment, centralized nurse/patient monitoring stations, card key access systems.
Specialty Construction
Clean rooms, lead lined rooms, air locks, sally ports, psychiatric interlocks, and delayed exiting device installations. Acoustic construction, acoustic isolation for offices, manufacturing facilities, and installation of engineered noise canceling products. Recording studios and sound stages. Acoustically isolated environments and home theatre installations.
Historic Preservation
Historic home renovations and modernization, maintaining the historic fabric and integrity of structural and architectural elements. Fine finish cabinet making, and antique furniture restorations and finishing. Museum quality reproductions and displays.
About the Expert
Mike Panish, president of Construction Systems, has over 40 years hands-on experience in most construction trades in new construction and remodeling for commercial buildings (interior and exterior), and is an accomplished cabinetmaker, woodworker, and fine furniture craftsman. Mike Panish is a licensed general building contractor, electrical contractor, cabinet and millwork contractor, door, lock & security equipment contractor, and painting contractor in the State of California. Mike Panish provides consulting to product manufacturers, service providers and installers, and routinely participates in developing trade appropriate installation practices and procedures for new products.
Mike Panish has participated in developing new test parameters for incoming contractors and has consulted with state licensing boards regarding licensing requirements. He has ongoing contact with national standards and testing agencies to promote safe products and standard of care. Mike has a strong engineering background specializing in acoustics and recording studio isolation and engineering design. He is often called upon by organizations to train employees for cabinet fabrication and assembly practices, including layout, design, proper usage of tools and materials, material selection, material quantity, appropriate finish for the application, finishing technique, procedures, and installation.
About his Company
Construction Systems has three separate divisions:
Construction Systems is a full service construction company, specializing in residential, commercial, and industrial construction, with emphasis on medical, hospitality, and county facility environments. Mike Panish is a hands-on working owner of this company and is on-site during all projects. Michael Panish is a Consultant, Forensic Analyst and Expert Witness, analyzing commercial, industrial, residential, multi-residential, condominium, and retail applications. The company also specializes in historic properties preservation and current modernization. Construction Systems is proficient in working in high security environments such as jails, holding cells, courthouses, courtroom detention areas, sally ports, county and state penal facilities. Expert in design and installation of video monitoring and surveillance equipment. Construction Systems is approved and registered by the State of California as a vendor and has (AOC) Administrative Office of the Courts clearance to work unattended in the California court systems.
Cabinet Systems is a custom cabinet shop specializing in commercial cabinetry, counter tops and furniture for all commercial and residential applications. Cabinet Systems designs, custom fabricates product and installs with their own crews. Cabinet Systems is established as a custom installer for many national cabinet companies. Specialty trades include relamination and refinishing of existing surfaces and extensive use and knowledge of application and relamination of plastic laminate (P-lam) surfaces. Cabinet Systems is a countertop manufacturer/vendor/installer of wood, laminated, solid surface, rock, stone, tile, stainless steel, and laboratory surfaces.
Custom fabrication of specialty applications, furniture, and architectural millwork. Fabricator of custom glass display cases and store point of purchase furnishings. Fabricator of glass and Plexiglas store fixtures and custom installations. Furniture, cabinetry, and millwork finishes including antique processes, shellacs, varnishes, faux finishes, historic reproduction surfacing and finishing, paints, lacquers, chemical sealing, clear coats, milk paints, historic stenciling, distressing, sand blasting, surface blemishing, and recreation of aged appearance. Michael Panish is a consultant and expert witness for many aspects of cabinet construction including delamination of surfaces, finishes, quality of work or installation, design defects, and casework failures.
Door and Hardware Systems furnishes, installs, and repairs commercial doors, door frames, hardware and locks. Mike Panish founded this division primarily for the purpose of establishing a benchmark for medical, commercial and hotel markets. ADA and Life Safety Compliance, sales and installation of custom fabricated and standard doors, fire doors, frames, hardware, access controls and alarm systems. Hospital Joint Commission (JACHO/OSHPD) site readiness. Schools, churches and public venue service, installation and repair. Michael Panish is a consultant and expert witness for a variety of door, lock and hardware issues involving all types of doors including manual pedestrian doors, gates, automatic doors, revolving doors, swinging doors, fire doors, drop & rollup doors, bi pass doors, sliding doors, garage doors (sectional / drop down / sliding), storefront (metal & wood), laminated, raised panel, and french doors. Door frames, all types of locks, door closers, panic devices, exit devices, sensors, access controls, and door hardware. Life safety, fire codes, ADA upgrades, custom concealed usage doorways and openings, and safe room entry devices. Special need entry systems for handicapped usage, themed attraction security concealed devices and entry controls.
Summary:
Michael Panish has more over 40 years hands-on experience in new construction, remodel, renovation, consultation, project management, inspection, and analysis for all types of construction. Michael is expert in all facets & trades of (new/remodel construction) for healthcare facilities, commercial, industrial, hotel, casino, institutional, multi-residential, condominium, and residential. Emphasis on door, gate & door hardware issues, custom cabinetry, counter top and furniture fabrication and installation, fire & life safety related access issues, ADA compliance & life safety for all door functions, appropriate door hardware, panic devices, door & door frame installations, gate installations, proper function of door systems, fire inspection analysis for doors, acoustic applications and electronic systems, data/ phone cabling, healthcare construction requiring clean rooms, labs, negative air, air lock, psychiatric access to secure areas, jails, holding cells, courtrooms and county facility buildings. Michael is expert in all phases of cabinet making, manufacturing, design and installation. Antique restoration and repair of fine cabinetry and architectural millwork in antique homes such as William’s Mansions throughout Southern California (Bel-Air and Beverly Hills). He is expert in evaluation with regard to water damage and structural water intrusions. Extensive renovation to historic residences and commercial owned properties through government contracts and county issued jobs. Multi-residential waterproofing issues addressed. Condominiums, hotels, hospital water intrusion problems. Identification of high-water table issues and improper basement substructure. Waterproofing of slabs, foundation walls and pool elements in commercial and residential applications. Highly experienced in analyzing water damaged structures of most kinds. Building foundation and construction analysis. Waterproofing, water damage, water seepage issues. Extensive involvement in most wet environments needing moisture intrusion containment and remediation of mold issues. Concrete foundation and block wall defects. Dry stacked colonial foundations and walls in historic structures. Contractor and consultant for restoration of historically significant structures in New England, including water intrusion problems with basements, proper and adequate ventilation and rework to existing post and beam structures to preserve the architectural elements and to modernize and update historical buildings for current ADA compliance and current usage. Site evaluation and cost determination for adaptive ADA usage of existing structures (physical injuries requiring long term care and special needs cases). Specialist in concealment of modern elements in historic environments. Commercial construction as a general contractor, cabinet manufacturer and installer, installer of proprietary electronic and acute monitoring systems making use of an electrical background with specialized cabling and isolated wiring system needs. Acoustic design / build and fabrication of solutions to acute problems relating to sound control and dispersion. Experienced in design and construction of recording studios, sound containment, isolation rooms, and formal training in electro/acoustical specialty design implementation and finish work.
Michael Panish is a licensed General Building Contractor, Electrical contractor, Cabinet and Millwork Contractor, Door, Lock and Security Hardware Equipment Contractor, and Painting Contractor. Michael is a consultant and expert witness for most facets of commercial and residential construction related problems and occurrences relating to defects, poor workmanship, premises liability, product liability, and personal injury.
California Contractors State License # 519191
B General Building Contractor
C-10 Electrical Contractor
C-6 Cabinetry, Carpentry, Millwork Contractor
C-28 Door, Lock, Security Equipment Contractor
C-33 Painting & Decorating Contractor
Audio and Acoustical Design Engineer
California Real Estate License #640555
2010 – 2025 AMBest Recommended Insurance Professional
AMBest Insurance Law Podcast Online Interviews
Author of many construction related technical articles, available by request or online.
Comments: Available for nationwide consulting, expert witness assignments, project management, site inspections, and cost analysis. Training and teaching workshops for all aspects of construction and cabinetry. Experienced in consulting with most construction issues for attorney analysis of cases and determination of validity of claim. Extensive experience working for both plaintiff and defendant based on discovery of empirical evidence derived from thorough on-site analysis and document review. Professional inspections, analysis, reports, depositions, arbitrations, mediations, and court testimony. Michael Panish has been proven to provide highly credible and solid testimony during deposition and court appearances and has been influential and beneficial to the clients he has been asked to support. Michael Panish is dependable, reliable, and has a professional conduct and appearance. Custom fabrication of working demonstration models, demonstration samples, and display models for court presentations.
“Michael Panish is the most effective and straight forward expert you will ever find. He is knowledgeable, thorough and cuts right to the issues. Highly recommend! The expert you need for your case!”
Contact: Sharon (888) 902-4272 (Immediate Response)
Website: www.ConstructionWitness.comEmail: Expert@ConstructionWitness.com
Offices in California and New England - Available for Nationwide Inspection & Testimony
CV Revision 12/2024
