Construction Engineer
Resume:
Joseph Castellano, P.E.
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
adcvxq@r.postjobfree.com
Professional Summary
Joseph Castellano, PE held leadership positions at major firms as a construction professional and licensed Professional Engineer in the construction, real estate and insurance industries focusing on construction advisory, forensic insurance and contract claims, and litigation advisory services to both public and private clients. He delivers risk based advisory services and construction consulting to domestic and global clients in multiple industries including: healthcare, hospitality, transportation, retail, higher education, industrial & manufacturing. Joe has been engaged to resolve some of the largest and most complex contract and insurance claims, schedule delay evaluations, and business disputes such as those resulting from natural disasters, subcontractor defaults, and contractual issues. Throughout his career, Joe has evaluated and resolved millions of dollars in damage claims and disputes.
In an advisory and strategic capacity, Joe works closely with the corporate finance sector who are challenged by the myriad of construction and insurance issues that impact fiscal and physical performance of real estate assets. His guidance resulted in various cost savings as a result of construction monitoring, contractual compliance consulting and due diligence.
Joe has served as an expert witness on litigation and disputes related to project delays and served as a Mediator with the NYC School Construction Authority.
Supported the New York Lawyers for the Public Interests’ (NYLPI) successful campaign to remove poly- chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) lighting fixtures from New York City schools by reviewing the budgets and construction estimates of the city to find additional funds that the city could allocate to the removal of PCBs. Education and Credentials
BA in Economics, Fairfield University
BS in Engineering, University of Connecticut
Professional Engineer:
• New York
• New Jersey
• Connecticut
• Florida
Board of Directors: Rebuilding Together NYC
Building & Planning Board: Village of Port Jefferson American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
American Arbitration Association
American Bar Association
Professional Experience
Willis Towers Watson, New York, NY
Forensic Accounting & Complex Claims
Practice Leader Construction Consulting / June 2015-January 2020 Page 2 of 4
As the Practice Leader of Willis Towers Watson’s Construction Consulting practice, Joe worked closely with accountants in the Forensic Accounting & Complex Claims practice documenting, preparing and negotiating complex insurance claims such as Property Damage, Builder's Risk and Subcontractor Default on behalf of the insured. Joe focused on determining the delay to establish/defend the remediation period in support of the business interruption losses, calculating the delay in the completion of a construction project beyond the expected completion date as a result of covered property damage losses under Builder’s Risk claims and establishing the delay to determine extended project overhead or increased general conditions as a result of a subcontractor default. Additionally, Joe inspected and assessed property damage and confirmed estimates for repair.
• Integral in proving the period of delay caused by an explosion at an ammunition plant contributing to a business interruption claim settlement of approximately $60 m.
• Schedule delay analyses for the insured pursuant to a Subcontractor Default Insurance policy to establish delay related to the default resulting in millions of dollars in recovery of extended project overhead and increased general conditions
• Recovered substantial lost revenue for the insured pursuant to a Builder’s Risk loss due to Hurricane Irma on multiple exclusive hi-rise condos in Miami by determining and negotiating the delay in the completion of a construction project beyond the expected completion date as a result of covered property damage. FTI Consulting, New York, NY
Construction Solutions Practice
Senior Managing Director / February 2008-June 2015 Advised clients preventing, managing and resolving issues related to cost and delays on major construction projects. As a construction claims specialists provided clients and their legal advisors comprehensive, independent and expert advice in connection with complex construction cost and schedule issues. Provided advice on how to avoid disputes to both owners and contractors on several large projects. Should disputes arise, Joe has many years of experience in performing delay analysis and quantifying the effects of delay, disruption and interference.
• Testified as an expert in New York Supreme Court, AAA arbitrations, depositions and mediations concerning various scheduling and cost issues.
• Retained by the contractor to assess the delays and additional costs and prepare an expert report as a result of incomplete material fill quantity deliveries and other issues related to a bankruptcy regarding the
$1 billion conversion of several landfills in New Jersey to golf courses and mixed use development.
• Represented the contractor to develop a schedule delay analysis and expert report on the construction of an approximately $1billion light rail project in New Jersey. Project included the rehabilitation of an existing tunnel as well as the construction of an underground station.
• Preparation of a claim and named expert representing the Department of Justice as the plaintiff on a dam project for the Bureau of Reclamation. Issues included contractor performance which impacted the sequence of activities and schedule duration. Deposed by defendant’s attorney prior to case settling. Integrated construction expertise with the Corporate Finance Practice to provide clients with a collaborative resolution to address the full spectrum of financial, operational and transactional risks and opportunities.
• Advised a major real estate firm of the status of construction schedules, costs, change orders, etc. of approximately (90) projects throughout the World Trade Center in conjunction with due diligence efforts necessary evaluate the risks to acquire the asset.
• Identified millions of dollars of costs savings recommendations to a major city’s capital budget by highlighting process inefficiencies from bidding to construction practices.
• Reduced the operations and maintenance budgets for a commercial real estate group seeking to finance a hospital in Florida by reviewing the scope of work and costs 10-15 years in the future. This allowed the client to negotiate cost effective terms to close the deal. Integrated construction expertise with the Insurance Practice to provide clients with a collaborative resolution to complex insurance claims and audits.
Page 3 of 4
• Prevented the “clawback” of millions of dollars of FEMA grant funds pursuant by an audit by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. Assessed the reasonableness of the costs and funds received by FEMA for a hospital expended on 3 contracts as a result of Hurricane Katrina damage. Provided rebuttals to assertions made by the Office of Inspector General about bidding, contract provisions, performance and documentation issues.
• Recovered substantial damages working as a construction advisor working in conjunction with the insurance claims practice on property damage and business interruption claims South Nassau Communities Hospital as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
• Significantly reduced the period of delay and associated damages for the insurer by objectively identifying the validity of a Builder’s Risk delay claim using forensic schedule analysis techniques to develop the status of the entire project at the time of a fire at a $1.6 billion project mixed used facility in New York City. Construction / Project Management
• Construction management services on the Merrill Lynch Headquarters at the World Financial Center as a representative of the owner. Services included; bidding, scheduling, procurement, quality assurances, and change order management.
• Construction management project manager for the State of NY during the construction of a multi-million dollar boiler plant conversion from coal to oil and gas in Long Island, New York. Services included; bidding, scheduling, procurement, quality assurances, safety and health and industrial relations Dispute Resolution/Testimony
Joseph Castellano testified as a scheduling expert in New York Supreme Court and in AAA arbitration proceedings and mediations concerning various scheduling and cost issues. Furthermore, he has presented detailed analysis and findings in all types of forums for dispute resolution Joe was the designated scheduling expert on the following recent cases which settled:
• Defense of a contractor regarding a multi-million-dollar implementation of and payment for the remediation of hazardous substance contamination.
• Coking plant which was part of an integrated steel mill and electric generating complex in Brazil.
• Insurance consortium’s defense of a subrogation claim resulting in a fire at a $1.6 billion project mixed used facility in New York City.
• $1billion light rail project in New Jersey representing the contractor. Project included the rehabilitation of an existing tunnel as well as the construction of an underground station.
• Construction of two Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) capture shaft projects in Michigan representing the contractor.
• $1 billion conversion of several landfills in New Jersey to golf courses and mixed-use development representing the contractor.
• Provided testimony as a scheduling expert at deposition in a case that settled prior to trial representing the Department of Justice as the plaintiff in a dam project for the Bureau of Reclamation. Joe’s expert witness and testifying experience includes:
• Provided testimony at an AAA arbitration proceeding on behalf of a design firm regarding costs of Change Orders as a result of design errors for a university science center project.
• Orange County (NY) Supreme Court as a scheduling expert representing a hospital against a design firm. Issues concerned schedule impacts as a result of remediation of design errors.
• AAA arbitration proceeding as a scheduling expert representing a contractor against a church. Issues concerned various scheduling, coordination and cost issues. Page 4 of 4
• AAA arbitration proceeding as a scheduling expert representing a contractor against a developer on a mall project. Issues concerned additional costs and schedule delay as a result of design issues relating to a roofing project.
• Mediation proceeding as a scheduling expert on behalf of a contractor against the New York City School Construction Authority for delay issues.
• Provided testimony as a scheduling expert at a mediation representing a contractor against the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding additional work as a result of an incomplete and ambiguous design.
• Provided an expert report for a Construction Manager against the Owner/Developer regarding delay and standard of care which resulted in a positive settlement for the client. Speaking Engagements
• Co-author, with Robert Peckar, Esq., Chapter 14-Effective Preparation for a Construction Arbitration, Construction Disputes: Representing the Contractor; Aspen Law & Business
• “Construction Claims: As-planned versus As-built Schedule Analysis”, seminar for attorneys at the Suffolk County New York Bar Association.
• “Why Risk It? Identifying & Controlling Risks on Your Next Construction Project”, seminar to the New York County Lawyers Association.
• “How to Prepare an Effective RFP/RFQ”, speaker at American Society of Healthcare Engineers, Tampa, FL
• “Prevention and Early Resolution of Claims: How the Experts Can Help”, speaker at The Associated Owners & Developers 2005 National Conference, From Conception to Completion: Planning, Financing & Executing a Successful Construction Project, New York.
• “The Expert’s Presentation of a Construction Delay Claim,” speaker at the New Jersey State Bar Association Construction Law Section Meeting.
• “NYC Future Development,” moderator for a Bisnow function. Panellists included President, WTC Properties; President, NA, Halcrow; Senior VP, Skanska; C-Chairman of the Board, Cushman & Wakefield
• “Anderson Kill Presents: Supplementing Your Construction Law Toolbox; Delays. Liens and Insurance- What you Ned to Know,” Philadelphia, PA
• “Builder’s Risk: Structuring the Right Coverage, Avoiding and Resolving Disputes,” ABA Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Conference, Tucson, AZ
• “Builders Risk – Coverage, Contracts and Claims,” 21st Annual Willis Construction Risk Management Conference
• “Delay in Completion: Key Coverage Considerations & Claim Analysis Best Practices,” 22nd Annual Willis Towers Watson Construction Risk Management Conference
• “Prior to Construction Handover: Professional Liability Claims- Recurring problems and ensuring successful outcomes,” IRMI Construction Risk Conference
Contact this candidate