by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jul 1, 2020 | Case Updates
Infotech Consulting’s Expert Economist Dr. Rob Kneuper was hired by counsel for the Defendant, Southeast Petro, a gasoline distributor for Motiva Enterprises, a Shell affiliate, to evaluate the damages methodology and estimates produced by the Plaintiff’s expert. Plaintiff LLB Convenience and Gas, Inc. brought suit against Southeast Petro in the U.S. District for the Middle District of Florida, claiming a violation of the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act and a breach of contract.
Dr. Kneuper and the Infotech Consulting team reviewed the damages analysis put forth and conducted their own detailed econometric analyses using the Plaintiff’s financials. Through a report and deposition in fall 2019 and testimony at trial in February 2020, Dr. Kneuper identified substantial flaws in the work of the Plaintiff’s expert. In June 2020, District Court Judge Paul G. Byron ruled in favor of Southeast Petro, echoing Dr. Kneuper’s findings that the Plaintiff’s expert’s methodology was unreliable.
LLB Convenience & Gas, Inc. v. Southeast Petro Distributors, Inc., In the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Case No.: 6:18-cv-00914-PGBTBS
by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jun 25, 2020 | Blog
One of Infotech Consulting’s Summer 2020 Interns, Hayden Hampton, sat down to answer a couple of critical questions about his academic interests, his internship expectations, and his desired superpower. Check out this interview to get a glimpse of the next generation.
What university are you attending and what is your area of study?
University: University of Central Florida
Major: Big Data Analytics
What drew you to that area of study?
I have a passion for math, statistics, business, and computer programming.
What has been your favorite course outside of your area of study?
Oceanography – I enjoyed learning the science behind the physical, chemical, and biological features of the ocean in the course. I was able to show the class pictures and videos I took of sharks, rays, octopi, etc. while scuba diving.
What are you hoping to gain, learn, or experience during your Infotech Consulting internship?
I am hoping to gain real-world experience in data analytics and litigation.
Do you have any pets? What kind and what are their names?
I have two dogs; a Great Dane named Marley and a French Bulldog named Bear.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Predict the future – on a daily basis I’m working with historical data to develop insights into the past and future and this would make my job a lot easier!
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I’ve been an avid scuba diver for over 10 years.
by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jun 18, 2020 | Blog
One of Infotech Consulting’s Summer 2020 Interns, Hallie Mille, sat down to answer a couple of critical questions about her academic interests, her internship expectations, and her desired superpower. Check out this interview to get a glimpse of the next generation.
What university are you attending and what is your area of study?
University: Furman
Major: Mathematics/Economics
What drew you to that area of study?
I always enjoyed math growing up, but I never thought I would major in it. Likewise, I had never considered majoring in economics and didn’t even really know what it was all about before coming to college. I took an introductory economics class the fall of my freshman year because it was the prerequisite for a marketing class I wanted to take in the spring semester, as I was interested in exploring an intersection of art and business at the time. I ended up loving the economics class, and that is when I started thinking about majoring in it. I decided to go the route of math-econ instead of econ because I liked the modeling aspect of the field, and math-econ prepares you better for empirical work.
What has been your favorite course outside of your area of study?
While it is recommended for my major, it is technically not required, so I would say my introductory computer programming class where we were introduced to Python was one of my favorites. However, outside of that – and more outside of my area of study – I enjoyed the content of my First-Year Writing Seminar at Furman. We used the representations of prisons in film and television shows as a basis for our assignments, exploring pressing matters in the prison system, such as race and transgender issues.
What are you hoping to gain, learn, or experience during your Infotech Consulting internship?
In just over a week of my internship, I have already read about how econometric skills I have learned in the classroom are applied in consulting’s work. It has been cool to see that connection and how the skills can be used to help people, so I am excited to explore it more throughout the summer. I am also hoping to gain some data analytics experience, particularly with software like SAS.
Do you have any pets? What kind and what are their names?
I have an English Springer Spaniel named Jax!
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Definitely teleportation! I actually don’t typically mind sitting in a car, a plane, etc. (except for driving when traffic is stressful), but it would still make it so much faster to go anywhere. Plus, I could travel all over the world without worrying about the expenses of plane tickets. It would even come in handy for the little moments like when I am lying on the couch late at night and need to go to bed but have no motivation to actually get up and walk upstairs. Don’t you wish you could just teleport to bed when you’re tired?!
Share a fun fact about yourself.
Hmm, I have never been great at coming up with fun facts, but one thing is that I am obsessed with women’s soccer, or WOSO as we like to call it. I have been to several very exciting games this past year, including the Women’s World Cup Quarter Final between the US and France in Paris and one of their Victory Tour matches at which I got to sit in the front row near the US bench!
by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jun 2, 2020 | Blog
One of Infotech Consulting’s Summer 2020 Interns, Alejando Michel, sat down to answer a couple of critical questions about his academic interests, his internship expectations, and his desired superpower. Check out this interview to get a glimpse of the next generation.
What university are you attending and what is your area of study?
University: Florida State University
Major: Statistics
What drew you to that area of study?
The ability to challenge claims, gain foresight with the uncertainty of future events and combine it with other fields like computer vision or speech recognition.
What has been your favorite course outside of your area of study?
Excluding other technical fields, I really enjoy learning other languages. In addition to perceiving new ideas, it helps create instant bonds with diverse people. I like to think of math/stats as a universal language.
What are you hoping to gain, learn, or experience during your Infotech Consulting internship?
I’m looking forward to helping the consulting team with data management and analysis while at the same time increasing my skillset to include econometric modeling. I think the ability to explain results will help deepen my understanding of these concepts, especially in a litigation setting. Additionally, I’m excited to exchange ideas with the other interns as well.
Do you have any pets? What kind and what are their names?
One puppy, her name is Lola and she is a toy poodle!
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I would like the ability to draw a perfect circle, because why not?
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I went to an entire school year where I would wake up at 3:00 am and sleep at 6:00 pm. This allowed me to run twice a day on a busy schedule. Nowadays I have more control over my schedule, but I’m still very much an early bird.
by info-services@infotechinc.com | May 27, 2020 | Case Updates
Infotech Consulting was retained on behalf of Beazer Homes in a class action suit filed by Heritage Commons Townhome Association alleging breach of implied warranty, violation of Florida building codes, and negligence in construction of an 89-unit townhome project in Seminole County, Florida. Plaintiffs maintained that defects observed in their homes’ exteriors, windows, and architectural elements were due to systematic issues in the original design and construction of the buildings. The class claimed that as a direct and proximate result of Beazer’s negligence, large sums of money would be required to repair the defects and deficiencies and to maintain the property and buildings going forward.
The Plaintiffs retained a statistical expert who collected the results from the destructive testing performed on the buildings in the townhome project, then designed a sampling methodology and performed analyses intended to determine the likelihood of systemic defects contributing to the observed defects, as well as the need for repair or replacement. Dr. Jamie McClave Baldwin was hired by the Defendant to evaluate the methodology employed and conclusions drawn by the Plaintiff’s expert. Dr. McClave Baldwin conducted a rigorous review of the opposing expert’s sampling methods and thoroughly evaluated the data used in his calculations of confidence intervals and estimated defect rates. Infotech Consulting’s attention to statistical standards of reproducibility and reliability demonstrated that the Plaintiffs’ expert analyses were biased and not based on sound statistical principles, thus rendering his conclusions unreliable. The case was settled in a manner favorable to defendants in February 2020 for an undisclosed amount.
Heritage Commons Townhome Association, Inc v. Beazer Homes Corp., No. 2016-CA-002447-11E-W (Circuit Court for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit in and For Seminole County, Florida)
