Database Expert Witness
We provide database expert witness testimony for litigation involving relational databases, distributed data systems, data warehousing, and database-driven applications. Database disputes frequently center on query optimization, schema design, data integrity, access control mechanisms, or proprietary database architectures. We analyze source code, database schemas, query logs, replication configurations, and system architectures to provide defensible opinions on infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of contract claims.
Common Disputes We Handle
Database Patent Disputes Infringement and invalidity analysis for patents covering query processing, indexing methods, data storage architectures, replication protocols, and database management system functionality. Source code review, claim chart preparation, and expert reports for district court and PTAB proceedings.
Database Trade Secrets Evaluation of proprietary database architectures, query optimization algorithms, schema designs, indexing strategies, and source code lineage to assess misappropriation or independent development.
Data Platform Contract Disputes Analysis of database platform functionality, performance guarantees, migration deliverables, and data handling practices for breach of contract and warranty claims involving database vendors or integrators.
Distributed Database and Data Warehousing Expert testimony on partitioning, sharding, replication, federated query systems, ETL pipelines, and data warehouse architectures. We analyze system configurations, query execution plans, and data flow to support claims involving performance, scalability, and data consistency.
Representative Engagements
- Geospatial Database Patent Infringement Retained to provide expert analysis and deposition testimony in a patent infringement matter involving geospatial information systems and spatial database query methods.
- Database Migration Platform, Breach of Contract Evaluated the technical deliverables and performance of a database migration engagement where the vendor failed to meet contractual data integrity and uptime requirements.
- Federated Query System, Trade Secret Misappropriation Analyzed source code and system architecture in a trade secret dispute involving a proprietary federated database query platform used for cross-querying distributed datasets.
Our Experts
Database Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a Ph.D. and has progressed through academic roles at a leading U.S. research university, including associate professor with tenure in applied mathematics and statistics and a secondary appointment in computer science, as well as earlier positions as assistant professor, research professor, and research scientist in physics and astronomy. Their work spans scientific databases, data-intensive parallel computing, and federated large-scale archive systems, including the development of SkyQuery for cross-querying distributed datasets. Contributions include probabilistic record linkage, catalog data fusion in multi-epoch observations, and catalog matching with astrometric corrections. They have authored book chapters on cross-identification methods, developed frameworks for lightweight scientific data publishing, and served as general chair and program committee member for SSDBM. They have expert witness experience in patent litigation, including deposition testimony in a geospatial information systems patent infringement case.
Expertise
- SQL, PostgreSQL, parallel query execution, spatial indexing (R-tree, k-d tree), GIS databases, geospatial query processing
- Data federation, schema mapping, metadata management, lightweight data publishing frameworks, OAI-PMH
- Statistical computing, MATLAB, R, Python (NumPy, SciPy, pandas), large-scale data pipelines, batch processing architectures
- HPC clusters, MPI, MapReduce, distributed file systems, FITS data format, VO (Virtual Observatory) standards
Distributed Database Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from a top-tier university, with an academic focus on advanced database systems. They have served as a researcher and lecturer at leading universities and as an advisor to software startups, contributing to the development of innovative database solutions. Their technical expertise spans database implementation, object-oriented databases, relational databases, federated autonomous databases, database integration, database views with updates, databases on parallel computers, and database security. Additional specialized knowledge includes configuration management in collaborative database environments and modular database architectures. They have extensive expert witness experience in patent infringement litigation related to database technology, providing testimony on validity, invalidity, and infringement for both plaintiffs and defendants. This includes authoring expert reports, declarations for motions and claim constructions, and participating in inter partes reviews with declarations and depositions.
Expertise
- Relational databases (SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle), object-oriented databases (ODMG, ObjectStore), object-relational mapping
- Database views, view update algorithms, materialized views, query rewriting, constraint propagation
- Parallel database architectures, partitioning strategies (hash, range, round-robin), shared-nothing/shared-disk systems, parallel query optimization
- Database security (RBAC, MAC, DAC, row-level security, audit trails, encryption at rest), access control policy enforcement
Speak with an Expert about Your Case
- Monday – Friday
- 8am – 6pm PT
- 11am – 9pm ET
Discuss your Case
- info@sidespingroup.com
- (800) 510-6844
- Monday – Friday
- 8am – 6pm PT
- 11am – 9pm ET
Lead Expert
