Expert Witness Experience:

I undertook my first work as an Expert Witness in 1993 working on a high profile case, acting for the defendant, which lasted over a year and involved detailed reports, several days in the witness box, many more days in court advising counsel and many meetings (some with the claimant's representatives).

In addition to acting as an expert for others, I've been involved in two cases on my own behalf. Once in relation to a case of plagiarism in relation to a software product that my company had developed and more recently in an ongoing case against Urban Media UK Ltd. I sold my business (Cravenplan) to them in January 2013 but they failed to pay until court action. This probably makes me unique amongst IT expert witnesses in that I understand the process from both sides.

Since 1993 I've worked on cases relating to:

• several claims relating to the quality of Web sites and their value for money
• plagiarism (content theft from a Web site)
• who was at fault for not completing a Web site
• the value of a domain name
• the expected earnings of a freelance Web designer injured in an accident
• the value of stolen equipment

IT Experience:

Having been involved in the computer business since 1979 I have experience in many areas so please check whether I can help with your specific case. Recent experience includes the creation of Web sites including E-Commerce sites. My company has now produced almost 200 Web sites. Most of these are hosted on our own Web server and maintained by us. I am familiar with meta tags, keywords and the art of search engine optimisation. I have also been an analyst/programmer since 1979 working mostly in Mapper and Cool ICE. I have many years experience supplying and installing hardware and software including networked systems.

As a guideline my experience includes:

• The Internet (World Wide Web)
• Web site visitor log analysis
• E-Commerce sites
• Meta Tags
• Keywords
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Domain name disputes
• Cool ICE and Mapper (now called BIS)

Work History:

I started Cravenplan Computers Limited in 1984. Most of our current work relates to Web marketing and the Internet. We specialise in the creation of bespoke Web sites, mainly for businesses. Many of these sites link to databases and offer dynamic content dependent on user input. We also specialise in Web marketing (including Search Engine Optimisation) - we look at all aspects of a client's Web site in an attempt to gain them more business from it.

I sold the business at the start of 2013 with the aim of concentrating more effort on my expert witness work, however I was not paid by the buyer (Urban Media UK Ltd) and have therefore resurrected the business and continue to help clients maximise their Web presence. This experience does give me a unique insight into the intricacies of our legal system from an expert witness point of view. I know how YOU feel.

Prior to forming Cravenplan I worked for Sperry Univac which later merged with Burroughs to become Unisys. It was here that I learnt Mapper, a programmable database language which has been available for over 30 years. It has been continuously developed by Unisys and now incorporates a Web front end (Cool ICE) which we often use to provide the database driven Web sites we now produce.

In my teens I gained experience running several small businesses and was involved in the entertainment business (running a small radio station), hotels, farming and transport. I have over 40 years experience running my own businesses with all that entails.

I am used to evaluating evidence from both points of view and I can present the facts and my opinions clearly and concisely in written and verbal reports.