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Forensic Psychiatric Associates, LP

A Nationwide Team of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology Experts

We provide evidence-based opinions based on records review, (neuro)psychological testing and independent medical evaluations.
We handle Mass Torts and Multiple-Plaintiff litigation, including large volume of records and multiple evaluations.
Our experts hold credentials and board certifications from the top institutions in the country.

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Lorelei Duckworth, Financial Administrator

Forensic Psychiatrists Forensic Psychologists Autism Experts

Mark

Mark I. Levy, MD, DLFAPA

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Mark Levy, MD, specializes in civil matters including mass torts multiplaintiff litigation, emotional distress, personal injury, PTSD, sexual abuse, employment litigation, ADA, discrimination, undue influence and testamentary capacity in will contests. Dr Levy has served as expert in more than 500 legal cases, including over 65 trial testimonies. He is Associate Clinical Professor (Volunteer) in Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and Faculty at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.

Education

Durham University (U.K.), Columbia College (A.B.), Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (MD), Mount Zion Medical Center, San Francisco, Internship (Rotating Medical) and Residency (Psychiatry), San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute (current name San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis) - graduate psychoanalyst. Dr. Mark Levy is Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Adult and Forensic Psychiatry, and a diplomate of The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. He is also Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Charles

Charles Saldanha, MD, DFAPA

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD, specializes in emergency, inpatient and community psychiatry, with a focus on serious mental illness and psychiatric hospital administration. He served as an expert in over 80 legal cases, and has provided testimony over 25 times. He is Associate Clinical Professor (Volunteer) in Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco where he teaches in the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship and Department of Psychiatry.

Education

Emory University (B.A.), Duke University (M.D.), Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Internship in Internal Medicine), University of California, San Francisco (Residency in Psychiatry), Yale University (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry Psychiatry). Dr. Saldanha is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry.

David

David Y. Kan, MD, DFASAM

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist David Kan, MD, specializes in addiction medicine and substance abuse, violence and suicide risk assessment, medical malpractice, assessment of sexual offenders, electroconvulsive therapy and impaired professionals. He served as an expert in over 40 legal cases, is Clinical Professor (Volunteer) in Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and works in substance abuse treatment at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. He is a third-party evaluator for the City and County of San Francisco on electroconvulsive therapy, conservatorship assessments, hospital utilization review and risk assessment.

Education

Northwestern University (BA and MD), University of California, San Francisco (Residency and Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry). David Kan, MD, is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Faculty in Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Adult and Forensic Psychiatry.

James

James Armontrout, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist James Armontrout, MD, specializes in PTSD and other trauma-based disorders, substance abuse, civil and criminal competencies, and evaluations related to criminal responsibilities. He served as an expert in over 80 legal cases, including several testimonies and depositions. He is a staff psychiatrist at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Palo Alto.

Education

University of Virginia (BA and MD), Harvard Longwood (Residency in Psychiatry), University of California, San Francisco (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry). James Armontrout, MD, is also Board certified in Psychiatry with added qualifications in forensic psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Steve

Steven H. Berger, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Steve Berger, MD, specializes in competence to proceed, criminal responsibility, severe mental illness, medical malpractice, employment issues such as fitness for duty, workers’ compensation claims, Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disability Act related issues. He has testified in court over 100 times, and has been deposed over 500 times.

Education

University of Michigan Medical School (MD). Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago (Residency in Psychiatry). Steve Berger, MD, is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry; Diplomate of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in General Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry; Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Psychiatry; Clinical Professor in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno.

Octavio

Octavio Choi, MD, PhD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Octavio Choi, MD, PhD, specializes in the use of neuroimaging evidence and the relevance of neurological findings in supporting psychiatric conditions, brain damage, medical and genetic conditions that affect the mind,

Education

Stanford University (B.S.), University of California, San Diego at La Jolla (M.D. and PhD), University of California Los Angeles, Neuropsychiatric Institute (Residency), University of Pennsylvania (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry). Octavio Choi, MD, PhD, is clinical associate professor in the psychiatry department at Stanford University and Director of training in the program in Psychiatry and the Law. He was previously director of Forensic Evaluations at Oregon State Hospital.

Ayesha

Ayesha Ashai, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Ayesha Ashai, M.D. specializes in civil and criminal competencies, criminal responsibility, violence and sexual risk assessments, malpractice, psychiatric injury, and evaluations related to testamentary capacity and undue influence. She also has experience working with incarcerated offenders with serious mental illness.

Education

University of Michigan Ann Arbor (B.A.), Boonshoft School of Medicine (M.D.), University of Maryland-Sheppard Pratt (Residency), University of California Davis (Fellowship). Ayesha Ashai, M.D., is Assistant Clinical Professor at University of Illinois School of Medicine.

Takeo

Takeo Toyoshima, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Takeo Toyoshima, MD, specializes in substance use disorders including alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and opioids including fentanyl; medical malpractice and standard of care in outpatient, inpatient, emergency and criminal justice settings.

Education

Yale University (B.S.), University of California Los Angeles (M.D.), University of California San Francisco (Residency in Psychiatry and Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry), University of California San Francisco (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry). Takeo Toyoshima, MD, is the Medical Director of the San Francisco VA Drug and Alcohol treatment clinic, Site Director of the UCSF Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF, and Co-Director of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry for California, Alaska, and Hawaii. He is board-certified in adult psychiatry and board-eligible in addiction and forensic psychiatry.

Jorien

Jorien Campbell, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Jorien Campbell, MD, specializes in juvenile and adult civil and criminal competency assessments, violence and suicide risk assessments, malpractice, psychiatric injury, child sexual abuse allegations and diagnostic evaluations in school consultation, emergency, correctional, inpatient, and outpatient psychiatry.

Education

University of Cape Town, South Africa, University of Wisconsin, Madison (B.S.), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (M.D.) University of California San Francisco (Residency), Stanford University (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship), University of California Davis (Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship).

Paul

Paul Elizondo III, DO

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Paul Elizondo, DO, specializes in child sexual abuse allegations; psychiatric injury associated with trauma, neglect, and disruption of basic needs; cyberstalking and cyberharassment; criminal and civil competency; general violence and sexual violence risk assessment for adults and juvenile offenders; malpractice; developmental disabilities, and child development as it pertains to forensic assessment and legal processes. He is volunteer Assistant Professor at the university of California, San Francisco and provides clinical instruction and training to mental health nurse practitioner students in his community clinic in Marin County.

Education

Stanford University (B.S.), Touro University (D.O.) University of California San Francisco (Residency), UCSF (Child and Adolescent & Forensic Psychiatry Fellowships).

Tyler

Tyler Durns, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Tyler Durns, M.D., specializes in inpatient and outpatient psychiatry with focuses in diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of serious mental illness, trauma-related disorders, personality disorders, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Areas of forensic specialization include civil and criminal competency, insanity, guilty but mentally ill evaluations, violence and suicide risk assessment, undue influence, psychiatric injury and disability, and medical malpractice.

Education

University of Arizona (B.S. and M.D.), University of Utah (Residency), University of Utah (Chief Resident), University of California Davis (Fellowship). Tyler Durns, M.D. is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Nicole

Nicole Brooks, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Nicole Brooks, MD, specializes in civil and criminal competencies, criminal responsibility, violence and sexual risk assessments, psychiatric injury, and malpractice in outpatient, inpatient, emergency, and correctional psychiatry.

Education

Stanford University (B.A.), University of Texas Medical Branch (M.D. and Residency in Psychiatry), University of California, Davis (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry). Nicole Brooks, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in the Psychiatry department. She is also Board certified in Psychiatry with added qualifications in Forensic Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Ambarin

Ambarin S. Faizi, DO

Expertise

Dr. Ambarin Faizi serves as a forensic expert in a variety of criminal and civil cases. She specializes in assessments involving mental status at the time of the crime (NGRI), malingering, medical malpractice, general and sexual violence risk assessment, competency to stand trial, and substance use disorders.

Education

University of California, Davis (Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship), Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (Psychiatry Residency), Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine), University of California, Riverside (Bachelor of Sciences).

Matthew

Matthew L. Edwards, MD

Expertise

Forensic psychiatrist Matthew L. Edwards, M.D., specializes in general psychiatry, inpatient psychiatry, and community psychiatry. His professional interests include medical education, administration, care for marginalized populations, and systems of care. He has conducted many forensic evaluations for local and state courts and testified for courts in Georgia and California. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine where he teaches in the general adult psychiatry residency program and the forensic psychiatry fellowship. His areas of interest in forensic psychiatry include civil and criminal competencies, insanity, immigration, mitigation, psychiatric injury and disability, and susceptibility to undue influence.

Education

Princeton University (A.B., magna cum laude), University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine (M.D., summa cum laude, honors in medical humanities), Stanford University School of Medicine (Residency and Chief Residency in Psychiatry), Emory University (Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry).

Grace

Grace Cheney, MD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Grace Cheney, MD specializes in juvenile and adult civil and competency assessments, neurotypical and neurodivergent development, and diagnostic evaluations in school consultation.

Education

Davidson College (B.A.), University of Texas at San Antonio (M.D.), University of South Florida (General Psychiatry Residency), University of Colorado (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship), Stanford University School of Medicine (Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship). Dr. Cheney is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Austin

Austin Blum, MD, JD

Expertise

Forensic Psychiatrist Austin Blum, MD, JD specializes in evaluations related to criminal competencies, criminal responsibility, and violence and sexual risk assessments. He has served as an expert in over 20 legal cases, with courtroom experience in California.

Education

Dr. Blum completed his Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of California, Davis, after a residency at University of Chicago Medicine. He holds an M.D. from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, a J.D. from Cornell Law School, and a B.A. from Cornell University.

Shafi

Shafi Lodhi, MD

Expertise

Forensic Neuropsychiatrist Shafi Lodhi, MD specializes in cases involving the intersection of psychiatry and neurology. His areas of interest include civil and criminal competencies, traumatic brain injuries, medical malpractice, immigration, psychiatric injury and disability, testamentary capacity, and undue influence.

Education

Dr. Lodhi completed his Forensic Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry fellowships at Stanford University. He graduated from residency at the University of Cincinnati after completing his M.D. and undergraduate degrees at the University of Missouri.

Shafi

Elissa P. Benedek, MD, FACP

Expertise

Extensive forensic expertise in child sexual abuse, child custody, adult sexual harassment, toxic torts, auto accidents, TBI, PTSD, as well as many employment issues such as wrongful termination, fitness to work. Extensive experience in depositions and courts for plaintiff and defense attorneys and also including providing opinions on state prosecutions issues of incarcerations, issues such as criminal responsibility and competency.

Education

University of Michigan (B.S., M.D.) Ann Arbor, training at U of M in general and child psychiatry, internship at Sinai Hospital in Detroit, later achieving a full professorship at University of Michigan and Wayne State University, and clinical and adjunct professorship, Michigan State University. Associate Director of Child Psychiatry, and Training Director, Center for Forensic Psychiatry. Served as Senior Examiner for American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Former President of American Psychiatric Association. Established American Psychiatric Foundation and served on the Council on Psychiatry and the Law. Board certified American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Forensic Psychiatry.

Sarah

Sarah A. Hall, PhD

Expertise

Forensic Psychologist Sarah Hall, PhD, specializes in the interface between psychological and personality factors and brain dysfunction due to injury, disease, genetic and neurological disorders, as well as disorders of learning and attention. She has been retained as a Forensic expert in over 130 cases and has provided over 13 depositions and testified at trial several times.

Education

University of California, Berkeley (A.B., M.A., PhD), Children's Hospital Oakland (Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology).

Howard

Howard J. Friedman, PhD, ABPP

Expertise

Forensic Psychologist Howard Friedman, PhD, ABPP, specializes in criminal and civil cases involving brain injury, toxic exposure, impact of drug and alcohol abuse, traumatic reactions, competency, psychological injury and functioning. Howard Friedman, PhD, ABPP, is board-certified in Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, and by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.

Education

Rutgers University (BA, PhD).

Christine

Christine Naber, PhD

Expertise

Forensic Neuropsychologist Christine Naber, PhD specializes in adult and geriatric neuropsychology, as well as trauma. She has served as an expert in hundreds of cases, involving personal injury, emotional distress, sexual abuse, PTSD, wrongful death, sexual harassment, employment, disability, testamentary capacity, undue influence, financial/medical capacity, criminal responsibility, trial capacity, and malingering. She has worked as a court appointed expert and testified in criminal and civil matters over 50 times. She also serves as Staff Neuropsychologist and Training Director of neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa.

Education

University of Virginia (BA in Psychology & Anthropology). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology). Southwest Consortium Doctoral Psychology Internship (APA Accredited, Neuropsychology and Cross-Cultural Psychology specializations). University of Missouri-Columbia and North Coast Health Care Centers (Postdoctoral Fellowships in Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation).

Alexis

Alexis Smith-Baumann, PsyD

Expertise

Forensic Psychologist with expertise in Neuropsychological Assessment of Adults, Adolescents, and Children.

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BA, MA), The Wright Institute (PhD).

John

John M. Fabian, PsyD, JD, ABPP

Expertise

Forensic Psychologist John M. Fabian, PsyD, JD, ABPP specializes in competency to stand trial, insanity defense, Mens Rea, PTSD (with and without traumatic brian injury), violence risk assessment, recidivism, death penalty mitigation, sexual offender risk assessment, workplace risk assessment, juvenile and custody evaluations, fitness-for-duty and more

Education

University of Cincinnati (BA, MA), Chicago School of Professional Psychology (MA, PhD), Cleveland Marshall College of Law (JD), Fielding Graduate Institute (Postdoctoral Neuropsychology Certificate.)

Nancy

Nancy Hoffman, PsyD

Expertise

Geriatric neuropsychologist Nancy Hoffman PsyD focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of various forms of dementia. She also specializes in issues of capacity, conservatorship, and undue influence in older adults. She has been retained as a forensic expert in over 30 cases and has testified at trial approximately 15 times.

Education

BA Dominican University in San Rafael, PsyD California Institute of Integral Studies (APA Accredited).

Jeremy

Jeremy Blank, PsyD, QME

Expertise

Jeremy Blank, PsyD, QME, is a forensic and clinical neuropsychologist specializing in traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, and neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as PTSD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, somatoform conditions, personality disorders, and effort/malingering. As a Qualified Medical Evaluator for the State of California, he specializes in workers’ compensation medicolegal cases; he also has expertise in fitness-for-duty evaluations, disability work, and determining capacity for medical and financial decision making.

Education

University of California, Davis (BS in Neurobiology/Physiology). The Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA (MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology). Cleveland (OH) VA Hospital (Pre-Doctoral Internship, Neuropsychology). San Francisco Clinical Neurosciences (Post-Doctoral Fellowship).

William

William McMullen, PhD, ABPP-CN

Expertise

Forensic Neuropsychologist William McMullen PhD, ABPP-CN specializes in civil cases involving brain injury, epilepsy, movement disorder, stroke, other neurocognitive disorders, and questions of mental capacity. William McMullen PhD is a California Licensed Clinical Psychologist and is Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Education

Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University (BM Music Education, Performance Certificate). Wayne State University (MA Psychology, PhD Clinical Psychology – Specialty Area: Neuropsychology). Cleveland VAMC (APA Approved Predoctoral Internship with Neuropsychology Concentration). UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital (Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology)

Bryna

Bryna Siegel, PhD

Expertise

Forensic Autism Expert Bryna Siegel, PhD, specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, education, and social policy of autism and related conditions. She has been qualified in several US states, federal and Canadian courts as an expert on autism over 100 times. She is the founding Executive Director of the Autism Center of Northern California.

Education

New College, Sarasota (B.A.), Stanford University (M.A., PhD, and Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Adolescent Development, Developmental Psychopathology, and Psychiatric Research Methods).

Services

We provide expert witness services for the full spectrum of issues at the intersection of law and human behavior, including:

Civil Law

Multi-Plaintiff Litigation (Mass Torts)
NIED/IIED
Wrongful Death
Civil Competencies/Capacities

Standard of Care

Boundary Violations
Psychopharmacology
Psychological/ Neuropsychological Testing

Employment Law

Discrimination/Wrongful Termination/Retaliation
Fitness for Duty
Risk Assessment
Claims of Abuse/Discrimination/Harassment

Probate Law

Will Contests
Testamentary Capacity
Undue Influence

Criminal Law

Criminal responsibility/NGRI/Diminished Capacity
Criminal Competencies
Sentencing Evaluations

Child & Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry

Child Custody
Child Sexual Abuse/Trauma
Juvenile Justice
Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Trauma & Personal Injury Law

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Risk Assessment

Substance Abuse/Addiction

Medical Review Officer (MRO) Assessments
Professional Licensing Issues
Fitness for Duty
Criminal Responsibility

Our Medical Director or Assistant Medical Director are available to discuss your case by phone at 415-388-8040, or please send us an email at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I retain an fpamed expert?

Please contact us for an initial consultation so we can learn about the details and timeline of your case, discuss with you which expert(s) is best suited for your needs, and answer your initial questions. We are never retained by parties to litigation (evaluees). Please ask your attorney to contact us!

What are the fees?

Following the initial phone consultation, we would be happy to provide our rate sheet, retention agreement and a preliminary budget estimate based on records size. Our expert(s) are fully retained and will start working upon receipt of the executed retention agreement and the initial retainer payment.

Do you handle mass tort (multi-plaintiff) litigation?

Yes! We have experience with the complex dynamics, logistics and ethical issues of multi-plaintiff litigation. Our experts can provide evidence-based opinions regardless of the number of plaintiffs. Our paralegal team is trained to handle large volume of records, and can create medical chronologies, summaries and other work that speeds up the review of our experts. Previous experience with mass tort litigation includes survivors of workplace shooting, train collision and bus accidents, PCB contaminated water table, mold exposures, housing discrimination (for the Civil Rights Division of USDOJ), sexual abuse claims, public utility gas pipeline explosion, massive fires etc.

Why retain both a psychiatrist and a psychologist for a single IME? Isn’t that duplicative?

Typically, the psychologist reviews any psychological records, administers psychological test to the evaluee, and provides a summary of test results and findings to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist, as the lead expert, reviews the majority of medical records (except psychological records), depositions, and other relevant documents and data. He or she then performs a multi-hour Independent Medical Evaluation (IME) and prepares a detailed report of findings in an evidence-based opinion informed in part by the findings of the psychologist. There is no duplication between the psychologist and the psychiatrist, only complementarity. Not every case requires psychological testing. Please contact us to discuss the specifics of your case.

Let’s talk about your case

Please use the confidential contact form below to let us know how we can contact you to discuss your matter.

Forensic Psychiatric Associates, LP

Accurate, Reliable and Evidence-Based Forensic Psychiatric Assessments and Expert Opinions