MIKE PANISH, EXPERT WITNESS

Having provided unbiased, professional, and credible opinions to both plaintiffs and defendants, Michael Panish can be consulted for any type of cabinetry matter.

Mike is the expert to call for cabinetry, furniture, and architectural millwork defects & injuries

OVER 2500 CASES SINCE THE YEAR 2000

Mike has been retained as expert witness for all types of construction and cabinetry issues, including:

• Cabinets & Counter Tops
• Structural and finish defects in cabinetry
• Architectural Millwork
• Casework
• Furniture
• Chair Defects & Failures
• Carpentry & Casework
• File Cabinets - Method of Attachment
• Woodworking
• Wood Finishes
• Refinishing
• Plastic Laminate Cabinetry
• Laminated Finishes & Delamination Issues
• Book Cases & Glass Display Cases
• Cabinetry Doors & Cabinet Components
• Steel & Metal Cabinets
• Design - Fabrication - Installation
• Proper Application for Product Architectural Component Failures
• Design evaluation of Manufactured Products
• Chairs, Furniture, Ergonomic & ADA
• Personal Injury from Defective Installation
• Poor Installation, Defective Workmanship
• Design evaluation for manufactured products
• Methodology of installation
• Defective products and materials
• Glue and Adhesive Issues

Mike has been retained as cabinetry expert by plaintiff, defense, and construction professionals across the country. His keen eye for detail has not only greatly benefited clients in over 1750 cases but has also helped him obtain crucial evidence that allowed his clients to achieve high settlements, limit their liability, and even reverse the tables!

Mike has been the designated cabinetry expert witness for these types of cases:

• Falling cabinetry or architectural millwork that causes serious injury
• File cabinets that become detached or were never attached, causing serious injury
• Plastic Laminate panels and products that have delaminated
• Defective cabinetry & millwork in private residences or tract housing developments
• Hotel room furniture installation issues causing personal injury
• Hotel room architectural millwork that has fallen onto hotel guests causing serious injury
• Casino décor or millwork that has failed, resulting in personal injury
• Custom woodwork with failed features such as inappropriate usage of materials, installation methods, hardware, finish, stain, and paint
• Defective glue or adhesives and defective laminate from factory
• Cabinetry or millwork that has failed or fallen apart
• Collapsed chairs causing falls and serious injury
• Display cases and showcases in schools and shopping centers that have caused injury
• Casework or cabinetry that has become unattached and fallen on people, causing personal injury
• Casework and cabinetry contractual or defect issues relating to defects or WIC (Woodworkers Institute of CA) or AWS (Architectural Woodwork Standards) certifications, requirements, or standards.

Mike Panish, Cabinetry Expert, has over 40 years of experience as a cabinetry & furniture manufacturer & installer

Mike Panish is an expert witness in the field of cabinetry, carpentry, architectural millwork, casework, and furniture. Mike is a highly experienced and gifted cabinet and furniture maker. He is an experienced designer, manufacturer and installer of quality custom cabinetry, furniture, and millwork. His skills as a cabinet maker, furniture maker, carpenter, craftsman, woodworker, and wood finisher qualify him to critique and troubleshoot defects in design, materials, application, method of attachment, and installation issues.

Mike has testified and consulted in personal injury and defect cases across the country for Plaintiffs, Defendants, Cross Defendants, Cabinet Manufacturers, Cabinet Installers, and Product Component Manufacturers

Mike is an expert witness and consultant for a variety of cabinetry and millwork cases. He has testified and consulted on many cases involving defective casework leading to personal injury, millwork and architectural component failures, durability, and usage of appropriate product. His involvement as designated cabinetry expert witness for personal injury cases from cabinetry, design, or defective installation has resulted in seven and eight figure verdicts and settlements. Claims for defective casework and cabinetry that were proven by Mike to be unwarranted have even turned the tables on the parties. Mike has been retained to participate in mediations and arbitration for contractor vs. homeowner or homeowner vs. contractor with State Contractor's License Boards. He has been retained and designated as expert witness for many cases pertaining to all types of cabinetry and furniture issues.

Mike's experience as a cabinet expert witness and consultant have included:

• Homes
• Commercial & Residential Tract Development
• Hotels & Casinos
• Themed attractions
• Condominium & Apartment Complexes
• Restaurants
• Commercial Businesses
• Airports
• County Facilities & Jails
• Hospitals
• Courtrooms
• Schools & Colleges
• Shopping Centers & Department Stores
• Retail stores

Laboratory testing and product analysis

Mike Panish has over 40 years of hands-on experience and training with regard to most of the products and finishes that are used in current and past casework, cabinetry, and furniture. When chemical analysis or component testing is required, he has extensive resources and ongoing relationships with many diverse testing laboratories and facilities across the United States. He routinely provides analysis of defective laminated panels and products, paint and finish component analysis, and material defect analysis through personal inspection and laboratory verification. He is able to quickly and effectively determine product component defect with results that are court ready and indisputable.

Mike Panish has extensive hands-on experience & field knowledge which makes him the only choice for your Cabinetry Expert

Mike Panish has over 40 years of hands-on experience crafting commercial production and museum quality commissioned pieces. Mike founded Cabinet Systems to assure the necessary support to his highly successful Construction Company, where his casework and cabinetry have been utilized since the early 1980's. His laminated casework and cabinetry products are in current usage in hotels, hospitals, medical office buildings, themed attractions, airports, restaurants and commercial centers throughout California and parts of the western United States. He has provided medical related cabinetry and specialty casework to most of the hospitals, laboratories, and medical office buildings in Southern California. He has provided office products, furniture and utility laminated products to almost every courthouse in Southern California, being the designer, fabricator, and installer for the American Disabilities Act (ADA) master swing gate project that was installed in 2007. These swing gates were installed in over 450 court rooms throughout Los Angeles County in response to ADA accessibility issue lawsuit settlement to create unencumbered access to disabled patrons of the court system.

Mike Panish designs and custom crafts handmade fine furniture at his shops in New England, where he specializes in hand crafted Tiger Maple wood products. He has replicated antique pieces, fabricated modern replacements, and designed and built a unique line of period furniture utilizing the most precious of cabinet materials.

Cabinet or Wood Finish defects or failures?

Mike is a thoroughly accomplished craftsman and can analyze wood types, wood stains and finish for defects and other issues. He has been the designated cabinetry or finish expert witness on many defective finish claims. He has been retained by homeowners, contractors, insurance companies and cabinet manufacturers to assist in dispute resolution. He has been retained to evaluate claims regarding hotels, offices, restaurants, building component finishes, and home renovation complaints. Home owners frequently retain him to evaluate finish and installation issues pertaining to cabinets, counter tops and other casework throughout their home.

Mike Panish is an unbiased expert for Plaintiff, Defense, and Cross Defense

Mike has authored a variety of published articles relating to cabinetry defects, lamination issues, fastening methods, woodworking, and wood finishes.