our experts - scoop-cms.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com

OUR EXPERTS

Mr Ben Adams

Job Title: Senior Associate Services: Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Location: London Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 07980 703059

Qualifications

MEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering

CEng Chartered Engineer

MIET Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology

Prior to joining Hawkins, Ben has gained more than 15 years' experience working in the power industry as an electrical expert, with assignments in over 30 countries, and with experience in Operation, Maintenance, Failure Investigation and Loss Prevention.

Ben’s career started in 1999 as a gap year placement working with the electrical engineers at Drax, a large 4000MW coal-fired power station, before attending Loughborough University. Following the placement year, Ben was employed as a Trainee Plant Engineer (Electrical) and spent time between Loughborough University and Drax station, returning there full-time upon graduation. Ben worked on many projects and failure investigations on Generators, Transformers, Switchgear and Protection. In 2007, Ben moved to the engineering group of RWE Npower in the Turbine Generator team as a Generator Specialist, providing technical support to the UK fleet of power stations (around 11GW of installed capacity), as well as to a global third party consultancy. This included condition assessment and failure analysis of all rotating electrical machines from wind turbine generators and motors, up to 660MW turbine generators. Ben was an accredited assessor in the RWE npower risk and Condition assessment packages and performed risk assessments in the UK, across Europe, South Africa and Australia.

In 2013, Ben moved to the role of Key Electrical Expert for International Power (latterly GDF SUEZ and then ENGIE), which was at the time the world’s largest independent power company at around 117GW. Ben worked in a headquarters function providing technical support to a large international fleet of power plants. This role was concentrated on Generators, Transformers and Switchgear, but Ben also provided operation support on all matters of power plant operation and maintenance, carrying out whole plant risk assessments, and “operational excellence” assessments across the global ENGIE fleet on various power plant technologies (Coal, Gas, Wind, Hydro, Biomass).

In 2018, Ben briefly worked for a firm of Loss Adjusters as a technical consultant and risk engineer. During this time, he worked on a number of high value claims from Power Plant Damage and Solar Farm Output Warranty, to Product Recall and Professional Liability in a number of different technologies. Ben Joined Hawkins in 2018 as a Senior Associate in the London office.

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mailto:[email protected]

Mr Neil Arthur

Job Title: Principal Associate, Regional Manager

Services : Engineering, Personal injury, Road traffic accidents,

Location : Cambridge

Email : [email protected]

Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, University of Aston, Birmingham - 1986

MIMechE Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers


Neil has in excess of 20 years of experience in engineering, which commenced with employment by

the Racal Group as a Design and Development Engineer. He was responsible for the mechanical

design of terrestrial and airborne communications equipment to meet the requirements of the

Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Neil then joined the Formula 1 racing division of Cosworth Engineering where he undertook research

and designed components for the world championship winning engine that powered the Benetton

F1 racing cars. As part of that work he investigated the causes of engine failures and developed the

design of components to improve engine reliability and performance.

Neil's experience in investigating the causes of failures of automotive components and systems

continued with his employment with Hawkins & Associates during which time his work has involved

many different types of vehicles from motorcycles to large goods vehicles. He is also very

experienced in the investigation of road traffic collisions, vehicle stability, tyre failures, failures of

structures and engineering plant, hydraulic and pneumatic system malfunctions and fires in buildings

and vehicles.

Neil is very familiar with the litigation process and has given expert evidence in Magistrates, County,

Crown, Appeal and High courts. He also has experience of mediation. He is listed as an expert in the

Expert Witness Directory.

Neil is currently a Principal Associate and Regional Manager of our Cambridge office.


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Mr Richard Baker

Job Title : Associate

Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Vehicle, plant & machinery fires,

Personal injury, Slips, trips & falls, Road traffic accidents,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng (Hons), Mechanical Engineering (1st Class), The University of Nottingham, 2009

CEng MIMechE, Chartered member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 2015

Level 4 UCPD Certificate in Forensic Road Collision Investigation, De Montfort University, Leicester,

2018

Richard graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2009 with a Masters degree in Mechanical

Engineering. Upon leaving university, Richard spent 7 and a half years working for 2H Offshore, an

engineering consultancy specialising in the design and analysis of offshore structures. Richard was

based out of the London office, but also worked in Aberdeen, Houston, Perth (Australia), Kuala

Lumpur and Qatar.

Richard’s work for 2H involved engineering solutions in the offshore domain, typically for risers,

conductors, and minimal facilities platforms. During his time with 2H Offshore Richard expanded his

knowledge of the oil and gas industry, gained Chartered status with the IMechE, and broadened his

experience in structural engineering, structural response monitoring, and marine dynamics.

Richard was promoted to the position of Principal Engineer at 2H Offshore before joining Hawkins in

May 2017. He is currently an Associate based in our Reigate office.



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Dr John Camplin

Job Title : Senior Associate

Services : Engineering, Personal injury, Road traffic accidents, Escapes of

water, gas & fluid,

Location : Leeds


Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemical Physics, University of Kent at Canterbury

DPhil Surface Chemistry, York University

MInstP Member of the Institute of Physics

John started his career in 1992 working as a research technician at the University of York, Chemistry

Department where he provided technical support in analytical chemistry, polymer chemistry and

surface analysis. In 1998 he was appointed research associate in the Physics Department

investigating the optical effects of Giant Magneto Resistant (GMR) devices leading to the design and

development of a Scanning Laser Microscope for GMR film mapping.

In 2000 he moved to the University of California as a Research Assistant developing Scanning

Tunneling Microscopes for the study of nanoscale surface structures.

Two years later John moved back to the UK as a Principal Materials Scientist at BAE Systems

InfraRed. There he took a key role in developing semi-conductor devices for InfraRed imaging, and

computer models for semi-conductor optics.

In 2005 John joined Hawkins working in the Leeds office. Having established himself in the field of

fire investigation, he has also been involved in a broad range of forensic engineering investigations

including road traffic accidents, mechanical vibration exposure, roller coasters and fairground

equipment and semi-conductor engineering. John also has expertise in the areas of cryogenics,

process engineering, vacuum engineering, optics and surface chemistry.




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Mrs Christina Holland


Services : Road traffic accidents,

Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

BE Mechanical Engineering - University College, Dublin



Christina graduated with an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University College

Dublin, Ireland. As part of her degree she studied an optional course in bioengineering, including a

work placement with a medical device design company. During her final year she also carried out

research into the stresses and strains in the bones of the human foot and their roles in the aetiology

of various medical conditions.

After graduating, Christina took up a position as a design engineer with Timoney Technology, Ireland

where she gained expertise in the design of automotive suspension systems and drivelines for

military vehicles and HGVs including computer modelling of suspension behaviour and finite element

analysis of suspension and driveline components.

Christina then decided to return to her Scottish home where she took on the role of senior design

engineer with Clansman Dynamics. She managed projects involving innovative design of new

concepts in industrial robotics. The design of these heavy duty industrial robots required an in depth

understanding of finite element analysis, motion analysis and dynamics.

Christina joined Hawkins in 2009. Since joining she has carried out numerous investigations into

road traffic accidents where her engineering knowledge and understanding of motion analysis along

with many years as a keen motorcyclist have given her a strong insight. She has given expert

evidence in Scottish and English courts, including the Court of Session in Edinburgh

Christina is currently an Associate based in our Glasgow office.



Mr Mike Hopwood

Job Title : Principal Associate

Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Crime investigation, Engineering,

Highways engineering, Personal injury, Railway accidents, Road traffic

accidents, Slips, trips & falls,

Location : Manchester


Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

Civil Engineering Glyndŵr University (formerly NEWI) Civil/Highway Engineer, Health & Safety professional, Road Traffic Accident Reconstruction

FIHE Fellow of The Institute of Highway Engineers

SIIRSM Construction Specialist Member the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management

MCIHT Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

MIAT Member of the Institute of Asphalt Technology

AaPS Associate Member of the Association for Project Safety

RoSPA Trained and certificated in the inspection of playgrounds and play equipment

NEBOSH Qualified in Construction and Workplace Health and Safety

Construction Skills Certified at Manager Level

Aston University Certificate in Road Traffic Accident Reconstruction

Mike's civil and highway engineering career began at Parkman where he worked on several major

projects, including the St Helens M62 link road and the A570 Ormskirk Bypass. Specialising in

preliminary and detailed design work, Mike joined Giffords to work on the structural design of the

Second River Dee Crossing. Mike moved to Cheshire County Council in 1994 and rose to the level of

Principal Engineer. At the time, Cheshire was one of the largest UK local authorities and was also

managing a large motorway network including the M6. During his progression, Mike led teams

responsible for safety inspections, winter maintenance, streetworks and third party claims. Mike

appeared in Court countless times as a witness for local government.

Whilst with local government, Mike was responsible for the design, letting and construction of

numerous large and complex civil engineering schemes. During this time, he gained particular

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expertise in all aspects of design, performance and specification of road building, drainage,

construction materials and road and junction layouts including traffic management and road signs.

Alongside his Engineering role, Mike was also a local government health and safety officer. He was

responsible for workplace safety audits and risk assessments along with enforcement and the on-site

assessment of such features as construction site safety, railway level crossings, roadside railway

fencing and scaffolding. Mike became a prolific workplace Safety Auditor, CDM Co-ordinator and an

author and checker of construction and workplace health and safety documentation including risk

assessments and method statements. Mike also puts his health and safety knowledge and

experience to use in the assessment of playgrounds and playground equipment and is a RoSPA

trained and certificated Inspector.

With some sixteen years of civil and highway engineering experience, Mike joined Hawkins in August

2007 and began working immediately on forensic highway investigation cases. Mike gave evidence

in Crown Court just six weeks after joining Hawkins, where his expertise helped a driver charged with

causing death by dangerous driving. Since then, Mike has given evidence on numerous occasions

throughout the UK in both criminal and civil matters. Mike undertakes a wide variety of forensic

highway engineering, civil engineering and health and safety investigations. As a holder of

certification in confined spaces and health and safety competence, Mike is able and permitted to

conduct on-site investigations on most live road and construction sites.

In addition to his work in engineering and health and safety, Mike also puts to practice his road

layout and condition knowledge, experience with on-site handling of traffic accidents, and excellent

mathematic skills, in the reconstruction and causation of road traffic accidents. Mike has been

trained at Aston University in traffic accident reconstruction. Although his investigations for Hawkins

take him all around the UK and Ireland, Mike is centrally based at our Manchester office.

Dr John Horsfall

Job Title : Consultant

Services : Engineering, Road traffic accidents,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc ARCS Physics - Imperial College London

PhD Pembroke College Cambridge



CPhys Chartered Physicist


John began his career in science designing and deploying systems for earthquake and volcano

monitoring and in 1980 he was one of the three founder members of R B Hawkins and Associates. As

a consultant to the UK importers of a European car manufacturer for several years, he undertook a

wide range of automotive safety and quality investigations working closely with their design

engineers, service support engineers and with Government safety authorities.

John works mainly on the application of physics to engineering problems. This has led him to

investigate incidents including three tower crane collapses, aircraft system malfunctions and

industrial power transmission failures. He has undertaken Hawkins' highest pressure investigation

(of underwater transducer failures in the oil industry) and the lowest pressure investigation (a

communications satellite high-vacuum test chamber).

John started Hawkins' now well renowned road traffic accident investigation service in the early

1980s. This remains a major part of his work and it has grown to the extent that Hawkins has the

largest wholly private-sector group of road accident analysis scientists and engineers in the United

Kingdom.

He has over 35 years experience in preparing reports for litigation and has appeared as an expert

witness in all types of Civil and Criminal Courts in England and Scotland (and the Cayman Islands and

Jersey) as well as in confidential arbitration and mediation. Cases have included a number of lengthy

commercial proceedings between international companies.




Mr James Kingham


Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Vehicle, plant & machinery fires,

Personal injury, Road traffic accidents,

Location : Birmingham


Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

MEng Mechanical Engineering, The University of Birmingham

CEng Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Institution of Mechanical Engineers

James graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2005 with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical

Engineering, having completed an industrial placement year working in cryogenics for The Hymatic

Engineering Company (now part of Honeywell Aerospace’s Defence & Space business group). After

graduating, James returned to Honeywell Aerospace as a development engineer, working on Joule-

Thomson coolers and Stirling Cycle Cryocoolers primarily for missile and satellite applications. This

included customer driven development projects as well as R&D and investigative projects.

In 2010, James took on the role of New Product Development Manager with ITT (later Xylem) Flow

Control, overseeing the development of pneumatic and hydraulic valve actuation controls and

actuators for use in severe service environments, including the oil & gas and rail industries. James

was then promoted to Centre of Excellence Engineering Lead – Valves (Technical Manager) in 2013,

becoming the senior technical contact at the Wolverhampton site overseeing product development,

project management and product certification activities within the business.

James is a Chartered Engineer and as such is a full member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

James also holds a Level 5 diploma in Management & Leadership and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.








Dr John Allum

Job Title : Regional Director

Services : Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Shipping & marine, Cargo

Spoilage, IMDG Cargo, IMSBC Cargo,

Location : Hong Kong


Telephone: +852 2548 0577

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Analytical Chemistry, Plymouth University

PhD for research into the behaviour of emulsion explosives, Cranfield University

MRSC Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry

MIExpE Member of the Institute of Explosive Engineers

MAE Member of the Academy of Experts

John has a degree in Analytical Chemistry from Plymouth University and a PhD in Emulsion

Explosives from Cranfield University. John joined a firm of consulting scientists and engineers in

2001, before establishing HFS Asia in 2011. He has been involved in the investigation of over 600 fire

and explosion incidents, ranging from small domestic premises to large industrial plants. He has

provided advice on the storage and use of damaged explosives and the appropriate use of explosives

in wreck removal.

John has investigated a wide variety of marine incidents on ships and yachts, including fires in

containers, engine rooms and bulk cargoes. He has provided advice on 'live' ship fires involving

cargoes such as DRI, coal and agricultural products. In addition, John has dealt with a number of

cargo contamination cases, including natural product spoilage, chemical reactions, liquid and gas

cargo contamination, taking samples, interpreting analytical results, and supervising the clean-up.

John also has significant experience of agricultural bulk cargo claims, including determining causes of

product deterioration, cargo liquefaction (fluorspar, nickel ore, iron ore, fines etc.) and providing

advice on the carriage and care of the cargo. This work involves supervising surveyors, agricultural

scientists and sampling experts as well as providing reports suitable for use in both local courts and

London Arbitrations. John has provided advice on incidents involving IMDG CODE and IMSBC CODE

cargoes, including chemical and dangerous cargoes.


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Dr John Anderson

Job Title : Director

Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion,

Location : Bristol


Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry, Southampton University

MSc Surface Chemistry and Colloids Bristol University

PhD Thesis entitled Strong Metal Support Interactions in Titania-Supported Metal Catalysts Reading

University

After completing the research project for his Doctorate, John joined the International Tin Research

Institute where he carried out research into tin oxide based gas sensors.

In 1987, John joined Johnson Matthey plc where he worked as a Development Chemist, developing

new supported metal catalysts for industrial processes as well as providing technical support to

production staff in the manufacture of catalysts. This work included overseeing the production of

trial batches of new catalysts.

John joined Hawkins in 1989 and was trained to carry out the forensic investigation of fires and

explosions. Since then John has carried out over 1000 investigations, the majority of which have

involved fires and explosions, although he also uses his knowledge of chemistry to investigate other

problems/incidents, such as cases involving fireworks, explosives and poisoning.

John has also carried out a number of personal injury investigations primarily in handling and lifting

accidents and guarding of work machinery.

John has a range of experience involving the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of

an expert in both Civil and Criminal Courts on several occasions. He is listed as an expert in the

Expert Witness Directory.

John is now Operations Director and is based in our Bristol office.




Mr Nick Ashby


Services : Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Power &

Energy,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc Marine Engineering, Newcastle University




Following graduation Nick began his engineering career with the Central Electricity Generating Board

as a graduate apprentice, which involved a two year technical training programme covering all

aspects of the UK Electricity Supply Industry. Upon completion of his formal training Nick was

appointed to a position within the Engineering Department of a 2000MW coal fired power station in

Kent.

For the next ten years Nick undertook a variety of technical operations and engineering roles within

coal and gas power stations. During this time Nick was fully authorised under Powergen's

Electromechanical Safety Rules as well as being authorised under the National Grid Safety Rules.

Nick discharged a number of shift management positions where he was responsible for the

operation of all types of electrical and mechanical equipment associated with the generation and

transmission of electricity.

In 1998 Nick assumed a position with Powergen International in Hungary, as part of the senior

management team of a new build Combined Heat and Power (CHP) power station. Nick had specific

responsiblility for the safety and technical training of the Hungarian operations staff, together with

providing the operational liaison during the commissioning process.




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In 2000 Nick returned to the UK as Operations Manager at Seabank Power in Bristol. In this role Nick

was responsible for an Operations Department of 24 Engineers and Technicians and included

managing all aspects of Health Safety and Environmental compliance. In 2004 Nick became the

Maintenance Manager at Seabank, managing a team of 20 Engineers and Technicians responsible for

the engineering integrity of the electrical and mechanical assets of the power station.

In 2006 Nick used his extensive experience of power plant operations and maintenance to secure a

position as a Lender's Technical Advisor to the funders of power and energy from waste projects. In

this role Nick undertook various due diligence and technical advisory work associated with project

development and acquisition of existing assets.

Nick joined Hawkins in 2013 and is currently an Associate based in our Cambridge office.

Dr Patrick Barbour


Services : Engineering, Crime investigation, Fraud investigation, Slips,

trips & falls, Personal injury, Railway accidents, Escapes of water, gas &

fluid,

Location : Bristol


Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

MEng Mechanical Engineering - University of Leeds

PhD Friction and wear of artificial joint replacements - University of Leeds



Having obtained a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Patrick spent two years designing sub-sea wellhead equipment for the North Sea oil industry. He then returned to Leeds University to carry out research into the wear of polymers used in artificial hip joints. Having gained a PhD, he continued his research and lectured Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University.

Patrick joined Dr J H Burgoyne and Partners LLP in 2000 to investigate incidents involving personal injury and mechanical failure for insurers and solicitors. During this time the findings of his investigations were used in numerous court cases, both civil and criminal, and he attended arbitrations and mediations to present expert evidence.

In 2008 Patrick joined Hawkins in our Bristol office where he continues to use his expertise to investigate incidents of personal injury and mechanical failure. Patrick's cases have involved the safety of systems of work and the failure of engineering components in commercial and domestic installations. These cases can require the analysis of stress and failure modes of a variety of materials, loads generated by static and moving bodies, thermodynamics and fluid flow as well as the safety of systems of work and the safety of interlocking systems intended to prevent access to hazardous areas.

His investigations have covered a range of situations including accidents at children's playgrounds, leisure parks, slipping accidents, accidents at work involving contact with moving machinery, manual handling incidents, the failure of cranes and lift machinery, product liability, structural failure, damage due to high winds and the effectiveness of security systems.



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Ms Lisa Beck


Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Fraud

investigation, Personal injury,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

N Dip Mechanical Engineering Natal Technikon (Durban, South Africa)

BSc Eng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering University of Cape Town (South Africa)

AMIMechE Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Following completion of her Diploma, Lisa worked for a large wine co-operative in the Stellenbosch wine region of South Africa. She left the industry to study further and obtained her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering with honours in 1997. Lisa is presently working towards becoming a Chartered Engineer with the IMechE.

After graduating Lisa worked in the steel recycling industry gaining experience of heavy engineering plant and equipment. She then moved to John Thompson Boilers, a division of Alstom in South Africa, as a design engineer of water tube boilers in sugar production and small scale (9MW) power generation. Her experience ranged from heat transfer equipment and boiler thermal and combustion performance, to high temperature pressure vessels and steam piping to turbines on projects south of the equator in Africa.

Lisa immigrated to the UK and joined Hawkins in 2007 as an Associate fire and engineering investigator in the Reigate office. She has investigated fires ranging from domestic to large industrial incidents, and engineering losses ranging from personal injuries involving ladders, to large engineering equipment failures. She has also investigated various bicycle related incidents, drawing on her personal passion for the sport.








Eur Ing Chris Botham

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Crime investigation, Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Railway accidents, Slips, trips & falls, Location : Manchester Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

Eur Ing European Engineer

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - University of Manchester

MSc Stress Analysis, finite element analysis and glass reinforced plastic


FIMechE Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

FIMA Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications

Cert Ed A lecturer's qualification

Chris began his engineering career in 1978 as an apprentice welding and fabrication engineer at National Oilwell, working on projects for the oil and chemical industries. After completing his apprenticeship Chris began work as a welding and fabrication engineer at Fairey Engineering in Manchester, where he worked on projects for the Nuclear Industry and the Ministry of Defence. In the mid 1980s Chris worked for Cunnington & Cooper as a Design Engineer after gaining a Higher National Diploma in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.

After completing a lecturer's qualification and Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chris became a lecturer in Engineering subjects at Stockport College of Technology. Chris completed his Masters Degree in 1996 and began work as a Senior Structural Analyst at the National Nuclear Corporation on projects for the Nuclear Industry and the Ministry of Defence involving finite element analysis and engineering design.

Chris brought his wealth of experience to Hawkins in 1999 where he trained in Forensic Engineering and now predominantly investigates incidents and failures involving machinery, product design and manufacture, and personal injury. Chris also carries out investigations into the causes of floods, failures of civil engineering structures and composite materials. These investigations have ranged from small domestic incidents to multi-million pound losses in shops, warehouses, factories and Blue Chip companies including aerospace and heavy goods vehicles.

Chris is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates, County and Crown Courts. He is listed as an Expert in the Expert Witness Directory. Chris is currently a Principal Associate and the Regional Manager in our Manchester office.












Mr Jon Boyle

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Location : Bristol Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BEng & MEng Mechatronic Engineering (electronics, electrical, mechanical and control) - Lancaster University

MIEE Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers

Jon began his engineering career as a sponsored student with Lucas Aerospace where he assisted with various development projects including actuators for the Airbus A320 aircraft. Before graduating he also worked as an Electrical Engineer at an Open Cast Iron Ore Mine, Western Australia.

In 1991 Jon joined ICI Engineering as a Control/Electrical Engineer until 1995 when he transferred to ICI Chemicals and Polymers as a Senior Control/Electrical Engineer. Here his principal areas of responsibility included the specification of repair methods for pipelines and structures, electrical distribution and control systems, fire alarm systems and process analysers.

In 1998 Jon was promoted to Engineering Manager at Terra Nitrogen (UK) Limited where be became responsible for the maintenance and improvement on a major hazard chemical production site.

Jon brought his wealth of experience in working in hazardous environments to Hawkins in 2000 where he trained in fire and explosion investigation. Since joining Jon has conducted many fire and engineering forensic investigations in a variety of different areas including vehicles and industrial machinery. A large proportion of his work involves electrical engineering and control systems.

Jon is experienced in the legal process and has been involved in providing impartial expert advice from written reports to oral evidence.

Jon is a Principal Associate based in our Bristol office.









Mr Stephen Braund


Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire &

explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury,



Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BSc Electrical & Electronic Engineering

CEng Registered as a Chartered Electrical Engineer

MIET Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology

Stephen is a Chartered Engineer and holds a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Before

joining Hawkins he spent twenty years working in industry. He has industrial experience and

expertise in the following areas:

•Design of systems and equipment for industrial and military stealth technology applications,

including information display technology, underwater acoustics, magnetic sensors, data acquisition

and telemetry, corrosion and cathodic protection, electrical power and control.

•Product approval for electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for CE marking.

•Radio and television broadcast technology, including HF/VHF/UHF transmitters, antennas,

microwave, terrestrial and satellite communications and professional studio equipment.

•Design and development of mass-produced television and computer products.

•Design and development of electricity meters and related products.

Since joining Hawkins in 2003, most of his work has involved investigation of fires, explosions, break-

ins, engineering, product liability and personal injury matters. He has expertise in intruder alarm

systems and has worked on many cases where fraud or arson was involved.

In 2005 Stephen obtained a qualification in the IEE Wiring Regulations and in 2006 he obtained a

qualification in Fire Investigation from Edinburgh University. Stephen is a Principal Associate based in

our Birmingham office.









Mr Stephen Brough


Services : Engineering,

Location : Leeds


Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) DIS Materials Engineering, Loughborough University

Stephen gained his degree in Materials Engineering from Loughborough University in 2010. The degree included a year placement at Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd, where he gained an insight into heavy industry, manufacturing, continuous improvement and processing.

Upon graduating Stephen started work at Caterpillar as a Materials Engineer, where he has been for over six years prior to starting at Hawkins. In this role he carried out numerous case studies on incoming material and failure analysis of metallic and non-metallic components, engines and machines. The position also required him to travel Europe as the lead heat treatment supplier auditor for this region. This allowed him to use his metallurgical and process knowledge to troubleshoot issues at suppliers.

Stephen is an associate based in our Leeds office.



Mr Andy Bryce

Job Title : Director Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion, Power & Energy, Location : Bristol Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Metallurgy - Brunel University

MSc Aerospace Materials Engineering - Cranfield Institute of Technology

AMIMMM Associate Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining

Andrew's career in forensic engineering began while carrying out an undergraduate placement at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, analysing the cause of aircraft component failures for the Air Accident Investigation Branch. Following his Masters Degree he joined Rolls Royce plc, Military Engine Division in 1988 where he was trained in the forensic investigation of engine failures for both in-service and development engines. Other areas of responsibility included carrying out in-service turbine component condition assessments and writing quality standards.

Andrew resigned from Rolls Royce at Senior Scientist grade and joined Hawkins in 1991.

Since joining Hawkins, Andrew has carried out over 1700 forensic investigations involving engineering, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. These cases have covered a great range, from small domestic incidents to multi-million pound losses in shops, warehouses, factories, power stations (gas turbines & compressors), aerospace and marine.

Andrew is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates' Courts, County Courts, High Courts, Crown Courts, Coroner’s Courts, mediations and arbitrations on numerous occasions. He is listed as an expert in the Expert Witness Directory.

Andrew is currently a Director of Hawkins and based in the Bristol office.







Dr Carl Butler


Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid,

Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation,



Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

MA Natural Sciences - Chemistry - Cambridge

PhD 'Chemistry of ions in Flames' - Dept Chem Eng - Cambridge

After his PhD, Carl became a post-doctoral research associate in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge. He studied the chemistry involved with the production of high purity silica and also completed research work for industrial clients using fluidised bed reactors.

In 1997, Carl moved to the Process Safety Section of the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), an agency of the Health and Safety Executive. His work there, initially as a Higher Scientific Officer, involved the assessments of hazards associated with industrial chemical reaction processes, including runaway chemical reactions, BLEVEs and LPG vapour cloud fires, for which he was a partner in a European Joint Industry Project. Later, as Senior Scientific Officer, he led a research team investigating hazards associated with a wide range of processes, including high pressure water-jetting, fire-engulfment valves, LPG-storage and pool fires. Carl was also involved in large-scale testing to assess the hazards presented by the use of hydrogen as a fuel.

His work at HSL also included the investigation of a number of incidents and he was an incident officer for the Process Safety Section. He also produced industry guidance on prevention of over-pressurisation of storage silos.

Carl joined Hawkins in 2004 and is now a Principal Associate in our Manchester office. He now specialises in fire and explosion investigation. He has been responsible for forensic investigations, ranging from multi-million pound fires through to incidents in shops, offices, factories, churches and vehicles.

Carl also investigates road traffic collisions and is part of the Hawkins' RTA Investigation Team. He has completed reconstruction reports for road collisions, including fatal incidents, and has attended Court in this capacity.

Carl has attended Court as an expert witness on several occasions, including as an expert for the Police and Fire Brigades in a criminal prosecution. He has also acted as an expert witness for a public hearing on behalf of a local council. He is registered with the UK Register of Expert witnesses.








Dr Nick Carey



explosion, Marine fires, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Power &

Energy, Shipping & marine, IMSBC Cargo,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

GIFireE Graduate member of the Institution of Fire Engineers

FSSocDIP Forensic Science Society (postgraduate) Diploma in Fire Investigation

IAAI-CFI Certified Fire Investigator - International Association of Arson Investigators

PhD Centre for Forensic Science (Dept of Pure & Applied Chemistry) - University of Strathclyde

City & Guilds 2391-10 Inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations

City & Guilds 2360 Electrical Installation parts 1, 2 (1989-1991) & part C (1996)

Nick joined Hawkins in June 2012 after a 27 year career with the London Fire Brigade. During the last 16 years of his fire service career he was a full-time Fire Investigation Officer.

In 2009 he was awarded a PhD with the University of Strathclyde for his research into the interaction of fire and electrical circuits and the metallic damage to electrical conductors located within fire scenes titled “Developing a reliable systematic analysis for arc fault mapping”.

He has undertaken a number of electrical examinations within the UK. This has included multi-agency teams investigating several firefighter fatality incidents and the investigation into the cause of the Cutty Sark fire in Greenwich. He has given evidence as an expert witness in Coroners’ and Crown courts on many occasions.

He has delivered electrical training to Fire Brigades, Police Forces and Forensic Laboratories throughout the UK and oversees.

Nick specialises in the investigation of fires in domestic, commercial and industrial premises, as well as electrical failures.

Nick is a Senior Associate based in our Reigate office.














Mr Alex Chambers

Job Title : Finance Director

Services : N/A



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Business Administration

ACMA Chartered Management Accountant

CGMA Chartered Global Management Accountant

After Cardiff Business School, Alex qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 2001.

Prior to joining Hawkins in 2009 Alex's career included Systems & Planning Manager at Perkins

Engines leading process re-engineering teams applying six sigma and lean methodologies, providing

corporate turnaround services whilst with KPMG, Finance Director for a Milton Keynes based

Construction firm and immediately prior to joining Hawkins, Managing Director for a global Chemical

Manufacturing firm.

Hawkins looks to support the local communities and as part of its CSR policy Alex is a Non-Executive

Director with a primary school multi academy trust.

Alex has a dual role at Hawkins to ensure strong financial control with client focussed, efficient

systems and process together with ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act and strong

information security governance.

Under Alex's stewardship Hawkins’ systems and processes have undergone significant change and

investment to ensure that the data is maintained in a robust, resilient, ISO27001 accredited

environment.


Dr Chun Chan


Services : Contamination & pollution, Engineering, Escapes of water, gas

& fluid, Shipping & marine,



Telephone: +852 2548 0577

Qualifications

MEng (1 st Class Hons) Materials Science & Engineering, University of Manchester

PhD (Eng) Metallic Materials, University of Manchester

MIMMM Professional Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Chartered Engineer (CEng) awarded by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Prior to his arrival in Hong Kong, Chun worked at Technip Umbilicals as a metallurgy development engineer and was responsible for planning and managing research & development projects. He provided technical support to the manufacturing team and conducted engineering critical assessment and material failure analysis on damaged products at the factory.

Through his study and work, Chun is familiar with many mechanical testing methods such as tensile, fatigue and hardness testing. He also has experience using a range of material analysis techniques such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDAX).

Chun joined Hawkins HFS in 2016, specialising in metallurgy, corrosion and welding failures. Since joining the company, he has been involved in conducting material failure analysis and corrosion product assessment. Chun is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

https://www.hawkins.biz/services/contamination-and-pollution






Mr Mike Charlton

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Fraud investigation, Contamination & pollution, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Location : Manchester Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Metals and Materials Technology - UMIST

MSc Corrosion Science and Engineering - UMIST


MIMMM Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining

Michael's career in forensic engineering began in 1982 with CAPCIS, a Consultancy organisation that was originally a subsidiary of UMIST in Manchester. During his 10 years at CAPCIS, Michael was primarily involved with engineering and corrosion related failures and was personally responsible for over 350 investigations. He also co-ordinated a £200,000 group sponsored research project.

As Legal and Insurance Co-ordinator he was responsible for developing links with the Insurance world and he gave numerous presentations demonstrating that effective investigations can lead to real savings for insurers.

In 1992 Michael resigned from CAPCIS as a Senior Project Officer and Deputy Manager of the Metallurgical Group to join Hawkins as an Associate in the Manchester Office. Michael now specialises in fire investigation. He has been responsible for over 1200 forensic investigations ranging from multi-million pound fatal incidents to fires in shops, offices and factories, through to various forms of vehicle fires and small domestic claims.

Michael has travelled extensively and provided expert evidence to a variety of Courts including the High Court and Crown Court in the UK, the High Court in Venezuela and the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. He has also participated in Arbitrations and Mediations and is registered with the UK Register of Expert witnesses.

Michael is a Principal Associate in our Manchester office.








Mr Rennie Chivers


Services : Fire & explosion, Crime investigation,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

MSc Decision Making (Investigative Interviewing). City of London Polytechnic 1991

MSc Fire Investigation. Anglia Ruskin University 2010

Dip CSE Diploma in Crime Scene Examination. University of Durham 2006

Dip FSSoc Forensic Science Society Diploma in Fire Investigation. Strathclyde University 2010

IAAI-CFI Certified Fire Investigator - International Association of Arson Investigators

Rennie joined Hawkins in May 2009 after a career with Essex Police spanning 33 years. He was involved in a wide variety of criminal investigations including arson, burglary, fraud, rape and homicide. During the last six years of his service he was a Crime Scene Investigator where he specialised in fire and arson investigation. He was awarded the Crime Scene Photographer of the Year in 2009.

Rennie attended the Advanced Origin & Cause/Courtroom Techniques, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in Georgia, USA (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) in 2004. He is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and has delivered training in forensic and arson investigation to the Police and Fire Brigades throughout the UK.

Rennie specialises in the investigation of fires in domestic and commercial premises, as well as damage and break-ins.

Rennie is an Associate based in the Cambridge office.




Mr Luke Collins


Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Fire & explosion, Marine

fires, Vehicle, plant & machinery fires, Shipping & marine,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng Aerospace Engineering

Diploma Marine Investigation from Lloyds Maritime Academy

Following his Masters in Aerospace Engineering, Luke worked as a Dynamic Test Technician for Ipeco

Holdings Ltd, a leading manufacturer of civil and military aircraft seating.

In 2009, Luke joined Hannaford Forensic Services Ltd (Hannafords), specialising in the forensic

investigation of vehicle fires. During his time at Hannafords, he undertook over 150 investigations,

which included road vehicles from all classifications, as well as a large number of off-road plant

equipment. To assist with the investigations, Luke successfully completed a VOSA Public Service

Vehicle Inspection Procedures and Standards course. On several occasions, he prepared expert

witness reports for use in civil litigation and has presented in court in Southampton.

In 2011, Hannafords extended into Asia opening a Hong Kong office (HFS-Asia). Luke undertook

marine fire investigations, including engine room fires and cargo hold fires. During this time, Luke

obtained a Diploma in Marine Investigation from Lloyds Maritime Academy.

In 2014, Luke joined Hawkins' office in Reigate, Surrey, he has expanded his expertise into the field

of fire and explosion investigation of domestic and commercial properties, factories and processes,

whilst continuing vehicle and marine fire investigation work. In 2014, Luke completed John DeHaan

Theoretical and Practical Fire Investigation courses at Gardiner Associates Training and Research. In

2015, he completed the Fire Science and Fire Investigation course at the University of Edinburgh.

Since then, Luke has undertaken over 300 land-based fire investigations. These cases have included

small scale incidents to multi-million pound losses. Luke has given presentations and lectures to

insurers, lawyers and loss adjusters.

With his previous experience, Luke is also a member of Hawkins’ International and Shipping

Incidents team. Since joining, he has investigated major fires on general cargo vessels globally, which

included engine room and cargo hold fires.

Luke is an Associate based in our Reigate office.









Mr Nick Coogan


Services : Contamination & pollution, Crime investigation,

Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion, Marine

fires, Shipping & marine,

Location : Dubai


Telephone: +971 437 21260

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Science


Nick spent nine years with the Forensic Science Service in the UK carrying out police forensic work. He was trained in methods of forensic investigation and in preparing and presenting written and oral evidence for courts. He dealt with over 1000 cases and was awarded a Judge's Commendation and a Chief Constable's Commendation during his time there.

In 2009 Nick joined Hawkins and now specialises in the investigation of fire and explosion incidents. He has carried out over 450 investigations in a wide range of domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural and marine settings worldwide. These have included manufacturing and storage premises, construction sites, shopping centres, hotels, residential tower blocks, oil refineries and power stations, recycling and automotive centres, industrial machinery, air-handling ductwork, ships and vehicles. Causes of fires have included the failure of high and low voltage electrical equipment, faults in electrical appliances and lithium batteries, self-heating, hot work, arson and gas explosions. He has considerable experience of cases involving product recalls, public liability and product liability on behalf of corporate and insurance clients.

Nick also carries out investigations in a variety of other fields, including chemical incidents (such as material degradation and product damage), electrical incidents (such as electric shock), warehouse racking collapses, contamination assessment (such as water contamination of stock or equipment), engineering-related incidents and escapes of water and other fluids.

Nick is experienced in the legal process, having prepared numerous reports for litigation purposes, and has given evidence in court as an expert witness on many occasions.

Nick has been based in our Dubai office since 2015, having previously spent six years in our Cambridge office.











Mr Darren Cook


Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Vehicle,

plant & machinery fires, Fraud investigation,

Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

CEng Mechanical Engineering, Strathclyde University

MEng Mechanical Engineering, Strathclyde University

MIMechE Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers

AMIFireE Associate Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers Security clearance to SC Level for UK Defence Projects

Darren was sponsored through his MEng degree at Strathclyde University by NACCO Materials

Handling Group, designer and manufacturer of Hyster and Yale forklift trucks, where he spent four

summer placements working in Special Products Design, Test and Development, Manufacturing

Engineering, and Production.

After completing his degree, Darren worked for BAE Systems Surface Ships, based in Glasgow. He

worked there for four years, most recently as a Lead Research and Technology Engineer, leading a

wide range of novel research projects within the Naval Ship industry. Projects have included a

Concept Capability Demonstrator Programme of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle and sea trials

onboard HMS Bulwark aimed at improving the operability of UK Amphibious Warships.

He also has experience of test and commissioning of Type 45 Destroyers and spent four months on

secondment to Babcock Integrated Technology in Rosyth. He has Powerboat Level 2 Certification

and STCW 95 Personal Survival Techniques training.

Darren joined Hawkins in late 2011, and is handling the investigation of fires and explosions as well

as engineering losses.

Darren is a Senior Associate based in our Glasgow office.








Mr Graham Cooper


Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Personal injury,

Railway accidents, Shipping & marine,

Location : Singapore


Telephone: +65 6202 9281

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Materials Technology

MSc Advanced Materials Technology



Graham obtained his first degree in Materials Technology from Coventry Polytechnic and his Masters degree in Advanced Materials Technology from the University of Surrey. He has been a Chartered Engineer since 1991 and is a Professional Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining.

After graduation, he spent 10 years with British Aerospace where he was primarily involved with materials development, manufacturing support and aircraft defect investigation. He went on to work for British Airways in 1995 as their company metallurgist and defect investigation specialist before joining Burgoynes in 1998.

Graham has investigated over 500 mechanical and materials related cases including aircraft accidents and incidents, marine accidents and losses, road traffic accidents, rail accidents, oil and gas production and pipeline incidents, industrial process plant incidents and power generation turbine failures. He has previously worked in Singapore and has undertaken investigations in the UK, Ireland, Europe, South Africa, Middle East, Far East and Australia.

He has acted as an Expert Witness and Single Joint Expert in litigation cases and has given expert evidence in civil and criminal court cases, arbitrations and mediations.

Graham joined our Leeds office as a Principal Associate in August 2014, and is now based in our office in Singapore.








Mr Chris Dennis



Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Fraud investigation, Shipping & marine,



Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

MEng Mechanical Engineering - University of Birmingham

AMIMechE Associated Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers

In 2003, after completing his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, Chris began work as a Design and Project Engineer at a small start-up engineering company. During this time he helped develop a revolutionary form of liquid disinfection equipment that utilised microwave-powered ultraviolet lamps. Due to the small size of the company, Chris was heavily involved in virtually all aspects of the projects, including liaising closely with suppliers and customers that were based both in the UK and overseas.

In May 2007, the company was acquired by Severn Trent Services, allowing Chris to gain valuable experience working in a large multi-national engineering company. During this period, Chris continued to work on the ongoing development and testing of the different variants of the core technology. The work involved regular travel abroad, including helping to plan and run large scale field trials in the USA.

After almost 7 years working on the same overall project, Chris decided he needed a new challenge, and so in 2010 he joined Hawkins as a Fire and Explosion Investigator. Since then, he has investigated several hundred incidents, ranging in scale from minor domestic fires, to multi-million pound losses involving industrial premises, commercial premises and shipping.

Chris is a Principal Associate and the Regional Manager of our Birmingham Office.










Mr Gareth Dobinson

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Shipping & marine, Location : Cambridge Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - Loughborough University

CEng Chartered Engineer - Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers

DIS Diploma in Industrial Studies

MIMechE Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers

FEABHAS Software Conversion Training

University of Edinburgh Fire Science and Fire Investigation Course

Gareth started his career in engineering with an industrial placement during his third year at Loughborough University. The twelve months were spent working for Xerox as a Systems Engineer where he undertook a wide range of engineering work as well as developing a system to monitor paper control timings for a paper transport module. As part of his placement he spent five months working in Venray, Netherlands, integrating new products into the manufacturing line. On completion of his placement he received a bursary from Xerox for the final two years of his degree. His final year project was sponsored by Xerox and investigated "The environmental effects on glass reinforced plastic".

After completing his degree Gareth joined Xerox on their Graduate Engineering programme based in Welwyn Garden City. During his five years at Xerox, Gareth obtained a wealth of experiences in both the mechanical and software aspects of engineering. He started working in the Mechanical group where he was the lead engineer on a paper handling module.

This was followed up by two long term assignments to Senai, Malaysia and Wilsonville, USA. During his third year at Xerox Gareth undertook a conversion course in Software Engineering. The skills learnt on this course opened the door for Gareth to take on the role of Integration Engineer on a new Xerox product using prototype solid ink technology. During his last year at Xerox Gareth worked as a Project Engineer with responsibility for the implementation and integration of software and hardware for controllers of Xerox products manufactured in Southern Malaysia and Singapore. This role resulted in his second assignment to Senai, Malaysia.

During his time at Xerox Gareth gained Chartered status at the IMechE. He is also a Green Belt in Electro-mechanical and Software DfLSS and a qualified Scrum Master. In his last year at Xerox he was also awarded a place on Xerox's Business Seminar Scheme. Gareth joined Hawkins in 2011 and has since investigated fires in domestic and commercial premises as well as engineering failures.Gareth is a Senior Associate based in our Cambridge office.









Mr Graeme Drysdale

Job Title : Business Development Manager Services : N/A Location : Cambridge Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

ACII Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute

FGraeme joined the Glasgow Claims Department of Commercial Union in 1982 and left to join Thomas Howell Selfe as a trainee loss adjuster in 1986. Over the ensuing 16 years Graeme worked variously for Cunningham Hart, Willis Corroon, THG, Davies, Crawford & Co and GAB Robins, including a period of self-employment trading as Whittle Drysdale & Co.

In 2002 he joined AXA Corporate Claims, Ipswich handling Major Loss First Party & Casualty losses. He also enjoyed a short secondment increasing his knowledge of EL/PL and Motor Injury claims.

Graeme was attracted by the lure of the bright lights and in 2010 left to join Zurich Global Corporate in London as a Senior Adjuster, handling some of the highest value property damage claims in the global market on a lead basis. Graeme found this the most challenging and technically interesting job in his career so far.

Graeme joined Hawkins in May 2013 as Business Development Manager and brings his extensive contacts and experience of the workings of the London, UK and International Insurance Markets. He is based in Cambridge and has desks in our Glasgow and London offices. Graeme travels extensively meeting existing and potential customers.

He attained the ACII Diploma of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 1990 and qualified as a Chartered Loss Adjuster, ACILA in 1994. He is now a Chartered Insurer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters and retains a keen interest in insurance education. He is a committee member of the CILA Liability SIG and was honoured to be elected the Deputy President of the Insurance Institute of Cambridge in 2013.

He sees his role as both developing the business and maintaining Hawkins' excellent reputation. Please contact Graeme if you have any queries about service delivery or need advice on the appointment of an expert.CILA Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters


Dr Robert Edwards

Job Title : International Manager Services : Contamination & pollution, Crime investigation, Engineering, Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Fraud investigation, Shipping & marine, IMDG Cargo, IMSBC Cargo, Location : Manchester Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry - University of Wales, Cardiff

PhD Chemistry - University of Wales, Cardiff

PgC Higher Education - Liverpool John Moores University

FRSC Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

CChem Chartered Chemist

BOHS - P403 Buildings Surveys and Bulk Sampling for Asbestos

BOHS – P406 Supervision and Management of the Safe Removal and Disposal of Asbestos

After completing a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship, Robert joined Liverpool John Moores University as a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry. Here he developed a successful research programme in environmental chemistry and environmental analysis, publishing numerous papers in scientific journals and books and presenting research work at many national and international conferences.

Robert has lectured extensively on analytical, environmental and corrosion chemistry. He was the course leader for the University's MSc Analytical Chemistry course and was an assessor for the Higher Education Funding Council (Wales). Robert also gave annual lecture courses and workshops in Universities in Thailand, where he was a visiting lecturer.

Since joining Hawkins in 2001, Robert has specialised in post-fire, post-flood and post-chemical spill contamination investigations throughout the world. This work involves determining the effects of contaminants on buildings, production equipment, complex computer systems and products, including food stuffs, and providing advice on the long term effects of the contaminants and best remediation techniques for recovery.













During his time at Hawkins, Robert successfully completed the BOHS course for surveying buildings for asbestos and has since carried out asbestos contamination surveys following various incidents in the UK and Europe.

Robert has also conducted many forensic fire investigations in a variety of domestic and industrial situations. He is experienced in the legal process and has been involved in providing independent advice in the form of verbal and written evidence in both civil and criminal cases relating to fire investigation and contamination work.

Robert is currently a Principal Associate based in the Manchester office.

Mr Jonathan Emm

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Location : Manchester Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Materials Engineering Loughborough University



Recipient of the Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate

Jonathan's engineering career began at Morganite Thermal Ceramics. Here he ran projects to develop a non-destructive testing technique for their foundry ceramic products, as well as a new product with very high thermal shock resistance.

Jonathan joined BAE SYSTEMS in 2000 as an engineer in the Advanced Technology Centre, Stealth Materials Group. He ran development and application engineering projects there, mostly using elastomeric and composite materials as radar absorbent or transparent media. These were applied to military aircraft, ships and vehicles. This work enabled him to develop strong project management skills and in his last year he led a team of engineers and scientists in developing a sprayable, radar absorbent coating for aircrafts.

In 2003 Jonathan joined Cytec Engineered Materials, where he ran qualification testing programmes for aerospace composite materials and provided technical advice and assistance to customers, particularly in relation to processing issues. His customers included Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, with whom he worked to incorporate advanced, recently developed materials into their aircraft structures.

Jonathan joined Hawkins in January 2007, where he trained in the investigation of fires and explosions to add to his engineering expertise. Jonathan has now been involved with a broad range of forensic engineering investigations, including materials failures, escapes of water and other fluids, personal injury cases, property break-ins and component failures in machinery and appliances. He specialises in materials issues, particularly with composites and non-metals. He has investigated numerous fires and explosions in residential, commercial and industrial premises.

Jonathan has experience with the legal process and has been involved in producing statements and giving advice to the Police, loss adjusters, lawyers and the Fire Service. He has given expert witness evidence in Court.

Jonathan is currently a Senior Associate based in the Manchester office.









Mrs Nicola Fallowfield-Smith

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering 1st Class - University of Reading, 2008



Nicola graduated with a 1st Class Honours Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Reading. As part of her degree she completed a research project studying the mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of knitted materials and structures. Nicola also carried out an industrial placement with Sonardyne Ltd and successfully helped to develop high grade pizeo-composite transducers for use in a number of deep sea sensor products.

After graduating, Nicola worked in the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) industry, specifically in the oil and gas sector, for Fluor and then KBR. She specialised as a mechanical and materials engineer, specifying equipment and materials for large scale oil and gas processing plants around the world.

Nicola is currently a Senior Associate based in our Reigate office. Since joining Hawkins in 2010 she has specialised in investigations into escapes of water and oil, engineering failures and fires. She has led investigations of a domestic, industrial and commercial nature which have ranged from small losses through to multimillion pound claims.

Nicola is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. She is experienced in the legal process and the preparation of CPR Part 35 compliant reports.









Dr Christabel Fitzpatrick

Job Title: Associate

Services: Engineering,

Location: Cambridge

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01223420400

Qualifications

MEng Aerospace Materials, Imperial College London

PhD Micromechanisms and micromechanics of Zircaloy-4, Imperial College London

Christabel graduated from Imperial College London with a 1st Class degree in Aerospace Materials.

She carried out a summer internship at Rolls-Royce where she worked on the Joint Strike Fighter

project investigating the presence of defects in linear friction welds.

Following her Masters Degree, she continued her studies at Imperial College completing a PhD in the

deformation mechanisms of zirconium alloys used in nuclear submarines. During this time, she was

seconded to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she worked alongside the Suresh

Research Group. Her PhD involved the use of traditional materials characterisation techniques

including Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron

Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction, as well as computational modelling.

Having completed her PhD Christabel worked as a consultant for Efficio, London, where she

specialised in procurement optimisation across a wide range of industries including civil service,

engineering and defence.

In 2013 Christabel relocated to Northern Ireland where she worked as a Materials Development

Engineer at Schrader Electronics. She was responsible for the testing and characterisation of

conceptual and current materials and her work involved failure analysis of electrical components

including battery tag failures, characterisation of solder composition for PCB/battery failures and

microscopy of PCBs to investigate possible delamination.

Christabel then joined the University of Ulster as a Research Engineer in the Northern Ireland

Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) facility where she worked with several aerospace

companies investigating the effect of recycling on the physical and mechanical properties of

PEEK/carbon fibre composites. Continuing her work on composites, she joined CCP Gransden as a

Project Manager and was responsible for the introduction of a major defence product to market.

The role involved extensive understanding of the product including bill of materials, mechanical

drawings, and pre/post production tests.

Christabel is an Associate based in our Cambridge office.



Dr Richard John Fletcher


Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion,



Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Applied Chemistry

PhD Influence of oscillating magnetic fields on microbial growth and corrosion


Richard started his career in science with an industrial placement during his third year at University.

The first six months were spent working in the Chemistry Section of the Naval Aircraft Materials

Laboratory (NAML) where he undertook a wide range of analytical work as well as being involved in

investigating mid-air collisions of MOD aircraft. The second six months were spent working in the

fuel additive section of Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals. He was responsible for testing and identifying

the fuel additives for multi-national petroleum companies and the development of new additives.

After completing his degree, Richard continued to study at Portsmouth University for his PhD.

After leaving University Richard worked for a small Dorset based electronic and materials

development company. He developed corrosion monitoring equipment and crack detection systems

for the rail industry and assisted in the investigation into the cause of a major UK rail accident.

Richard joined Hawkins in 2006 and since that time he has investigated fires in domestic and

commercial premises as well as vehicle fires. He has also been instructed on cases relating to the

failure of buried pipes, personal injuries and accidental damage.

Since joining Hawkins, Richard has undertaken the BOHS P100 Asbestos Survey course, Chartered

Institute of Environmental Health, Level 2 Conflict Resolution and Personal Safety and the Bond

Solon Expert Witness Familiarisation course.




Dr Richard Fletcher


Services : Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Shipping

& marine,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc Eng (Hons) Electrical Engineering Imperial College London

PhD Power Electronics Imperial College London

CEng FIET Chartered Electrical Engineer

Richard started his career in academia working first as a Research Assistant and then as a Lecturer in the field of electrical machines and power electronic drives at Imperial College London.

After ten years at Imperial College Richard moved to Brush Traction in 1990 as Principal Engineer to carry out research and development on Railway Propulsion Equipment. In 1992 Richard moved to Hawkins.

Since joining Hawkins he has carried out over 1000 forensic investigations involving electrical engineering, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. Richard has investigated fires in vehicles, domestic settings, large commercial and industrial buildings and onboard aircraft and ships. Richard has assisted a number of corporate clients with product liability issues and investigated numerous personal injuries involving electric shock, electrocution and electrical burns.

Richard is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates, County and Crown Courts on many occasions. He has wide experience of advising solicitors and Counsel on technical issues.

Richard became an Associate Director of Hawkins in 2002, Director in 2004 and Managing Director in 2006. After a very successful tenure as Managing Director he stepped down from the Board in 2013, to return to forensic investigation and he is currently a Principal Associate in our Cambridge office.







Ms Melissa Gartside


Services : Engineering,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BEng(Hons) Materials Science & Technology, University of Birmingham

MPhil Materials Engineering, University of Birmingham

Melissa has almost 20 years’ experience in materials engineering. After graduating from the University of Birmingham, she joined Federal-Mogul Technology in 1998. Here Melissa worked on various research and development projects for materials and processing of components including pistons, cylinder head gaskets, bearings, connecting rods and brake pads.

Melissa then joined Cosworth Racing in 2000, where she worked with casting, forging, heat treatment and coating suppliers to investigate and eliminate quality issues. She later became a Materials Engineer and worked on new materials, heat treatments and coatings for engine components and performed failure investigations of both engine and vehicle components.

In 2005, Melissa moved to Caterpillar as a Senior Materials Engineer in the Materials Engineering department which covered all the Caterpillar UK facilities. Here she gained experience of investigating failures of diesel engines, off-highway vehicles and factory & test cell components. She also worked with design and development engineers to promote early involvement of materials engineers in order to prevent failures later in the development cycle. Melissa was the technical lead on an Innovation UK co-funded research and development project to investigate a design methodology combining predictive modelling of casting strength and failure probability to produce castings optimised for either strength or weight.

Melissa joined Hawkins in 2017 and is currently an Associate based in our Cambridge office.



Eur Ing Paul Gee



explosion, Fraud investigation, Railway accidents,



Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester 1997




Paul started his career in engineering in 1988, with a four year technician apprenticeship with GEC Traction at its Trafford Park headquarters.

Following the completion of his apprenticeship, Paul took the position of a Laboratory Technician in the now renamed GEC Alsthom Traction's engineering laboratory, based at its Preston headquarters. In this role Paul was working within the electrical division covering product type testing, environmental testing, mechanical testing, EMC testing and product failure investigation of rail traction equipment. From this Paul was then promoted to Technician Engineer status to lead all aspects of the validation of its newly formed company ALSTOM Auxiliary Converters Ltd. During this time Paul completed a five year part-time degree course qualifying highest in the year and was awarded the IEE Institution Prize for distinction on the course.

On graduation in 1997, Paul took the position of Design Engineer, then Lead Design Engineer within the ALSTOM Auxiliary Converter Business. Paul led the design on many auxiliary power supplies for use on all types of rail vehicles including trams and trolleybuses in the power range of 10 to 300kVA, for both AC single/three phase applications and DC battery charging systems. In 1998 Paul took the opportunity to participate in a one year engineering exchange programme working in Belgium on the design of a 265kVA auxiliary converter for use on a metro style vehicle for the Singaporean Government.

In 2000 Paul took the position of Research and Development engineer with a small privately owned electronics company in Manchester, specialising in the design of switch mode lighting power









supplies for the use in film and television industry. These lighting power supplies covered the range of 100W to 18kW and provided supply for both AC and DC lighting equipment.

In 2004 Paul moved to Rolls-Royce to take the role of Principal Engineer within its Distributed Generation Systems (DGS) business at its Cheshire headquarters. The company's primary customer is the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD); hence all equipment designed has to meet the widest range of operating environments especially with regard to temperature, induced mechanical stress and the Electromagnetic environment. In this role Paul led the design and validation of electrical power generators, distribution systems, auxiliary power units and electric drives for military vehicles. Paul's primary role during his time with Rolls-Royce was the development of the next generation military power generation system, utilizing variable speed technology (power electronics) to provide a power dense highly fuel efficient solution to mobile power generation in the sub 50kVA power range.

Paul joined Hawkins in 2013 and is currently an Associate based in our Manchester office.

Mr Ian Giddings

Job Title : Principal Associate and IT Director Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Power & Energy, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Electronic Systems - Brunel University


Ian gained sponsorship for his degree from GEC Satchwell Control Systems. Whilst studying for his degree he also undertook periods of formal training with Satchwell in their Electromechanical Section, Technical Laboratory and the London North Office. After obtaining his degree with honours, Ian worked as a design engineer for Satchwell.

Ian utilised his knowledge of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering to take a number of projects from concept to manufacture. These projects included the design of microprocessor based control systems, valve actuators and gearboxes. He was also responsible for project planning and the ISO 9001 documentation for each of his designs.

In 1999 Ian joined Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP as a Consulting Engineer, where he specialised in the forensic investigation of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian conducted around 400 investigations and was appointed on several occasions to present expert evidence in accordance with Part 35 of the CPR and also for criminal proceedings.

In 2006 Ian joined Hawkins' office in Reigate, Surrey where he continues to carry out forensic investigations of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian has conducted a wide range of investigations including fires in domestic, commercial and industrial premises, fires in domestic appliances, fires involving electrical distribution equipment, vehicle fires, explosions and escapes of water.

Ian is a Principal Associate in our Reigate office and our Director of IT.










Mr Richard Giles-Carlsson


Services : Civil & Structural Engineering,



Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

MEng Civil Engineering, Imperial College London

IEng Incorporated Engineer

MICE Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers

Richard graduated from Imperial College in 2012 with a first class degree in Civil Engineering. During university Richard was sponsored by Laing O’Rourke gaining experience on two different projects.

On graduation Richard proceeded to join Laing O’Rourke as a Site Engineer supervising the construction of Bond Street Station Upgrade in London. During this project he gained experience in underpinning, mini piling, precast concrete installation, temporary works installation and inspection and waterproofing to concrete structures.

In 2014 Richard joined the tunnelling team at the Bond Street Station Upgrade project as a Tunnelling Engineer and Section Engineer. He supervised the construction of spray concrete lined tunnels, hand excavated tunnels and modifications to the existing passageway tunnels within Bond Street Station. Then in 2015, still employed by Laing O’Rourke, he worked at the Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment project in Manchester as a Section Engineer.

Richard joined our growing Civil & Structural Engineering capability in 2017. He is currently an Associate based in our Manchester office.



Mrs Camilla Gosling

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Location : Bristol Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) University of Durham, 2005 - Chemistry

MSc University of Strathclyde, 2006 - Forensic Science

AMRSC Associate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry

MCSFS Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences

Camilla has an MSc in Forensic Science, from the University of Strathclyde, which included a research project at LGC Forensics, Culham entitled "A population study of polyurethane foam fragments present in outer clothing and in pockets". She also has a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from the University of Durham.

Since joining Hawkins in 2006, Camilla has been involved in researching paint spillage patterns, including the mechanics of falling paint and paint containers, also researching into the burning of different flooring types using cigarettes and a variety of irons. She has been involved in the forensic investigation of domestic and commercial insurance claims including paint and varnish spillages, accidental damages and staged break-ins. She has also been instructed on cases relating to personal injuries and the wear characteristics of car keys.

From 2007, Camilla has carried out numerous investigations into fires and explosions. These cases have varied in scale ranging from small domestic incidents to large multi-million pound losses involving domestic properties, vehicles, retail, industrial and agricultural premises. Camilla has prepared expert witness reports for use in litigation and has completed the Bond Solon Courses in investigative interviewing and giving oral evidence in Court.

Camilla is a Senior Associate based in the Bristol Office.







Ms Sarah Griffith


Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BSc Hons Applied Chemistry, Thames Polytechnic

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Chartered Chemist

Chartered Scientist

Sarah has over 25 years’ experience as a forensic fire investigator and has attended over a thousand scenes. Starting her career in the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory in 1986, during which time she gained her degree and practical experience in several disciplines of forensic science, she then worked for the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in London. Sarah has experience in dealing with fire investigation cases of a complex, high profile and serious nature. She has undertaken a wide range of laboratory examinations on the various types of items recovered from fire scenes, such as the analysis of items recovered from fire scenes for ignitable liquids. Sarah has given evidence as an expert witness in Crown and Corner’s Courts on a large number of occasions, and has provided guidance to Counsel in preparation for cross-examination of the opposing expert.

Specialising in fire investigations in domestic, commercial and industrial premises, Sarah joined Hawkins in 2012 and is currently an Associate based in our London office.




Dr Roy Hawkins

Job Title : Consultant

Services : N/A



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Physics - Queen Mary College, London

PhD Infrared Techniques in Studying Semiconductors, University of Essex

MA University of Cambridge


MInstP, CPhys Member of Institute of Physics, Chartered Physicist

MIFireE Member of Institution of Fire Engineers

Roy started his career in 1968 as Senior Physicist at Cambridge Consultants Limited and then in 1970 co-founded the P A Technology and Science Centre. His work included new product innovation and consultancy on company development.

In 1973 Roy was appointed Assistant Director in Industrial Co-operation in the University of Cambridge, helping to move research ideas and skills from the University into the commercial marketplace. The work involved numerous consultancy and research projects, one of which examined the scientific facilities available in the United Kingdom to Fire Brigades and the methods whereby fire officers determined supposed causes of fires.

To advise on this Roy had to find out how fire cause investigation was carried out and how it could be done better. This proved to be much more fun than what he was employed to do, and it was also clear that there was a commercial opportunity since only one major company was providing services to the Insurance and Legal sectors.

In 1976 Roy left the University to work as a private consultant, developing his fire investigation experience and techniques, and becoming involved in other incident investigations while also carrying on general consultancy work that included planning computer-controlled logistics and


warehousing facilities for a major group of companies and the development and application of various computer software packages.

As the investigation work developed the next move was to recruit good people and to set up a formal company structure, and in 1980 Roy set up R B Hawkins & Associates Limited to provide consulting scientist/engineering services particularly for the Insurance and Legal professions.

Investigations carried out by Roy have included:

•Fires or explosions in a range of premises such as chemical plant and refineries, power stations, factories and offices, warehouses and cold stores, cinemas, restaurants, pubs and clubs, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as in private dwellings

•Engineering failures and personal injury ranging from refinery and smelter malfunctions to supermarket 'slips and trips'

•Railway-related problems including derailments, level crossing incidents, rail worker fatalities and platform accidents.

In 2000 Roy stepped down from the post of Managing Director to become a Consultant with the company. By this time the company had grown to work from 4 offices and employed some 20 consultants.

Mr Richard Heath


Services : Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Personal

injury, Power & Energy,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering

CEng MIET Chartered Electrical Engineer

After obtaining a First Class Honours Degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of York in 1996, Richard began his career working for the research and development organisation of Nortel Networks, a manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, investigating methods for improving the capacity, resilience and flexibility of optical transmission networks. During this time his work generated intellectual property and he co-authored several patents.

In 2004, Richard joined Hawkins as a Forensic Investigator working on behalf of insurers, utilities providers, local authorities and private companies. He specialises in the investigation of fires, explosions and electrical engineering losses. He has undertaken many forensic investigations of fires in industrial and commercial premises. In addition he investigates domestic and vehicle/machinery fire losses. He also investigates electrical engineering failures leading to electric shocks, electrocutions, failures of alarm systems and electronic control systems, personal injuries and electrical equipment damage.

He has given evidence as an expert witness in Civil and Coroner’s Courts.








Mr John Holland


Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion,

Fraud investigation, Personal injury,

Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

BE (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, 2000



John graduated with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland. As part of his degree he developed an automatic moisture sensor for use in the peat industry for which he was awarded the Hewlett Packard national award for innovation in engineering.

After a brief period with Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Peru, John returned to Ireland to take up a position as a mechanical design engineer with Timoney Technology, where he specialised in the design and development of Hydropneumatic Suspension Systems for specialty off road vehicles. In this role he also gained considerable experience with computer aided engineering techniques such as Finite Element Analysis and Vehicle Multi-body Dynamic Analysis.

John was appointed engineering manager with Timoney Technology and took over full technical responsibility for all engineering projects and products. Projects of note include the DARPA Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle, the USMC Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Vehicle and the Timoney ADT Independent Suspension Axle System manufactured under licence by Terex Equipment Ltd.

John was also involved with the Ginaf Rally Power and DeRooy race teams for the 2007 Dakar Rally and has numerous automotive suspension patents filed in his name.

John is the Regional Manager of our Glasgow office and specialises in the investigation of fires, explosions, engineering failures and road traffic accidents. His level of experience in the design of heavy duty off road vehicles gives him a unique insight into incidents involving HGVs.








Ms Sarah Hooton

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Location : London Email : [email protected] Telephone: 020 7481 4897

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide


MIFireE Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers

Sarah graduated with a first class degree in Civil Engineering, specialising in Structural Engineering from the University of Adelaide in 2001. She has since developed a career in design and construction with over 15 years’ experience at Ove Arup & Partners in their London, Birmingham and Hong Kong offices.

Commencing as a Bridge Engineer in their Birmingham branch, Sarah worked on the design of a variety of civil engineering projects including the M42 widening scheme and the design of the East London Line Project (now known as part of the London Overground railway). On the East London Line Project, she was seconded as Site Engineer for Transport for London, managing Health and Safety, Quality and Programme.

Upon returning to design consultancy in London, Sarah joined the fire engineering team, following an interest in fire safety design, where she developed fire strategies for low and high-rise residential buildings, commercial, railway stations, bus garages, museums and sports stadia; including the development of the London 2012 Velodrome fire strategy. Additionally, Sarah’s Fire Consultancy included advice across design, construction and operation, and she gained extensive experience in assisting architects to obtain approval for Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations.

From 2010-2011, Sarah worked in Ove Arup & Partners’ Hong Kong office, gaining valuable experience in the Hong Kong regulations and approach to fire safety; including design and management of retail, office, residential, railway and racecourse buildings.

In 2015, Sarah’s skills and experience as a Fire Engineer were accredited with the award of Chartered Engineer through the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Sarah joined Hawkins in 2018 and is currently an Associate in our London office.




Mr Gary Hotchkiss

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Power & Energy, Railway accidents, Location : Hong Kong Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BSc (Eng), ACGI Electrical Engineering - Imperial College



In 1980 Gary began his engineering career as a sponsored student with Brush Electrical Machines Ltd. After graduating he remained with the company working on the design of electrical propulsion equipment for rail vehicles. During this time he spent several months working in Canada, commissioning and solving design issues on new subway vehicles.

In 1990 Gary joined Briway Transit Systems as the Power Electronics Engineer, part of a team of engineers designing and developing a prototype rapid transit vehicle. Gary's area of responsibility was the electric drive equipment and auxiliary electrical system.

In 1992 Gary moved to Hunslet TPL (which later became Holec and finally Transys Projects Ltd) as a Senior Electrical Engineer, responsible for the design of electrical systems on passenger trains as well as fault finding and identification of design solutions. He also dealt with issues of electromagnetic compatibility between the electrical systems on trains and trackside signalling equipment and, as Manager - Safety Cases, the preparation of risk assessments and safety cases for new passenger trains.

Gary brought his considerable experience in electrical engineering and problem solving skills to Hawkins in 1999 where he trained in fire and explosion investigation. Gary has since conducted numerous investigations into the causes of fires in domestic buildings, commercial premises and vehicles as well as several explosions involving gases and dust. Gary also specialises in the investigation of electrical failures and personal injuries caused by electricity.

Gary is experienced in the legal process and has provided impartial expert advice in reports and by giving evidence orally. He is currently a Principal Associate based in our Hong Kong office.












Mr Paul Hughes

Job Title : Associate Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Location : London Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MEng Civil and Structural Engineering

Graduate ICE Institute of Civil Engineers

Paul left Newcastle University in 2007 with a Masters Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering. As part of his course of study he spent a year at the National University of Singapore on a graduate exchange programme. He joined Royal Haskoning, Maritime Division, working from the design office on a wide variety of projects including ports, shipyards, dry docks, terminals and other maritime structures. During this time he was also seconded to BAM Nuttall, working on the London Olympic site overseeing the construction of bridges and retaining walls.

In 2011, Paul joined 2H Offshore and over the next five years worked from London, Paris, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur on the design and management of specialist offshore projects. He expanded his engineering knowledge into subsea systems, specialising in the design, structural analysis and integrity management of riser and conductor systems. This included the design and construction of minimal facilities platforms and subsea structures for hybrid risers.

Paul joined Hawkins in 2016 in order to further expand the civil engineering capability of the company.



Dr Will Hutchinson


Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation,

Location : Leeds


Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BSC (Hons) Applied Chemistry

PhD The development of infrared active sensors for the measurement of inhomogeneous systems


Will started his career in science with an industrial placement during his third year at University. The twelve months were spent working for Wacker Chemie in Germany where he undertook a wide range of analytical chemistry work as well as developing on-line monitoring processes for large scale chemical reactions. His final year project was spent at The University of New Mexico where he worked on the development of metal alloy membranes for the selective filtering of gases.

After completing his degree, Will continued to study at Nottingham Trent University for his PhD. His work involved the development of sensors immobilised on silica supports. This also allowed for the synthesis of novel molecular sensors that could be interrogated using infrared spectroscopy.

After leaving University, Will worked for the Forensic Science Service based in Huntingdon. He worked as a Senior Forensic Scientist for nine years and specialised in the fields of trace evidence and fire investigation. During that time Will was involved in a large variety of cases including high profile murders and sexual assaults. He has been awarded a Police Commendation for one such murder case. Will has also been involved in the development and delivery of forensic training packages to overseas police forces. In his role as a Senior Forensic Scientist, Will has regularly attended court as an expert witness and has a strong understanding of the Criminal Justice System.

Will joined Hawkins in 2010 and since that time he has investigated fires in domestic and commercial premises as well as vehicle fires.

Will is a Senior Associate based our Leeds office.





Mr Andy Ingle

Job Title : Associate Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Engineering, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

BEng(Hons) Civil Engineering

Diploma Water & Environmental Management



DipCII (Claims) Chartered Insurance Institute Diploma in Insurance Claims Handling

BDMA InsTech British Damage Management Association Insurance Technician Accreditation

CUBS Cardiff University and Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate

Andy started his career working in a civil / structural design office carrying out structural and geotechnical analysis and design for commercial office developments before joining Thames Water. During six years at Thames Water he was involved in the design of a number of sewerage and sewage treatment schemes and spent a year supervising the construction of a major urban sewer renewal scheme.

In 1997 Andy moved into Loss Adjusting, expanding his engineering knowledge into the insurance arena and specialising in the investigation and rectification of structural damage associated with ground movement.

Working initially for Loss Adjusters Cunningham Lindsey and then Crawford and Company before joining Halifax Home Insurance (now part of Lloyds Banking Group) Andy has determined the causes of a wide range of losses from small domestic claims for water ingress through to retaining wall failures and catastrophic building collapses.

In addition to his investigative experience, Andy also has extensive claims handling and property reinstatement experience in respect of damage caused by ground movement, flooding, water ingress, escapes of water and vehicle impacts as well as damage to underground services. He also has experience of legal liability claims in respect of tree root nuisance.

Andy joined our Reigate office in July 2015 in order to further expand the civil engineering and building capability of the company.




Dr Jake Irwin

Job Title : Associate Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Location : Birmingham Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BSc Chemistry - Massey University, New Zealand

MSc Chemistry - Massey University, New Zealand

PhD Chemistry - University of Sydney, Australia


MACS Member of the American Chemical Society

After completing a PhD at the University of Sydney, Jake joined the National Measurement Institute of Australia producing certified analytical reference materials. He then took a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Warwick, performing chemical synthesis and analysis for a wide variety of projects.

In 2006 Jake joined the Forensic Science Service as a Researcher and then R&D Science Manager in the physical sciences. He led progress in the analytical sciences (in particular the toxicology & illicit drug testing fields) and drove the development and implementation of quality assurance standards at a European level. Jake also worked on many collaborative projects with universities and other research organisations. Since joining Hawkins in 2012 as a fire investigator, Jake has investigated many fire scenes from small domestic losses to large commercial losses. More recently Jake has also investigated chemical, post-fire and post-flood contamination events.

Jake is currently an Associate based in the Birmingham office.





Dr Eleanor Jay

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Personal injury, Railway accidents, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng (Hons) Materials Science and Engineering, Imperial College London

PhD Phosphate Mineral Phases for Nuclear Waste Form Development, in the Department of Materials, Imperial College London

CEng

CSci

MIMMM Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

ARSM Associate of Royal School of Mines

Eleanor graduated with a 1st Class Masters Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London. Following this, she was employed at Industrial Research Limited in New Zealand (now Callaghan Innovation). Here she developed specialised ceramic filters for use in hydrogen cells, assisting in the purification of hydrogen.

After her first degree she went on to complete a PhD at Imperial College, researching ceramic materials for nuclear (high temperature and pressure) applications. During this time she worked closely with a number of nuclear establishments across the globe with whom she collaborated. Eleanor also spent time in Nanyang Technology University in Singapore, where she investigated ceramic systems for a variety of energy applications such as fuel cells. Eleanor's PhD work required the use of mathematical, computing and analytical methods alongside more traditional experimental techniques.

After completing her PhD, Eleanor worked as a Research Associate for Imperial College, but was quickly seconded to the Government Office for Science and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to be part of the Nuclear Energy Research and Development Review Board, chaired by the Chief Scientist at the time, Sir John Beddington. The work was commissioned after the House of Lords published a critical report on the future of nuclear energy. She was heavily involved in assessing the UK's nuclear energy landscape, which involved close communication with stakeholders across the nuclear industry in the UK (including academia, industry and government departments).







Eleanor delivered a review of the UK's nuclear research and development landscape, which was published together with a roadmap and strategy.

After this Eleanor then took up a consultant position with Adelard LLP, who specialise in risk, security and safety analysis for a wide range of industries; defence, nuclear, rail and critical frameworks. Whilst at Adelard, Eleanor established a new specialist work area in hydraulic fracturing.

Eleanor is a Chartered Engineer based in our Reigate office and specialises in material failures (ceramic, glass, polymers, metals), metallurgy, escapes of water and oil, system failures, and personal injury.

Mr Richard Keightley


Services : Contamination & pollution, Engineering, Hydrology, Escapes of

water, gas & fluid,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 207 481 4897

Qualifications

PgDipSci Physical Geography, Victoria University

BSc Physical Geography and Environmental Studies, Victoria University

C.WEM Chartered Water and Environmental Manager, Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

C.Env Chartered Environmentalist, Society for the Environment (SocEnv)

MCIWEM Member of Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

Richard graduated from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science specialising in physical geography and environmental studies. After graduation he worked for several years in hydrology at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. In 2008 he moved to the United Kingdom and joined Waterman Group’s transport and development division as an engineer. During this time he specialised in hydrological/hydraulic modelling, flood mitigation design, flood risk assessment and transport impact assessment, carrying out a number of projects to support Local Development Plans and planning applications.

In 2010 Richard returned to New Zealand and joined Wellington Water, a council-owned organisation responsible for managing the potable water, wastewater and stormwater services for the greater Wellington region. As an investigation and design engineer and later as senior engineer, he carried out a wide range of investigations into operational issues including flooding, water leakage and pollution incidents. He was then promoted to a new position of modelling manager where he established and led a hydraulic modelling, asset condition/deterioration modelling and geospatial analysis team, to improve the organisation’s risk management, operational investigation and strategic planning capability. During this time he also completed a postgraduate diploma in physical geography, specialising in hydrology and geospatial analysis.

In 2015 he moved back to London and joined Capita Property and Infrastructure’s Water and Environment Team as a Principal Consultant, where he delivered a number of projects for the Environment Agency, local authorities and private clients. He specialised primarily in flooding investigation, flood risk assessment and options appraisal but he also delivered projects in flood forecasting, climate change impact assessment, structural inspection / assessment of bridges, and contingency plans in the event of failure of river level management structures.

Richard joined Hawkins in July 2017 and is an Associate based in our London office.



https://www.hawkins.biz/services/engineering/hydrology




Dr Anna Knight



Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Natural Science - University of Bath

MSc (Hons) Forensic Engineering & Science - Cranfield University (RMCS)

PhD Novel Methods of Non-destructive Depth Profiling Tomography Cranfield University (RMCS)

AIFireE Associate of the Institution of Fire Engineers

IAAI Member of the International Association of Arson Investigators

After completing her first degree and before starting her Masters Degree, Anna carried out a summer placement with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). Her role there involved investigating the failure of a diverse range of items from defective aircraft hatches to electronic components.

Following her Masters Degree, Anna was employed at the Lothian and Borders Police Forensic Science Laboratory, Edinburgh where she was trained in the examination of items for paint and glass residue and the presentation of scientific evidence for use in Police investigations.

Anna's PhD involved the non-destructive analysis of materials such as hydroxyapatite (used for hip replacements) and cadmium sulphide in order to determine the structure and composition materials with depth. This required the use of a number of mathematical, computing and analytical techniques.

Anna joined Hawkins in 2005, specialising as a fire and explosion investigator, although she also investigates other incidents, such as paint spills and other damage incidents. She has carried out numerous forensic investigations, which have varied greatly in scale from relatively small domestic incidents to large warehouse fires.

Anna has, as part of her Masters Degree, completed the well renowned Bond Solon course relating to reporting and giving oral evidence in Court, which she has used in the course of her time here at Hawkins. Anna has also completed the Fire Protection Association course on Hot Works, a Confined Space Training course provided by Essential Health & Safety Ltd and a number of internal training courses. Since joining Hawkins, Anna has provided impartial advice to the Police, loss adjusters, lawyers and insurers.

Anna is currently a Principal Associate based in the Reigate office.





Ms Rosalind Lambert-Porter

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Acoustics Engineering, Personal injury, Noise induced hearing loss, Location : Cambridge Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1223 420400

Qualifications

BSc Audiology, University of Cape Town

PG Diploma Acoustics and Noise Control, Institute of Acoustics

MSc Applied Acoustics, University of Derby

Vibrations Analyst Level II, Vibration Institute of Australia

Member of the Institute of Acoustics

Member of the Institute of Engineering Design

Member of the Institute of Sound and Communication Engineers

Member of the British Society of Audiology

Member of the Institute of Science and Technology

Rosalind is an acoustics consultant with degrees in both Audiology and Acoustics. With consulting experience in the United Kingdom, Africa and Australia, she has had a varied career in different sectors from vibration monitoring in mining and creation of hearing conservation programmes through to environmental noise impact and school acoustics design. Her particular area of interest, given her background in both hearing science and noise control, is in acoustics in the workplace with a focus on the impact of noise on wellbeing.


https://www.hawkins.biz/services/engineering/acoustics-engineering


https://www.hawkins.biz/services/personal-injury/noise-induced-hearing-loss

https://www.hawkins.biz/services/personal-injury/noise-induced-hearing-loss


Dr Paul Lemon

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Slips, trips & falls, Personal injury, Location : Leeds Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Engineering Physics

PhD The Microstructure of Organic Polymer Gas Sensors

CSci Chartered Scientist

CPhys Chartered Physicist




During his first degree, Paul spent a year with the Health & Safety Executive as part of a small team which developed HSE's understanding of the causes of pedestrian accidents. On completion, Paul moved to the Materials Research Institute (Sheffield) to study the effects of microstructure on the electrical characteristics of conducting polymers used to detect odours in the first commercially available 'electronic nose'.

During his PhD, Paul returned to the Health & Safety Executive's Laboratory (HSL) as a Higher Scientist, and led research into the causes and means of prevention of slips, trips and stair falls, resulting in the production of HSE Guidance and feeding into numerous British Standards. After becoming a Senior Scientist, Paul led HSL's slips trips and stair falls forensic investigation team and acted as HSE's principal Expert Witness for cases involving pedestrian accidents. On becoming HSL's Research Technical Leader for pedestrian safety, Paul headed HSL's research into this subject, including their input into a large pan-European research project and the two largest research projects into slips and falls ever undertaken by HSE.

In his later years with HSL, Paul maintained responsibility for the authorisation of their slip, trip and stair fall forensic reports and represented HSE on several British Standards Committees, taking part in the production of numerous National Standards and HSE Guidance documents. Paul has developed a substantial list of publications in this subject area, and still regularly writes a column in the trade press.




Mr Justin Lewis

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Crime investigation, Location : Cambridge Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry University of Birmingham




Justin joined Hawkins in 2012 after a career spanning over 21 years in the Forensic Science Service (FSS). He was a Principal Forensic Scientist with the FSS and acted as an expert witness in a wide range of criminal cases involving murder, attempted murder, arson, rape, robbery, firearms offences, burglary and criminal damage. He was the National Scientific Lead for Fire Investigation and was responsible for scientific standard setting in Case Assessment and Interpretation.

From 1999 to 2006 he was a Specialist Advisor in the Major Crime Service where he formulated forensic strategy, trained Senior Investigating Officers and reviewed cold cases. He also advised senior police officers in the Caribbean on undetected murder cases.

He has acted as an expert witness to the Criminal Justice System in cases involving glass, paint, fibres, footwear marks, tool marks, particulates, accelerants and fire/explosion investigation. He has presented evidence on many occasions in Magistrates' Court, Crown Court, at Coroner's Inquests and at the Appeal Court.

He is experienced in ISO 17025 accreditation and a scientific auditor.

Justin joined Hawkins as a fire and explosion investigator and specialises in domestic and commercial incidents.





Mr Ian Major

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Highways engineering, Personal injury, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng (distinction) Civil Engineering - University of Surrey (1995)

CEng Chartered Engineer (2001)


Ian started his career working for Aspen Burrow Crocker on a variety of civil engineering projects. He was involved in the design of numerous highway and infrastructure schemes, waste transfer stations and the Thameslink rail project. He has also spent time supervising construction work on site including a year working at wastewater treatment plants. In 1999, Ian joined Hyder Consulting where he spent 11 years working predominantly on the design and project management of major infrastructure projects including the N5 in Ireland, the A2 widening in Kent and the A421 improvements in Bedfordshire.

Ian joined Hawkins in 2010, specialising in the investigation of property damage and personal injuries involving civil engineering and building incidents. He is also an experienced fire investigator, having investigated over 200 fires including major and complex losses in domestic, commercial and industrial premises.

In his specialist field of engineering, Ian has determined the causes of a wide range of losses from small domestic claims of water ingress through to catastrophic building collapses. Other examples of incidents that Ian has investigated include wall failures, subsidence, flooding and problems associated with ground-borne vibration. Much of this work has involved advising on matters in relation to the requirements of Building Regulations and relevant design standards.

Ian is the Regional Manager of the Reigate office.








Dr Claire Mann


Services : Contamination & pollution, Fire & explosion,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MChem Oxford University - Worcester College

DPhil Physical and Theoretical Chemistry - Worcester College

MSc Forensic Science - Kings College London

Claire carried out her first Masters Degree at Oxford University, where she remained to complete a DPhil at the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, working in collaboration with the Process Development Group of Syngenta. Claire then went on to pursue her interest in forensic science and studied for the Master of Forensic Science Degree at Kings College, London. During this time, Claire worked at the Forensic Explosives Laboratory and developed a GC/FTIR method for the analysis of explosives.

Since joining Hawkins in 2006, Claire has specialised in the investigation of causes of fires and explosions. These cases have varied greatly in scale from relatively small domestic incidents to large commercial fires. Claire has also lent her chemistry background to the contamination team at Hawkins, where she has carried out post-fire, post-flood and post-chemical spill contamination investigations throughout the world. This work involves determining the effects of contaminants on buildings, production equipment, complex computer systems and products, including food stuffs and pharmaceuticals, and providing advice on the long term effects of the contaminants and best remediation techniques for recovery.

During her time at Hawkins, Claire successfully completed the BOHS course for surveying buildings for asbestos and has since carried out asbestos contamination surveys following various incidents in the UK and Europe.

Claire is experienced in the legal process and has been involved in providing independent advice in the form of written evidence in civil cases relating to fire investigation and contamination work, as well as giving oral evidence in court.

Claire is currently a Principal Associate based in the London office.




Mr Wayne Manton



Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury,

Location : Bristol


Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

NVQ Level 3 Engineering Technical Support

Foundation Degree Mechanical Engineering

HNC Mechanical Engineering

APMP (IPMA Level D) Project Management

Whitworth Scholar Mechanical Engineering

MIET Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology


After completing a foundation year in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Birmingham,

Wayne joined Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace in Bristol as an Advanced Technical Apprentice. During

his 3 year apprenticeship, he gained formal qualifications in engineering manufacturing operations

whilst working on a diverse number of Rolls-Royce projects.

Having completed his vocational qualifications and also his HNC, Wayne embarked on his first major

engineering role working on the RB199 Gas Turbine used in the Panavia Tornado aircraft as a Service

Engineer. Having a holistic knowledge of gas turbines but specialising in Oil Systems, Transmissions

and Turbines, Wayne spent a number of years on RB199 whilst also supporting the Pegasus engine

(Harrier), Gnome (Sea King), RTM322 (Apache, Merlin) and EJ200 (Eurofighter Typhoon)

programmes. Wayne was fundamental in many engineering projects ranging from modification

campaigns, reliability and life improvements, design changes and safety related incidents and their

investigation.









In his latter years at Rolls-Royce, Wayne moved into a cost reduction/fleet management position on

the EJ200 engine. A programme management position, Wayne was responsible for delivering

engineering projects that would yield a substantial cost benefit to Rolls-Royce and its customers. He

was also responsible for ensuring that long term fleet management requirements were met but was

also involved in international win business campaigns for the engine programme. In parallel to his

role, Wayne completed his Foundation Degree and BEng in Mechanical engineering and was

awarded as a Whitworth Scholar by the Whitworth Society and the Institution of Mechanical

Engineers.

Part-time, Wayne is a Director of a firework display business. He is a senior firer at the company and

holds a City and Guilds qualification as a Firer with the British Pyrotechnics Association.

Wayne has now found a new challenge with Hawkins where he works as a Fire and Engineering

Investigator in the Bristol Office.

Mr Paul Mason


Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion



Telephone: +44 1625 521 210

Qualifications

MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Nottingham 1988

FIChemE Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers


Paul has more than 25 years of experience in the refinery and petrochemical industry ranging from process engineering to operational management. His career started with the process consultancy, KBC Advanced Technology where he was involved in refinery improvement studies and optimisation programmes using computer simulations.

Paul then joined BP Chemicals in Grangemouth, Scotland, where he held various positions including Production Engineer for one of the large ethylene crackers on the site and Works Shift Manager for the chemicals complex. During his time in Scotland he investigated a number of process incidents, frequently using his findings to design plant improvements. Within the Shift Manager role he was Incident Scene Commander which provided valuable experience in managing process plant incidents and first-hand experience of how they can rapidly develop.

In 2002 Paul moved to Castrol to take up the role of UK Manufacturing Manager and was the leading authority for control of work across the BP Lubricants sites in Europe. The Ellesmere Port site closure in 2009 provided an opportunity to join Shell at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex where he held a number of senior leadership roles and continued his work on process incident investigation. In 2012 Paul started a short tenure as plant manager for a private waste lubricating oil re-refinery before joining Hawkins in 2014.

Paul now works as a Fire & Explosions investigator out of our Manchester office.




Dr Andrew Moncrieff

Job Title: Managing Director




Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Geology Oxford University

MA University College, Oxford University

PhD Cambridge University

FIFireE Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers

Andrew began his post-graduate academic career studying the rocks and sediments left behind in East Greenland and other parts of the Arctic by one of the world's deepest glaciations. After achieving his doctorate he joined the British Antarctic Survey, with which he completed two field seasons in the spectacular mountains of Alexander Island on the Antarctic Peninsula.

In 1992 Andrew decided to leave the academic world and joined Hawkins where he trained in the investigation of fires and explosions, disciplines in which he has worked ever since.

Andrew also introduced Hawkins to forensic geology and carries out small, but significant numbers of investigations relating to geology. These include the deterioration of natural building materials, failures in quarries and mines and the use of rocks and soil in the identification of fraud.

On the criminal side, Andrew has now conducted numerous geological investigations into serious crimes, the most high profile example being the Soham murder enquiry. He used soil and rock evidence to show that Ian Huntley had driven his car on the remote track where the bodies of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were found. He was also deeply involved in the release and subsequent acquittal at re-trial of Barri White and Keith Hyatt, who had been wrongly convicted for the murder of Rachel Manning.

Andrew became a Director of Hawkins in 2006 and Managing Director in 2013 and is based in the Cambridge office.





Dr Paul Moody


Services : Engineering, Power & Energy,

Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

PhD Metallurgy, University of Birmingham

BEng (hons) Metallurgy, University of Birmingham

MIMMM, Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)

CEng, Chartered Engineer

Paul completed his undergraduate degree in Metallurgy at the University of Birmingham in 1990. During this time, he was sponsored by British Steel and gained work experience at Swinden Labs in Rotherham. Paul later completed his Doctorate at the University of Birmingham, researching the fracture properties of welded structural steels in relation to the oxygen content of weld metals. The work was sponsored by ESAB, headquartered in Waltham Cross in London.

After completing his studies in 1995, Paul began his career at the Defence Research Agency as a Research Scientist, working on welding of high strength naval steels and investigations of failed components. Following this, Paul worked as a Metallurgist at a number of firms including Bodycote Materials Testing Ltd, Ingenco Ltd (formerly Scottish Power Technology), and Doosan Babcock Ltd. Paul’s experience includes facilitating contract materials testing for the offshore oil and gas services industry, performing remanent life assessment on boilers for power plants and petrochemical sites, investigating failed components, and providing support on materials related issues.

Paul is an Associate based in our Glasgow office.




Mr Simon Munford


Services : Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire & explosion,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

MA MEng Engineering (Electrical)


After completion of his Electrical Engineering degree at Peterhouse, Cambridge, Simon spent several years researching high power, high speed outdoor optical wireless communication systems with the University of Cambridge. This research focused mainly on increasing the modulation speed of the laser by etching patterns into the laser and overcoming the dispersion issues caused by scintillation.

Following his time in research, Simon worked for TWI as a technical abstractor of engineering papers. In this role he prepared papers for entry into the largest European database of such publications. He also worked for Gardiner Associates Training & Research (GATR) aiding in the instrumentation of compartment fire scenes for use in training fire investigators.

During his time in research and as an abstractor Simon has also supervised over 200 undergraduate students at the University of Cambridge in various engineering topics ranging from digital and linear circuits to power systems.

Simon joined Hawkins in 2013 and is currently an Associate based in our Cambridge office.





Mr Charles Murdoch


Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Power & Energy,

Road traffic accidents,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MEng Materials Science and Engineering,Imperial College London

Graduate IMMM Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining

ARSM Associate of the Royal School of Mines

Charles' background is in materials, having graduated with an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, UK. In his final year of study he took a slight specialism into Aerospace Materials covering aerospace structures and design.

After leaving Imperial College, Charles secured a graduate scheme position with Rolls-Royce plc based initially in Derby, UK. As a graduate he spent placements on the shop floor, at the Heathrow field service office looking after British Airways and also spent time in Montreal, Canada, with the Energy business. After 18 months, he graduated from the scheme and into the Rolls-Royce internal Failure Investigation Team investigating a wide range of components from failed bolts to failed fan blades. In the majority of cases investigations concerned metallic components, however polymer, composite or even cardboard components were not uncommon. Investigations regularly included an aspect of tribology or fractography using a high magnification scanning electron microscope.

In 2014 Charles relocated back to London and to Hawkins, and has continued to investigate Materials and Mechanical failures. Charles now regularly returns to his ‘student days’ at Imperial College to perform analysis of fracture surfaces on the microscopes available. Since joining Charles expanded his areas of expertise by applying his passion for motorcycles to undertake the required training to investigate Road Traffic Accidents, Vehicle Examination and Protective Headgear cases. This was mostly as a result of his passion for motorcycles and his knowledge gained from his classic motorcycle racing endeavors. At present, charles now holds an ACU Clubman Competition License.

Charles is an Associate based in our London office and his work is spread fairly evenly across all his disciplines.







Eur Ing Andrew Muston

Job Title : Director Services : Contamination & pollution, Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Slips, trips & falls, Location : Cambridge Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

MA MEng Chemical Engineering Peterhouse, Cambridge

FIChemE Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers



On leaving university Andrew joined the Engineering Department of ICI, Teesside where he worked alongside an experienced group of colleagues covering a wide range of engineering disciplines.

On joining Hawkins more than 25 years ago, he was trained to investigate fires and explosions, now concentrating on the engineering side of these events. He also focuses on process/chemical engineering and fire suppression problems and Health and Safety issues. While the latter has exposed him to an enormous range of topics, circumstances and safe and unsafe systems of work across a very broad engineering spectrum, the former has provided the most interesting cases intellectually. The satisfaction in quietly accumulating the available evidence and information, allied to its careful analysis and application of process engineering principles and experience to determine the cause of a problem, can be considerable.

Andrew has carried out more than 1250 investigations and his work has assisted in the settlement of numerous disputes. Andrew has also given evidence when required at Court (High, County, Crown and Magistrates). He is also experienced in working as a Single Joint Expert.

Andrew is based in the Cambridge office.











Mr Damian Mutch

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Crime investigation, Road traffic accidents, Location : Reigate Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

BSc Applied Physics - Liverpool Polytechnic 1988

MSc Forensic Science - London South Bank University 2007



Damian served as a Police Officer for over 18 years with the Kent Police. His last five years with the Police were spent in the role of Forensic Collision Investigator, attending, investigating and reconstructing fatal and serious injury accidents.

Qualified to ride motorcycles and drive category C Large Goods Vehicles through the DSA, Damian was also qualified as a Police Class 1 driver and in Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC).

Since joining Hawkins in June 2007 he has continued to investigate road traffic accidents both in respect of Criminal and Civil proceedings.

Damian is experienced in the legal process, having produced reports which have been used in many Court proceedings. He has given evidence in the capacities of Police witness and expert witness in Coroner's, Crown, Magistrates and County Court on numerous occasions.

Damian is a Principal Associate based in the Reigate office.




Mr Rod Newbery


Services : Engineering, Railway accidents, Road traffic accidents, Escapes

of water, gas & fluid,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BMet Metallurgy - Sheffield University

FIMMM Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining


After graduating, Rod worked for the engineering group TI at its Research Laboratory where he was involved in electron microscopy and related analytical techniques, eventually heading the team responsible for providing these facilities to the whole TI Group. He also worked on a number of development projects and troubleshooting activities.

Rod left TI in 1988 to join BP Research at Sunbury, to head a team working on advanced materials, mainly for aerospace applications.

Rod joined Hawkins in 1991 and has carried out over a thousand investigations involving engineering, fire and explosion incidents. These cases have covered a great range, from vehicle fires and small domestic incidents to multi-million pound losses in shopping malls, warehouses, factories and a film studio. Rod also deals with transport matters such as road traffic accidents and railway incidents, including the derailment at Potters Bar.

Rod is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Crown, County, High and Sheriff Courts on a number of occasions.

Rod was one of the five Directors who bought the Company from its founder, Roy Hawkins in 2000 and he became Managing Director in 2001. After a very successful tenure as Managing Director he stepped down from the Board in 2006, to return to forensic investigation and he is currently a Principal Associate in the Cambridge office.







Ms Jessica Ng


Services : Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Shipping & marine, Cargo

Spoilage, IMSBC Cargo,



Telephone: +852 2548 0577

Qualifications

BSc Physical Science, University of Alberta

MSc Forensic Science, King’s College London

MRSC - Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry

ACSFS - Associate Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences

CSFS - Associate Member of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science

Following the completion of her first degree in Physical Science, Jessica went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Forensic Science from King’s College London in 2012.

Jessica joined Hawkins HFS in 2015, specialising in fire and explosion investigation and agricultural cargo claims. Since joining the company, Jessica has been involved in investigating fires and explosion incidents both in Hong Kong and overseas. Jessica has investigated the causes of fires in residential and commercial premises, as well as appliance and vehicle fires.

On the marine side, Jessica has investigated fires on container and bulk cargo vessels and provided advice on ‘live’ ship fires involving cargoes such as coal and other agricultural products. She has investigated the causes of cargo contamination on tankers and been involved in cases involving liquefaction of nickel ore, which includes witnessing laboratory tests to determine the moisture content and flow point.

Jessica has been heavily involved with agricultural bulk cargo claims pertaining to soybean and DDGS in particular. She is experienced with providing advice on the carriage and care of the cargo, the sampling techniques, and the laboratory analysis used to determine the physical and chemical properties of the cargo.

In April 2016, Jessica successfully completed the Fire Science and Investigation course at the University of Edinburgh. She is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.








Dr Andy Ninham


Services : Engineering, Road traffic accidents,



Telephone: +44 1223 420400

Qualifications

MA Natural Sciences - Christ's College Cambridge

PhD Coating Materials for Erosion Resistance - Christ's College Cambridge

Andrew started his career in research with a post-doctoral position for the US Department of Energy working in Berkeley on materials for use in coal fired fluidised bed power stations. This was followed by a return to the department of Metallurgy and Materials Science in Cambridge where he undertook further research on the topic for the Central Electricity Generating Board and British Coal.

Since joining Hawkins in 1989, Andrew has carried out over 1000 forensic investigations involving materials engineering, mechanical failures, personal injuries and road traffic accidents. Andrew's experience of investigating road accidents is extensive and covers accidents involving cars, goods vehicles, pedestrians and motorcycles. He also deals with matters of seatbelt use where that is in dispute.

Andrew is experienced in the legal process and has regularly given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates, County, Crown, High and Appeal Courts. He has wide experience of advising solicitors and Counsel on technical issues.

Andrew is a Principal Associate based at our Cambridge office.




Dr Sophie Parsons


Services : Engineering, Shipping & marine,



Telephone: +852 2548 0577

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Biomedical Materials Science & Engineering, Queen Mary College

PhD (Eng) Materials Science & Engineering, Queen Mary College, University of London

Chartered Engineer (CEng) awarded by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

MFSSoc Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences

MIMMM Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

MAE Member of Academy of Experts

Sophie is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (MIMMM). She received her BEng and PhD (Eng) from Queen Mary College, University of London in Materials Science & Engineering.

After a post-doctoral research post at Queen Mary’s, she joined LGC Forensics, UK, as a Forensic Chemist, specialising in the examination of textile fibres and polyurethane foam retrieved from crime scenes. During this time, Sophie analysed trace evidence, prepared detailed technical reports for court and presented evidence in court as a Court Reporting Officer.

Following her arrival in Hong Kong, Sophie worked as a Research Fellow at City University, Kowloon Tong, developing techniques for analysing trace material evidence in crime laboratories.

In 2012, Sophie joined Hawkins HFS, and has since provided expertise in materials failure analysis and corrosion incidents. As a materials engineer, in addition to metal components, Sophie has conducted investigations involving glass, ceramic, and rubber materials. More recently she has been involved in liquefaction cases and associated laboratory testing for determining the flow point and moisture content of cargo. In addition to her casework, Sophie regularly presents to law firms, P&I Clubs and loss adjusting companies on materials failure analysis and corrosion.




Dr Tom Peat



Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

MEng Aero-Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde

PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde

Tom graduated with a MEng in Aero-Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in 2013. This degree incorporated numerous independent and group assignments, as well as an international research project at the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain.

Upon completion of his degree, Tom began work as a Supplier Quality Engineer with Jaguar Land Rover, located in Gaydon. This role included the review of suppliers’ manufacturing facilities to ensure correct process controls were in place to maintain part quality and protect the delivery schedule. One of his main projects involved the investigation of defective aluminium plates that were susceptible to splitting during the pressing process. The outcome of this investigation identified the primary cause of the failure and resulted in the implementation of new process controls to reduce the frequency of defective parts.

This role cultivated an interest in materials science which led to the undertaking of a PhD in Advanced Surface Engineering within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

The PhD project involved the development of an innovative surface engineering process to manufacture highly erosion-resistant composite surfaces containing ceramic and oxide reinforcing particles. The erosion performance of these surfaces was evaluated under a flowing slurry to replicate the proposed in-service operating conditions. The influence of corrosion, erosion and synergy was measured using appropriate electrochemical techniques while post-test analysis incorporated extensive microstructural examination using a variety of different assessment techniques.

The findings of this research were published in leading peer-reviewed academic journals and conference proceedings. Tom was awarded the Best Final Year PhD student prize by the Armourers and Brasiers Trust and has also successfully applied for grants from the IMechE.

Tom joined Hawkins in July 2017 and is an Associate based in our Glasgow office.





Mr Thomas Post


Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Road traffic accidents,



Telephone: 01223 420400

Qualifications

MEng (Hons) Materials Science & Engineering, Imperial College London

MSc Mining Geology, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter

ProfGradIMMM Professional Graduate of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining

MASM Member of the American Nuclear Society

ARSM Associate of the Royal School of Mines

CSMA Associate of the Camborne School of Mines

Thomas graduated with an MEng in Materials Science & Engineering at Imperial College London, UK. His specialisation focussed on titanium and metals processing in the latter part of his degree, spending time working with TIMET in the USA on various projects and producing a dissertation on a novel electro-chemical processing technique to produce titanium foams and their characterisation. He graduated in the top quartile of his year and received 3 awards during his tenure for outstanding contributions in both his work produced and efforts for the Materials Department and Royal School of Mines.

Following graduation, Thomas spent some time working as a Research Assistant for the Imperial College Business School, contributing to a broad range or research around innovation, patenting, education and technology, as well as supervising an MSc student. He was then accepted onto an MSc in Mining Geology at the Camborne School of Mines, where he graduated with a distinction in the top 5 of the class, despite being the only engineer accepted onto the course. His specialisation continued to focus on materials processing, this time slightly further up the supply stream, producing a dissertation on the extraction and concentration of rare earth elements from carbonatite rocks, working with NunaMinerals in Greenland.

In 2012, Thomas emigrated to Perth, Western Australia after accepting a job with Rio Tinto as a geologist. Here, he spent time within the Mining and Resource sections, working long hours in the remote and inhospitable Pilbara Region. As well as collecting and interpreting grade, geological, and metallurgical information; Thomas was intimately involved in the review of QA/QC assessment procedures and the updating of QA/QC software used to analyse yearly drilling data. His job required





a strong safety focus including Isolation Training, Working at Heights, and the continuous update and delivery of training on Respiratory Awareness, and Hazardous Materials, including spontaneously combustible materials, potentially acid forming minerals, and fibrous minerals).

In 2014 Thomas immigrated back to the UK to start a job with the Ministry of Defence as a Nuclear Engineer. Here he brought together his broad background to specialise in the decommissioning and disposal of radioactive waste, managing the long-term corrosion and stability of materials, and the handling and immobilisation of irradiated materials. His time here also involved research and development of a novel technique for remote scanning of spent nuclear fuel for the purposes of safeguarding, fault detection, and burnup reconciliation among others, being part of a very small team responsible for delivering at pace to high standards and to multiple stakeholders. Health, safety, environmental, and quality regulations were clearly paramount for all this work, including the detailed awareness of the rules and regulations surrounding these standards. Thomas also spent time as lecturer in the latter part of his time at the MoD, delivering teaching, training, and project supervision on a number of nuclear higher education courses up to MSc level qualifications. During this time, Thomas also started a part-time MSc in Nuclear Science and Technology, in which he is predicted to graduate with a Distinction.

Thomas joined Hawkins in April 2018 and is an Associate based in our Manchester office.

Dr Andrew Prickett

Job Title : Director


Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Personal injury,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Materials Science and Engineering - University of Surrey

PhD Intralaminar Cracking of Fibre Reinforced Composites University of Surrey

As part of his first degree Andrew worked for Alusuisse, Switzerland analysing production methods of lithographic alloys and for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on new materials for aerospace applications. His career in failure investigation began while carrying out his PhD, which was an investigation to determine the failure characteristics of fibre reinforced composite materials using fracture mechanics and surface analytical techniques, that was sponsored by BAE Systems. After completing his PhD, Andrew continued his interest in failure investigation by undertaking a post-graduate research project for Thames Water on the failure modes of cast iron trunk mains systems.

In 2001 Andrew joined Hawkins, specialising in the investigation of materials failures, escapes of water, fires and explosions. He has investigated a wide range of failures in plastic, ceramic, metal and composite materials. He also uses his engineering knowledge and experience of the processes required for a forensic investigation to determine the causes of fires in residential, commercial and industrial premises.

Andrew is experienced in the legal process; he is frequently appointed as a Single Joint Expert and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates' and Crown Courts.

Andrew is now Technical Director and Director of Human Resources and is based in our Reigate Office.









Mr Adrian Ratte



Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MSc Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Queen Mary University of London

BSc Mechanical Engineering (Materials Science), Queen's University, Canada

PEng Registered Professional Engineer, APEGBC, Canada

CEng Chartered Engineer, United Kingdom

MIMechE Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK)

CFEI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (NAFI)

UK-AFI Member UK Association of Fire Investigators

Adrian's background is diverse, having gained experience with oil and gas exploration in the Canadian Arctic at Schlumberger, manufacturing of gas compression and generator packages in the oilfields of Alberta at Enerflex, and as a contract manufacturer applying prototyping and machining technologies at Alzar Industries in Ontario. He also completed a race car Mechanic training program at the Bridgestone Racing Academy near Toronto.

Throughout University he was heavily involved in the Formula SAE team, where the students design and build a race car each year. Eventually culminating in a position as the team leader, his final year thesis project was the design, construction, and testing of a carbon fibre race car chassis.

After completing his degree, Adrian joined Sereca Fire Consulting Ltd in Vancouver, BC in 2006 and for 7 years he performed engineering analysis following fires and other failure incidents. During this period he investigated fires, explosions, and other engineering failures in domestic, commercial, and industrial facilities. He has also investigated fires and failures in boats, heavy machinery and vehicles. This position included a focus on the application of Building Regulations, Standards, and Electrical and Gas Codes of Practice to identify defects, evaluate requirements, and analyse compliance.

He has prepared numerous reports for litigation purposes and attended several alternative dispute resolution and mediation hearings.

Having relocated to London and joined Hawkins in 2013, he looks forward to investigating fires and other engineering failures.





Mr Andrew Reeves


Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Engineering, Personal injury,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MA Engineering Science, Cambridge University

MSc, DIC Soil Mechanics, Imperial College

MSc Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University

CDipAF Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance, ACCA



Andrew graduated from Cambridge University in 1992 with a first class degree in Engineering Science, specialising in geotechnics, structures and materials. He was sponsored by Ove Arup & Partners both before and during university gaining over a years' worth of experience on site and in the design office. On graduation he joined Arup's geotechnical division in London and then spent the next 7 years in London, Berlin and Hong Kong on the design and site-supervision of large infrastructure projects such as Canary Wharf towers, Merrill Lynch HQ, Berlin Velodrome and Swimming Pool and The Centre, HK.

During this time Andrew specialised in the design and construction of deep basements, retaining walls and foundations using diaphragm walls and large diameter piles. He also studied for a master's degree in Soil Mechanics at Imperial College, with his thesis on the effects of rising groundwater on bored piles in London, graduating with a distinction.

In 1999 Andrew joined a strategy consultancy, Mars & Co, where he carried out numerous projects on behalf of blue-chip companies in UK, Turkey, USA and France.

In 2007 Andrew formed his own company carrying out both business and engineering consultancy projects for a range of clients. He expanded his engineering knowledge into domestic buildings, adding design in timber and masonry and working knowledge of building regulations to his skillset. In this time he also completed a Masters in Renewable Energy Systems Technology, at Loughborough University's Centre for Renewable Energy and graduated with distinction. His thesis was presented at the IET Conference on Renewable Power Generation, 2011.

Andrew joined Hawkins in 2013 in order to expand the civil engineering capability of the company and has advised on a wide variety of cases involving flooding, concrete failure, roof defects and piling.





Mr David Reid Rowland

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Shipping & marine, Location : London Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BSc Mech Eng (Hons) University of Cape Town, South Africa

MSc Mech Eng University of Cape Town, South Africa


David graduated with an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2002. His MSc thesis involved the refinement of Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry, a laboratory based optical non-destructive testing technique.

David began working in Forensic Engineering while he was employed by GBB UK Ltd, where he was involved in road traffic accident investigation and reconstruction. He gained valuable experience in vehicle examination and accident reconstruction.

David has been based at Hawkins' London office since 2004 and is currently the Regional Manager. He has led and managed the investigation of a large number of fires in domestic, industrial, commercial and health care settings. He has also investigated a wide spectrum of engineering-related failures and personal injury cases, as well as being involved in the reconstruction of traffic accidents. The incidents investigated to date include small domestic losses through to extensive flooding and fire damage cases, as well as catastrophic engineering incidents. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has experience in the preparation of CPR Part 35 compliant reports, Experts' Joint Statements and appearance in Court as an Expert Witness.












Mr Peter Reupke



Fraud investigation, Power & Energy,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BEng Mechanical Engineering Queen Mary College, University of London

Diplôme d'Ingénieur Chemical Engineering - Université de Technologie de Compiègne

MSc Energy Conservation and the Environment - Cranfield Institute of Technology

Peter's engineering career started in the textile industry where he worked on improving textile laminating and drying machinery. After a two year return to university to follow his interests in combustion and energy engineering, Peter undertook four years of research on biomass fuelled furnaces, gasifiers and carbonisation kilns at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI). During his time at NRI he wrote a number of papers and short books on the combustion of biomass.

After he witnessed an explosion in an experimental gasifier, Peter developed an interest in explosions and uncontrolled combustion. In 1994 he moved to Chilworth Technology, a company specialising in providing advice to process industries on explosion prevention and protection. There, he undertook fire and explosion risk assessments and provided training for a number of firms, largely in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical sector.

Peter joined Hawkins in 1996 and almost immediately became involved in the investigation of a number of gas explosions. Since then, he has applied his knowledge to the investigation of over 900 fires, explosions, chemical incidents and water leaks. These include the investigation of arson and major industrial incidents, but his work also involves looking at small domestic fires, electrical faults and failed pipework.

He has given expert evidence in civil and criminal cases and has extensive experience of providing advice to insurers and their legal representatives.

Peter helped to set up Hawkins' London office where he is based.








Dr David Rose

Job Title : Regional Director - Singapore

Services : Engineering, Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Shipping & marine,

Cargo Spoilage, IMDG Cargo, IMSBC Cargo,

Location : Singapore


Telephone: +65 6202 9281

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Portsmouth Polytechnic

PhD Leeds University

FRSC Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry


David's career started in the Technical Services and Development Laboratory at the BP facility in Hythe. He then moved on to study anti-oxidant behaviour in lubricating oils for his PhD at the School of Chemistry at Leeds University. After graduation he studied hydrocarbon combustion as a research fellow.

In 1993 David joined the Defence Research Agency (latterly known as DERA) working for the Fuels & Lubricants Centre in Farnborough, running the Fluids Handling and Flammability Hazards laboratories. His research varied from developing methods of preventing gearbox explosions, self-cleaning filtration systems, the compression ignition of hydraulic fluids to fuel reformation for fuel cells. He acted as a consultant to the Armed Forces concerning fire hazards associated with fuels and lubricants.

David became interested in forensic investigation while working as part of the DERA TWA 800 air accident investigation team, investigating the destruction of a Boeing 747 that was caused by the ignition of a fuel-air mixture in the centre wing tank.

Since joining Hawkins in 2001 he has carried out several hundred forensic investigations involving petrochemicals, confined space entry, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. These cases have included small scale incidents to multi-million pound losses involving vehicles, houses, shops, warehouses, factories, petro-chemical plants and ships.

David is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates and Crown Courts. He is currently Regional Director of our Singapore office.










Ms Helen Rosser


Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry and Biochemistry

BEng (Hons) Fire Safety Engineering



Following the completion of her first degree at Aston University Helen worked as a chemist, developing and improving infra-red decoy, target and tracking flares for military use. She gained her first insight into forensic science as a Scientific Advisor to London Fire Brigade when she provided advice and carried out fire and accident investigations. During this time she completed a degree in Fire Engineering at London South Bank University, building on her practical knowledge of fire and explosion science.

Prior to joining Hawkins in 2012 Helen worked as a specialist Fire Investigator for the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in London for 12 years. She performed laboratory examinations on items recovered from fires and carried out scene investigations in a wide range of settings, including domestic, commercial and industrial premises as well as vehicles. Helen was responsible for setting up a validated method for flashburning to clothing and represented the FSS in Europe as Chair of the ENFSI Expert Working Group in Fire and Explosion.

Helen is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence as an expert witness in Crown Courts and Coroner’s inquests on many occasions.

Helen is a Senior Associate based in our London Office.




Mr Russell Smith

Job Title : Principal Associate Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Location : Bristol Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Biochemistry Reading University

Dip CSE Diploma in Crime Scene Examination University of Durham


After graduating, Russell was employed by the Avon & Somerset Constabulary as a Scenes of Crime Officer engaged in the forensic examination of crime scenes, including fires.

In 1998 he joined the Avon & Somerset Scientific Support Fire Investigation Team specialising in arson cases. In 2000 he was promoted to Team Leader Scenes of Crime Officer, with responsibility for the coordination of the Constabulary's response to vehicle crime, while continuing to play an active role in fire investigation. He has lectured to Police Officers, Fire Brigade personnel and Scenes of Crime Officers on subjects including the identification and preservation of evidence, scientific analysis of exhibits and the influence of DNA on crime scene examination.

In 2002 Russell joined Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP as a Consulting Scientist specialising in the investigation of fires and explosions. He was responsible for investigating a diverse range of incidents including small fires in domestic properties, large fires in restaurants, commercial buildings and vehicle fires.

In 2005 Russell joined Hawkins and is Regional Manager of the Bristol office where he continues to carry out fire investigations. He is also frequently asked to provide expert assistance in criminal cases.

Russell is experienced in the litigation process, having produced reports in connection with Court Proceedings and has given evidence in Court.





Dr Lin Sun



Personal injury, Power & Energy,



Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BEng Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield

PhD Physical Metallurgy, University of Sheffield

Lin began his scientific career by conducting PhD research on the structure-property-performance

relationship of various engineering alloys during thermomechanical processing at the University of

Sheffield. His work led to numerous publications in top international materials science journals, and

was recognised by the award of an Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Recrystallization &

Grain Growth International Committee in 2010 and the Brunton Medal and Premium from The

University of Sheffield in 2012. During his PhD study, Lin also worked on numerous consultancy

projects involving advanced physical simulation and electron microscopy to investigate and solve

materials processing problems faced by industrial clients.

After his PhD, Lin pivoted to applied R&D by joining the Advanced Forming Research Centre as a

Project Lead of the Materials Characterisation team. He was in charge of delivering multi-million

pound Government and customer funded R&D projects to global industrial partners in the aerospace

and defence sectors. He was responsible for the development and commercialisation of a wide

range of metals manufacturing and joining technologies. He was also heavily involved in establishing

and expanding the capabilities of the materials characterisation laboratory of the centre.

In 2013, Lin joined the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at University of Cambridge

as a Research Associate where he worked on the design, development and characterisation of novel

alloys for mechanical transmission systems in gas turbine jet engines. His work led to the successful

invention of iron-based superalloys with ultra-high strength, good toughness and high temperature

capabilities that are commercialised by Rolls-Royce for use in the next generation of large civil jet

engines.

Continuing with his interests in high temperature materials and turbomachinery, Lin joined then

ALSTOM Power in 2015 as a Materials Project Leader to work on projects developing materials and

process solutions for thermal power generation products such as steam and gas turbines, boilers and








heat recovery steam generators. After the merger of ALSTOM and GE Power businesses in late 2015,

Lin transitioned to the role of Lead Engineer - Materials Science and Engineering in the global

Materials and Processes Engineering (MPE) team. There he conducted numerous forensic

investigations of failures in power plants worldwide, ranging from simple rail track fasteners in

auxiliary facility to rotors and blades in the heart of a turbine; encountering a wide range of failure

and degradation mechanisms such as high and low cycle fatigue, thermomechanical fatigue, creep,

environment assisted cracking, embrittlement, corrosion, erosion, wear, and impact damage. He

also provided his metallurgical expertise in root cause analysis of product failures for other GE

businesses such as Energy Connection, Renewable Energy, Oil & Gas.

To further expand his developing interests in forensic investigation, Lin joined Hawkins in September

2017 as an Associate specialising in metallurgical, materials and mechanical failure analysis. Lin is

based in our Birmingham office.

Dr Ian Tatner


Services : Fire & explosion, Slips, trips & falls,

Location : Leeds


Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Computer Aided Engineering and Design

PhD Corrosion Fatigue of Stainless Steel

CEng MIMechE Chartered Mechanical Engineer

Having completed his PhD looking into the corrosion fatigue of stainless steel turbine blade materials, Ian's career began working in the offshore oil and gas pipeline installation industry. Initially he worked on the construction of a pipeline installation barge in Turkey, before working offshore as a Barge Engineer during the installation of a pipeline in the Black Sea. Ian then spent a year working in Houston Texas on other offshore pipeline installation projects.

In 2006 Ian moved to London where he worked as a Pipeline Installation Analysis Engineer. While in London Ian was involved in many interesting and innovative projects. He spent time offshore carrying out analysis during pipeline installation and dredging operations in the North Sea. He was also seconded to Baku in Azerbaijan to conduct pipeline installation analysis.

Ian joined Hawkins in early 2009, where he trained in the investigation of fires and explosions to add to his engineering experience. Since then he has worked on a broad spread of forensic investigations. These have ranged from fires in domestic properties, restaurants and vehicles to explosions in factories.

Since 2014 Ian has been investigating pedestrian fall incidents. These include slips and trips on level surfaces and stair falls. He has attended courses concerning the investigation of pedestrian slips and trips and stair falls at the Health & Safety Executive's Laboratory.

Ian is currently a Senior Associate based in our Leeds office.




Mr Neville Tranter

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Engineering, Crime investigation, Fraud investigation, Personal injury, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Power & Energy, Location : Birmingham Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

MSc Forensic Engineering and Science - Cranfield University, Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham

BEng (Hons) Metallurgy - The University of Birmingham

CEng MWeldI Chartered Engineer - Member of The Welding Institute

Following completion of his degree in Metallurgy at the University of Birmingham, Neville worked as a Graduate Heat Treatment Engineer at Wallwork Heat Treatment. This focused his knowledge of working in hazardous environments. It was from the work undertaken at Wallwork that Neville gained an interest in failure investigations and decided to broaden his knowledge by undertaking a Master of Science degree in Forensic Engineering and Science at Cranfield University.

Following his Masters, Neville worked for Intertek Plc, running Rolls-Royce's

out-sourced Metallurgical Laboratory. This gave him exposure to materials science and general engineering of gas turbine engines and failure analysis. Intertek also undertook failure investigations from a wide range of third-parties. Through this work, he conducted over 100 metallurgical and failure investigations including:

•multi-million pound oil and gas industry losses

•medical devices and equipment

•railway rolling-stock and systems

•consumer products and patent infringement.

After Intertek, Neville moved to Goodrich Corporation as a Materials Engineer where he investigated failures, non-conformance and manufacturing issues on hydraulic and electric aerospace actuation systems.

Since joining Hawkins, Neville has specialised in the investigation of engineering failures and is currently working as a Senior Associate in our Birmingham office.









Mr Bernard Travers


Services : Civil & Structural Engineering,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MA MEng Engineering (Civil, Structural and Environmental)



Bernard graduated from Cambridge University in 2010 with a degree in Engineering, specialising in

Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. During his time at Cambridge he was sponsored by

Skanska UK, gaining experience on both highways and rail sites.

After graduation he joined Arup in the Advanced Technology and Research team, working both in

the design office on a wide variety of specialist technical problems, overseeing work on site as a

Resident Engineer seconded to Kier construction and assessing existing structures across a wide

range of the built environment.

During his time at Arup, Bernard provided technical advice for old and new structures in masonry,

timber, concrete and steel under a variety of situations including new build, refurbishment and

repair. He carried out structural assessments and designed modifications of existing structures

ranging from Victorian railway buildings to garment factories in Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza

disaster, advising in particular on testing and investigations to poor quality concrete. He also worked

on a number of projects where structural vibration was a critical issue, including low-vibration

laboratory design and assessment, analysis of vibrating industrial structures and equipment and the

design of vibration-isolated rail.

Bernard joined Hawkins in 2016 as a member of the expanding civil engineering capability of the

company.



Mr Mark Turner


Services : Fire & explosion,



Telephone: +44 1223 420 400

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Materials Science and Engineering - University of Sheffield

MSc Fire and Explosion Engineering - University of Leeds

Following the completion of his degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Sheffield, Mark worked as a Project Engineer at one of the UK's leading engineering investigation companies. Specialising in non-destructive investigation techniques Mark worked within a wide range of civil engineering environments, which included carrying out detailed electromagnetic surveys of roads, railways and structures for most of the UK's leading engineering consultancies and contractors. Mark then led a team of technicians specialising in the testing of deep pile foundations before working as a site engineer for a piling contractor involved mainly in limited access applications.

Following his time working in construction, Mark decided investigation work was where his skills were best applied and he joined Hawkins in 2008 as a fire investigator. He has since investigated numerous fires, ranging from small domestic incidents to large multi-million pound losses. More recently Mark has also been involved in large structural engineering failures, applying the knowledge and experience gained while working within that industry.

Mark has recently completed a Masters degree in Fire and Explosion Engineering and is a Senior Associate based in our Cambridge office.



Dr Simon Vallance


Services : Crime investigation, Engineering, Fire & explosion, Fraud

investigation,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

PhD University of Nottingham, 2008

MSci (Hons) Chemistry - University of Nottingham, 2004

MRSC Member of Royal Society of Chemistry

AIFireE Associate of the Institution of Fire Engineers

IAAI Member of the International Association of Arson Investigators

CSci Chartered Scientist

Having obtained a masters degree in Chemistry, Simon went on to study for his Doctorate at the University of Nottingham. During this time he was involved in the research and development of solid state lithium-ion batteries and engaged in research into the microwave manufacture of transition metal carbides. This involved the engineering of microwave reactors as well as the mechanistic study, characterisation and mechanical testing of various carbide products.

Simon was instrumental in the successful development of rapid, high grade batch processing of a number of carbide products for a variety of uses. During his time he built up a number of academic and industrial contacts as well as becoming experienced in a number of analytical techniques.

In 2008 Simon joined Hawkins, specialising as a fire investigator, and has since investigated hundreds of fires ranging from small domestic fires to large multi-million pound losses. He has a good understanding of both current and past IEEE wiring regulations, fire safety documents and the building regulations. He has also commented on fire spread issues, particularly in relation to restaurant duct fires, timber frame buildings and roof fires.

Simon is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Crown Court.

Simon is currently a Principal Associate based in our Reigate office.







Mr James Wade


Services : Engineering, Vehicle, plant & machinery fires, Personal injury,

Road traffic accidents,

Location : Reigate


Telephone: +44 1737 763 957

Qualifications

MEng Automotive Engineering, University of Leeds


UCPD Forensic Collision Investigation, De Montfort University

James graduated from the University of Leeds in 2006 with a MEng degree in Automotive Engineering. Whilst at University he developed a bench top reactor to simulate oil degradation in internal combustion engines and was also an integral part of the University's Formula Student Engine team, where he designed the fuel, electric and cooling systems for the 2005/6 car.

After graduating, he accepted a role as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate working between the University of Sheffield and JCB Earthmovers Ltd. Here, he participated in a research project focussing on optimising the arrangement of pin joint and component materials. The aim of the project was to reduce the dependency on grease whilst improving service life. He developed designs for a test rig which could test a variety of loading conditions and joint arrangements.

James then worked as a self-employed subcontractor for a Kent based Kit Car manufacturer where he carried out a variety of roles including design, fabrication, servicing, modification and repair of a broad variety of both road and race cars. In 2010 James set up his own Automotive Engineering practice specialising in the maintenance and modification of classic BMW cars, as well as sourcing parts.

James joined our Reigate office as an Associate in 2014 and conducts Road Traffic Accident (RTA) and engineering investigations, specialising in other automotive related matters such as vehicle fires.

As part of his continuing professional development James has been trained in the use of the Bosch CDR tool which can be used to download crash data from some modern vehicles. This data can include information on vehicle speeds, brake and steering application, impact direction and severity, occupancy, airbag deployment and seatbelt usage. All of which can assist in the reconstruction of road traffic collisions.

James is also proficient in the use of both tripod based and hand held laser scanners for recording collision locations and the internal and external shapes of damaged vehicles allowing detailed analysis.







Dr Chris Wareham


Services : Contamination & pollution, Civil & Structural Engineering,

Highways engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Fire & explosion,

Marine fires, Personal injury, Slips, trips & falls, Power & Energy, Railway

accidents, Shipping & marine,

Location : Dubai


Telephone: +971 437 21260

Qualifications

BSc Geology - Leicester University

PhD Geochemistry - Aberdeen University

FGS Fellow of the Geological Society

After he graduated, Chris completed a doctoral research project on the isotope and trace element chemistries of precious- and base-metal mineral deposits in the Rocky Mountains. Following a brief spell contributing to a variety of research projects at the NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory he joined the British Antarctic Survey and headed for the mountains of Antarctica, where he continued his research using isotopes and trace elements.

Chris published many scientific papers before leaving academia in 1998 to join Hawkins at our Cambridge office, after which he opened the Glasgow office in 2008 and the Dubai office in 2014. During this time he has investigated 1200 incidents in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

His investigations include fires, dust and vapour explosions, electrical and mechanical failures, product defects, personal injuries/fatalities, and post-incident contamination assessments; the incidents have occurred in many environments such as refineries, power plants, retail, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, warehouses, hotels, hospitals, dwellings and ships/aircraft/trains/automotive. The root causes he regularly encounters involve systems’ failures and process faults, equipment and materials’ failures of all types and ‘human intervention’ (e.g. fraud, ‘poor practices’ and breaches of Regulations such as DSEAR).

Chris has extensive experience in the litigation process and with providing technical advice to Hawkins’ clients; he has prepared many reports for use in legal proceedings and has presented expert evidence in Court on a number of occasions.

Chris is a Principal Associate and is the Middle East Director based in our Dubai office.
















Mr Jon Watkins


Services : Civil & Structural Engineering, Fire & explosion,

Location : Glasgow


Telephone: +44 1355 228 103

Qualifications

MEng Civil Engineering, Imperial College London



CUBS Cardiff University and Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate

Jon graduated from Imperial College London in 2010 with a first class degree in Civil Engineering. He was sponsored by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd through the Quest Scholarship programme with the Institution of Civil Engineers. During university he gained over six months’ worth of site experience on three different projects. On graduation he joined Sir Robert McAlpine as a site engineer supervising the construction of a Wind Turbine R&D facility on the Isle of Wight.

Jon joined Atkins in 2010 working as a structural design engineer in many different sectors including rail, waste management, airports and residential. He has particular experience in assessment of existing structures for refurbishment projects. In addition to this Jon has performed seismic surveys for residential buildings in high risk zones across the Middle-East. He was seconded to Atkins Qatar as part of the Doha Metro project for over a year providing client support to a remote design team.

Jon joined our Glasgow office in 2016 to strengthen our services in Civil & Structural Engineering investigations.




Mr Stuart Whitehead


Services : Engineering, Personal injury, Road traffic accidents,



Telephone: +44 121 705 3222

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - University of Aston, Birmingham

Stuart began his engineering career at Gee and Company in Birmingham where he was responsible for the design and project management of effluent treatment and chemical dosing equipment for water utility companies and general process industries.

In 1996 Stuart moved into the machine tool industry working for British Federal in Dudley. He was initially involved in the test and commissioning of specialist resistance welding equipment for automotive manufacturers. He subsequently broadened his knowledge of automation and welding processes through his involvement in projects using industrial robots.

In 1998 Stuart joined the industrial products division of the Japanese corporation Panasonic. Following a placement at their Technical Centre and factory in Osaka, Stuart was responsible for undertaking MIG/MAG welding process studies to confirm project viability and the subsequent sale and implementation of Panasonic robotic welding installations and dedicated machines for Tier One automotive suppliers in the UK.

Since joining Hawkins in 2003 he has carried out forensic investigations involving road traffic accidents and their reconstruction, mechanical failures of components of vehicles involved in accidents and fires in vehicles and domestic premises. Due to the large number of cases involving lorries and other heavy vehicles that he is involved with, Stuart trained and became licensed to drive Category C Large Goods Vehicles. His previous experience in the machine tool industry means that Stuart is very well qualified to investigate the cause of personal injury accidents involving industrial machinery.

Stuart is experienced in the legal process, having produced reports in connection with Court proceedings and he has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates, Crown and County Courts on numerous occasions.

In 2008 Stuart took on the position of RTA Group Co-ordinator. The role involves overseeing casework allocation to those who are best placed to carry out the work, assisting in the continuous professional development of individuals and promoting the comprehensive skills that the group as a whole can offer.

Stuart is a Principal Associate based in our Birmingham office.





Mr Paul Willis

Job Title : Senior Associate Services : Contamination & pollution, Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Marine fires, Fraud investigation, Shipping & marine, IMDG Cargo, IMSBC Cargo, Location : Bristol Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 1454 273 402

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Environmental Science, Bristol University



Following on from his degree thesis research Paul worked with a specialist research group at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Whilst there he designed experimental methods to determine metal release in-vivo from cobalt chrome orthopaedic implants.

In 2005 Paul began working for Bureau Veritas in London as a member of a team which provided scientific support to London Fire Brigade. In addition to being part of a hazardous material emergency response group, Paul also assisted the Fire Brigade with on-scene fire investigations and laboratory based examinations of fire damaged exhibits.

In 2009 Paul joined Dr J H Burgoyne and Partners LLP investigating the cause and circumstances of incidents of fire and explosions involving vehicles, domestic residences, retail, agricultural and industrial premises. Paul has prepared expert witness reports for use in both civil and criminal litigation.

Paul joined Hawkins in 2012 as a fire and explosion investigator and continues to investigate a broad range of incidents in the UK. Paul is also a member of Hawkins specialist International and Shipping Incidents team and has investigated ship fires involving bulk cargo and container ships worldwide.

Paul is a Senior Associate based at our Bristol office.












Dr Iain Woodward

Job Title : Regional Manager Services : Crime investigation, Fire & explosion, Fraud investigation, Location : Leeds Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 113 260 0172

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Chemistry Durham University

PhD Chemistry Durham University

Iain left Durham University in 2001 after completing his PhD research into modification of polymeric surfaces using cold plasma technologies. As part of his PhD research Iain also carried out research sponsored by Pirelli into improving the adhesion of polymeric tyre cord to rubber.

In 2001 Iain joined Molecular Profiles, a scientific consultancy offering expertise to the polymer and pharmaceutical industries. Here Iain conducted short term research and analysis of failures and characterisation of production line and developing products. The majority of the work involved the use of surface analysis techniques, including microscopy (AFM, SEM and TEM), and surface sensitive characterisation techniques (XPS and SIMS).

In 2003 Iain joined Hawkins as an Associate based in the Manchester office. Iain specialises in the investigation of fires and explosions, but has also investigated cases of polymeric failure drawing upon his previous research experience.

In 2005 Iain moved to Leeds to open a new Hawkins office. He became Senior Associate in 2006 and a Principal Associate in 2013.

Iain has investigated over 250 fires and explosions. He has provided numerous written reports for Court and has given expert evidence at County Court. Iain is listed as an expert in the Expert Witness Directory.





Dr Nick Wright


Services : Engineering, Escapes of water, gas & fluid, Personal injury,

Power & Energy,

Location : London


Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Materials Science, University of Birmingham

PhD Materials Science, University of Birmingham


MIMMM Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining

Nick's first job following graduation was for the Cookson Group at its research centre near Oxford, where he carried out materials development and testing work. Following this, Nick returned to the University of Birmingham where he gained a PhD developing polymer matrix composite engineering components.

Nick joined Cosworth Ltd in 1999 as a Materials Engineer, developing materials and processing technologies for Formula 1 Engine applications. This work included a large number of failure investigations on race and road vehicle components.

In 2006 Nick joined ERA Technology Ltd, working initially in the Gas Turbine group on failure investigations and remaining lifetime assessment. He became increasingly involved in failure investigations in a wide variety of applications including power generation, petrochemical process plants, electrical distribution, general industrial and road vehicles. This led to his appointment as head of the Forensic Engineering service line at ERA, where he led a team of engineers supporting loss adjusters, insurers, manufacturers and owners/operators.

Nick joined Hawkins in 2013, where he works as a Senior Associate based at our London office.







Mr Nico Zurcher

Job Title : Associate Services : Contamination & pollution, Fire & explosion, Shipping & marine, Cargo Spoilage, IMSBC Cargo, Location : London Email : [email protected] Telephone: +44 20 7481 4897

Qualifications

MSc Environmental Management

BSc Biology with Oceanography

Prior to becoming an investigator, Nico worked in a leading international environmental consultancy where he was involved in a number of major government marine projects in Hong Kong, as well as offshore oil and gas, and mining projects around Asia.

In 2011 he joined Hannaford Forensic Services (HFS-Asia) in Hong Kong, where he worked as a fire and explosion investigator and as a consulting scientist on the carriage of marine bulk cargoes.

Nico has investigated several fires in large industrial plants, as well as in commercial and residential premises. On the marine side, he has investigated major fires on container and general cargo vessels and attended live incidents on bulk cargo vessels involving self-heating agricultural cargoes.He has worked on several cases of bulk cargo spoilage, of soybean shipments in particular, and has advised on the carriage of other agricultural commodities such as corn, wheat and seedcake. Nico has also worked on cases involving the carriage and storage of mixed chemical cargoes, and the contamination of liquid bulk cargoes such as methanol.

Nico has written technical advice notes for marine P&I clubs and regularly gives presentations on loss prevention to law firms, P&I clubs and loss adjusters. He has prepared expert witness reports for use in civil litigation and has appeared in court in Thailand, and in front of an arbitration tribunal in London.

Nico joined Hawkins’ London office in 2015 to bolster our growing International and Shipping Incidents team. He will continue to investigate a broad range of land-based and marine incidents, both domestically and internationally. He is also assisting on contamination cases, working closely with our Manchester office.

Nico is Swiss and grew up in Hong Kong. He is a native English and German speaker.








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