When Disputes Go To Court
Independent Expert Witness Services for Steel Industry Litigation
Steel disputes — whether over product quality, plant performance, contract breaches, or financial damages — require expert witnesses who combine deep technical knowledge with rigorous impartiality. Generic engineering experts are rarely adequate in a sector as technically demanding as steel.
Through our sister company SteelExpertWitness.com, a specialist division of Metals Consulting International, we provide independent expert witness services and litigation support for steel industry disputes worldwide.
Our Sister Site: SteelExpertWitness.com
Steel Expert Witness operates as a dedicated division of Metals Consulting International Limited (MCI), with its own specialist website at steelexpertwitness.com. The site provides full details of our expert witness services, team credentials, case studies, methodology, glossary of litigation terms, and how to instruct us.
Founded in 2017 by Dr Andrzej M Kotas PhD MBA FIMMM FIC, our expertise has been cited in Nature, featured in the Financial Times and the Swiss press, and showcased on Sky News.
Primary working relationships are with instructed solicitors and their counsel teams. All engagements are handled to CPR Part 35 standards with strict impartiality.
Core Expert Witness Services
Expert Witness Testimony
Our experts provide independent written reports and oral testimony for litigation and arbitration proceedings. All work is conducted to CPR Part 35 standards, ensuring courts and tribunals receive objective, fact-based opinions from suitably qualified specialists.
Technical Investigations
Detailed technical investigation of disputed matters — product quality failures, process deficiencies, equipment performance shortfalls, and specification non-conformances. We identify root causes and assess commercial consequences.
Quantum Calculations
Independent assessment of financial damages arising from steel industry disputes. We calculate quantum for product rejection, lost production, equipment failure, and contract non-performance, drawing on our deep knowledge of steel industry cost structures and market pricing.
Damage Assessment
Structured assessment of commercial and technical damage arising from steel industry disputes, including quality rejections, delayed delivery, plant underperformance, and supply chain disruption. Reports prepared to litigation standards.
Areas of Technical Expertise
Steelmaking Process Knowledge
Our experts possess comprehensive knowledge across the entire steelmaking process chain — from raw material preparation through to finished product. This enables us to address disputes involving any stage of the production process with authority and precision.
Ironmaking & Steelmaking
Blast furnace operations, basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, secondary metallurgy, and continuous casting. Coke plant and sinter plant operations. See our steel industry facts and figures for context.
Rolling & Downstream
Hot and cold rolling mills, galvanising lines — including coil winding failure modes, dross defects, and coating mass disputes — organic coating lines, tinplate production. Heat treatment, pipe and tube manufacture. Performance guarantees and acceptance testing. See also: flat-rolled steel products.
Product Range
Full range coverage: iron ore and DRI, semi-finished products, flat products (HRC, CRC, coated), long products (bar, rebar, rod, sections, rail), specialty steels, and seamless and welded pipe and tube.
Plant & Equipment
Assessment of major capital equipment — performance deficiencies, root cause analysis, modernisation projects, technical feasibility of performance improvements. Equipment procurement disputes and acceptance testing.
Environmental & Quality
Quality control procedures, grade certification disputes, environmental compliance matters, and energy efficiency claims. Expert assessment of process parameter disputes and chemistry control failures.
Commercial & Market
Steel market pricing, supply contract valuation, import/export trade disputes. Drawing on 25+ years of steel market intelligence from SteelOnTheNet to inform commercial quantum assessments.
Who We Serve
We serve clients across the full steel industry value chain, working primarily with instructed solicitors and their counsel teams:
Legal Professionals
Solicitors and barristers requiring an independent, technically qualified expert to support steel industry litigation or arbitration cases. We work to counsel's instructions, providing written reports, responding to questions of clarification, and where required, attending hearings to give oral testimony.
Industry Parties
Steel producers, processors, traders, buyers of plant and equipment, raw material suppliers, ship owners, and government bodies (including tax authorities) who are party to steel-related disputes. We provide independent technical and commercial analysis to support legal proceedings.
International Arbitration Coverage
Global Reach — Major Arbitration Centres
Based near London, our experts have provided evidence at international arbitration and court hearings across major centres worldwide. We offer both in-person and virtual consultation services using modern video conferencing tools.
London — LCIA
London Court of International Arbitration. Our primary base, with extensive experience in LCIA proceedings.
Paris — ICC
International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration.
Geneva
Swiss arbitration proceedings, including Swiss Chambers' Arbitration Institution (SCAI).
The Hague
Permanent Court of Arbitration and related international proceedings.
Singapore — SIAC
Singapore International Arbitration Centre. Growing portfolio of Asia-Pacific steel disputes.
Hong Kong — HKIAC
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. Serving disputes with Greater China and regional connections.
Recent Instructions
Recent instructions to the SteelExpertWitness team have included the following firms. Client and case details remain confidential.
Professional Standards & Credentials
All our expert witnesses hold active memberships in recognised professional bodies and adhere to strict CPR Part 35 ethical guidelines. Our lead expert holds:
- PhD — King's College London
- MBA — Cranfield School of Management
- FIMMM — Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
- FIC — Fellow of the Institute of Consulting
How to Instruct Us
Clear, Transparent Engagement
Upon initial contact, we provide a detailed Letter of Engagement (LoE) setting out:
- The specific experts assigned to your case
- Daily fee structures and estimated assignment duration
- Fixed costs and expenses for meetings and report preparation
- Follow-on fees where applicable
- Standard payment terms
This ensures complete cost transparency before any work commences. All client materials are handled under our strict data security and confidentiality framework.
Visit SteelExpertWitness.com
Our dedicated expert witness site contains full details of our services, team profiles, case studies, methodology, glossary of litigation terminology, and instructing solicitor guidance.
Go to SteelExpertWitness.com →Or contact us directly for a free initial consultation. Tel: +44 775 149 0885
Testimonials from international development banks, commercial banks and export credit agencies can be viewed here.
Related Advisory Services
Our expert witness capability is underpinned by the same deep steel industry knowledge that informs our consulting services. Where litigation requires independent market or financial analysis, we can draw on our full advisory toolkit: