Expert Details

Oil, Gas, and Renewable Fuel Supply Chain, Energy Economics

ID: 730115 California, USA

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Expert is a petroleum industry expert with over 30 years of supply, logistics, and market experience. A recognized authority on gasoline price controls, corn ethanol distribution, biodiesel production, next generation renewable fuels implementation, price gouging, fuels infrastructure constraints, mergers and acquisitions, interstate commerce, petroleum logistics, and refining technology. He has testified before the U.S. Congress regarding gasoline pricing. He has also delivered expert testimony and litigation support in cases concerning oil refining and market issues, interstate fuel transit, the impacts of oil company mergers on the marketplace, and petroleum logistics.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1997 Degree: MBA Subject: Business Administration Institution: University of California, Irvine
Year: 1975 Degree: Masters in Education Subject: Education Institution: California Lutheran University
Year: 1971 Degree: BS Subject: Oceanography Institution: US Naval Academy

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1997 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: President Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert is the president and founder of Stillwater Associates, an energy consulting company focused on energy policy, technology development, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation support.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2009 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Principal Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert is a principal with Stillwater Energy Group, an energy technology company that is developing projects which combine petroleum, power, and green house gas reduction.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1992 to 1998 Employer: Mobil Corporation Title: Manager, Supply Operations Department:
Responsibilities:
Based at the Torrance, California refinery, Expert managed crude oil supply chain from production through manufacturing plant to product bulk terminals; managed $2 billion in assets; P&L responsibility for $5 million wholesale fuel marketing business.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1978 to 1992 Employer: Mobil Corporation Title: Worldwide Distribution Manger Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert's earlier positions at Mobil Corporation included worldwide distribution manager, re-engineering team leader; computer projects, crude oil and product distribution operations, strategic planning, refining, marketing, and logistics economic analysis.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1971 to 1978 Employer: United States Navy Title: Naval Aviator Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert held increasingly responsible positions involving a wide range of duties – including management, training, operations, maintenance, human resources, and air traffic control. Served as a Navy pilot in San Diego. Vietnam veteran.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Expert has provided expert testimony and litigation support to a variety of energy supply and distribution cases. Stillwater Associates' litigation support experience is as follows:

1. Application of San Pablo Bay Pipeline Company LLC for Approval of Tariffs for the San Joaquin Valley Crude Oil Pipeline – 2009 to 2010 (California Public Utilities Commission, A.08-09-024)
a. San Pablo Bay Pipeline (SBP), an affiliate of Shell Oil, responded before the CPUC to complaints by Chevron, Tesoro, and Valero.
b. Consulting services
i. Written testimony on oil refining and market issues
ii. Created a detailed logistics model to disprove plaintiffs testimony
iii. Oral cross examination before the CPUC
c. Attorney
i. James Squeri for SPB, Goodin, MacBride, Squeri, Day & Lamprey, LLP (www.goodinmacbride.com)

2. Bell vs. HF Cox, Inc. – 2009 (California Superior Court)
a. A class of truck drivers argued that defendant Cox, a petroleum trucking company, was not exempt from paying overtime because Cox was not engaged in interstate commerce.
b. Consulting Services
i. Expert witness report on the gasoline supply chain
ii. Testimony at trial
c. Attorneys
i. Charles Barker – Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (www.sheppardmullin.com)
ii. Jennifer Zargarof - Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
iii. Chris Ashworth – Silicon Valley Law Group (www.svlg.com)

3. ConocoPhillips v. State of Washington, Department of Revenue – 2008 (Thurston County Superior Court No. 06-2-02369-0)
a. ConocoPhillips disputed the assessment of business and occupation taxes.
b. Consulting Services:
i. Write an expert report
ii. Testify in deposition
c. Attorneys
i. Expert M. Hankins, Assistant Attorney General
ii. Brett Durbin, Assistant Attorney General
4. Consulting for a State Attorney General on gasoline prices – 2005 - 2006
a. A State Governor declared a state-of-emergency prior to the arrival of hurricane Katrina. This action was implemented to prevent retailers from “gouging” consumers. After the hurricane, the State’s Attorney General decided to investigate whether price gouging had occurred by gasoline retailers.
b. Consulting Services:
i. Write a report on the pricing behavior of gasoline retailers
ii. Determine the sources of supply of gasoline into the State
iii. Assist staff attorneys on an ongoing basis

5. FTC v. Aloha Petroleum - 2005 (FTC Matter No. 051-1-0131)
a. FTC brought a temporary restraining order to block the acquisition of Trustreet Properties’ gasoline business in Hawaii by Aloha Petroleum on antitrust grounds. Case settled when another buyer was found.
b. Consulting services
i. Expert report on the Hawaii petroleum industry
ii. Gasoline market analysis
iii. Testimony in deposition
c. Attorneys
i. Eric Edmondson – FTC Staff Attorney
ii. Rodney Kimura – Assistant Hawaii Attorney General

6. Kirby McInerney & Unocal Patent – 2005 (US District Court, Central District of California, Civil Action No. 2:05-ml-01671-CAS-VBK MDL No. 1671)
a. Class plaintiffs allege that defendants Union Oil Co. of California and Unocal Corporation unlawfully obtained market power by manipulating the California Air Resources Board rulemaking proceedings regarding emission standards and regulations for reformulated gasoline.
b. Consulting Services:
i. Advice on the refining business and technical petroleum issues
ii. Testimony in deposition
c. Attorneys
i. Expert Kovel, Kirby McInerney & Squire LLP (www.kmllp.com)

7. ARCO v. Olympic Pipeline – 2004 to 2005 (Federal District Court)
a. ARCO claimed an accident that Olympic Pipeline, an affiliate of Shell Oil, had resulted in business interruption costing hundreds of millions of dollars. The case settled shortly after Stillwater proved that ARCO’s business interruption was far less than the claimed amount.
b. Consulting services
i. Expert witness report on petroleum logistics, refining and markets
ii. Created detailed computer-based logics

Fields of Expertise

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