A Day in the Life of an Expert Witness in Electrical Engineering and Construction

Efstathios Maliakis is senior electrical engineer with 20 years’ experience, including 10 years supervising the construction of power plants. A full time Expert Witness since 2021, he tells us what led him to the profession, why he feels he’s found his perfect match career-wise, and his advice for aspiring Expert Witnesses.

I’m currently Head of Power, EMEA, at DAC Consulting Services, who provide forensic engineering and Expert Witness services to clients all over the world.

It doesn’t matter where the case is: we use our global pool of experts, taking into account their knowledge of the intracity of the laws, rules and mindset in that particular region and jurisdiction.

Before I became an Expert Witness, I wasn’t aware the profession existed!

I was always on the technical side of things in my career and I’d never been involved in legal issues. I started doing some work abroad, which led me to conducting business excellence assessments in the UAE for a big government organisation.

A fellow assessor was an Expert Witness and he explained what the work was all about. I thought it sounded fascinating. A few weeks later, he told me his company was looking for an experienced electrical engineer to be a part of a forensic case. I didn’t give it too much thought – I thought I’d give it a go.

I was internally trained by the organisation and the onboarding was intense.

I was brought up to speed on Expert Witness ethics and the professional code we have to follow in a matter of weeks. That was at the end of 2020. Since July 2021, I’ve been doing Expert Witness work full time. I adjusted quite quickly and we’re a perfect match.

I enjoy the intellectual challenge.  

Expert Witness work has brought me a higher degree of challenge, primarily with myself. You need to prove yourself every day. As an Expert Witness, you play a crucial role in the outcome of a case, so you feel that you’re contributing to justice.  It’s very interesting trying to transfer your opinion or conclusion to laypeople, or lawyers who don’t have much technical knowledge.

All my professional experience is invested in my Expert Witness work.

I love that I get to apply the engineering principles that I’ve studied and which I’ve gained during my career to cases that require a high level of knowledge and experience.

Through being an Expert Witness, I get to find out about new skills, alternative technologies, and develop my techniques overall. There are also great networking opportunities and I’ve started a new professional circle all around me. There’s a certain prestige that comes with being an expert.

Electrical engineering is diverse, so I work on a big variety of cases.

I’ve covered cases on automation, communication, telecom, control, power plants, and renewable power, to name a few. The variety is a big appeal for me.

I’m mainly involved in international arbitrations involving energy and power plants. The first case I was involved in was a full-blown arbitration that involved the investigation of step-up transformers at a power plant.

Currently, I’m involved in a case about a power plant in Southeast Asia to do with due diligence and negligence.

I like the flexibility that Expert Witness work brings.

It’s up to me how I handle my hours and schedule. I’m planning my life much better working as an Expert Witness. Of course, there’s pressure when you’re submitting your export report. You might find yourself working 15-16 hours a day, but it’s only for a week or so, and then the intensive part is done.

For most Expert Witnesses, your first ever cross-examination is very memorable! 

The lawyers who first instructed me described cross-examination as a big concert: the spotlight is on you and everyone expects you to perform flawlessly. Everyone told me it would be very intense and stressful. But everything went smoothly and the side who instructed me actually won the case — mainly down to my report and cross-examination, which I’m very proud to say.

Practice makes perfect.

Being cross-examined is a big challenge. To do it successfully, you need specific language skills and to be able to explain complex ideas. Make sure you’re in a position to use plain language and visuals. Mock cross-examination is worth doing to help you withstand the process.

Learn how to manage stress and any emotional impact.

I’ve seen many experts get so stressed under cross-examination that they fall apart. It has an adverse impact on the case. I’ve also seen experts almost get into fights with the barrister cross examining them. It’s really important to learn how to control your emotions.

I believe in continuous improvement.

Coming from a technical background, I’m always learning. In electrical engineering, it takes a lot of time and effort to stay up to date and retain your expert title. It’s important to invest time in studying and training. I’m always evolving and trying out new methodologies and practices. Continuous improvement is a must for all Expert Witnesses.  

Expert Witnesses aren’t born Expert Witnesses.

We’re experts in our field, but you need to be aware of the rules and legal proceedings and how things work in arbitration proceedings.

You need to be able to work under pressure and stick to tight timeframes. It can be particularly difficult when people already have a day job and are doing Expert Witness work part-time.

Several institutions, including the Expert Witness Institute, provide excellent training.

My advice for any engineers considering becoming an Expert Witness:

• Be honest about facts and findings at all times.
• Maintain impartiality.
• Use simple terms and language to try to describe and share the knowledge with people who aren’t from that technical background.
• Whenever you’re in doubt, take two steps back and take time to reconsider. Remember that you’re the expert. Your expert perception will take care of the rest.
• Finally, always ask for help whenever you need it. Fasten your seatbelt! It’s a fast and bumpy ride.