Source Code Review Expert Witness
We provide source code review expert witness testimony for litigation involving software analysis, code comparison, intellectual property disputes, and similar technical assessments. The need for source code analysis arises in many contexts of software litigation, including patent infringement, breach of contract, and trade secret misappropriation cases. We analyze repositories, version histories, coding patterns, architectural decisions, and development artifacts to provide defensible opinions.
Our litigation source code review practice follows protective-order protocols on secured review machines, producing findings that are objective, reproducible, and defensible under Daubert.
Common Disputes We Handle
Software Patent Infringement Source code analysis for patent infringement and invalidity, including line-by-line code review, claim chart preparation, and expert reports mapping accused code to patent claims. Support for proceedings covering algorithms, data structures, software architectures, and method implementations.
Trade Secret Misappropriation Forensic comparison of codebases to identify copied or substantially similar code, analysis of version control histories to establish timelines of development, and evaluation of whether proprietary algorithms, architectures, or implementations were misappropriated versus independently created.
Copyright Infringement Analysis of code lineage, open-source license compliance, and substantial similarity between codebases. Evaluation of whether accused software copies protected expression or merely implements unprotectable ideas, methods, or functional requirements.
Software Quality and Breach of Contract Technical assessment of delivered code against contractual specifications, industry standards, and professional coding practices. Analysis of defect density, test coverage, documentation completeness, and adherence to agreed-upon frameworks and methodologies.
Representative Engagements
- SaaS Platform Trade Secret Misappropriation Analyzed competing codebases and development histories to assess whether a former employee’s startup incorporated proprietary source code and algorithms from a prior employer’s SaaS platform.
- Mobile Application Code Quality, Breach of Contract Evaluated the quality, completeness, and adherence to specifications of source code delivered by a development contractor for a consumer-facing mobile application.
- Base Station Source Code Patent Infringement Analyzed base station source code of several potential infringers against established claim charts, documenting potentially infringing behavior with source code citations.
Our Experts
Source Code Review Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a BS in Computer Science from a top public university in California and an MBA from a leading business school at a major university in the same state. Their work history includes roles as director of technology at an online marketing agency managing development teams for consumer websites and campaigns, core technology developer at a media firm building business intelligence solutions, technical team lead at a digital agency architecting content management and reservation systems for hospitality clients, freelance software engineer developing catalog and reporting systems, and software engineer/project manager at a technology company overseeing web-based projects for utility firms and other enterprises. Experience encompasses collaborations with Fortune 500 companies on high-traffic sites and sophisticated software systems. They have served as an expert witness in intellectual property litigation, analyzing patent infringement, validity, and source code for major law firms, and providing technical expertise and testimony in over 50 cases involving leading technology companies.
Expertise
- C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET, .NET Framework, WCF, Web Services, IIS
- PHP, MySQL, ColdFusion, ASP, server-side scripting
- SQL Server, XML/XSLT, ETL, data import/export pipelines
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript, front-end frameworks, CMS architectures
- Business intelligence tools, reporting systems, statistical analysis platforms
- Source code comparison, claim chart preparation, code provenance analysis
Source Code Review Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a Master’s degree and a Specialist degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, with earlier studies in Physics at a specialized magnet school. In professional roles, this expert has served as a software engineer at a major technology corporation focused on large-scale data processing and reliability, as head of infrastructure at Google, as lead engineer at Uber, as chief science officer at a venture studio overseeing AI and analytics initiatives across portfolio entities, and as an AI engineer consultant for projects in confidential sectors including defense and urban planning. They are an experienced code review expert witness with many cases and engagements.
Expertise
- C, C++, Go, Java, Scala, compiled-language systems programming
- Python, Ruby, Perl, PHP, JavaScript, scripting and automation
- Distributed systems, backend services, high-load architectures, reliability engineering
- Machine learning pipelines, data processing frameworks, performance optimization
- Code review methodologies, repository forensics, codebase comparison
Source Code Review Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a B.S. in Computer and Systems Engineering from a respected technical university known for its engineering programs. Their work history includes leadership positions such as CTO, VP of Operations, and VP of Engineering at telecommunications software companies focused on unified communications and SaaS platforms, director of server and solutions engineering at firms specializing in mobile voice and IP network bridging, VoIP engineering lead at a Fortune 500 telecommunications provider, and early roles in engineering leadership development programs at large telecom organizations. This expert also serves as adjunct faculty at graduate and undergraduate schools of engineering and computer science.
Expertise
- C, C++, low-level protocol implementation, real-time systems programming
- Java, Python, SaaS platform integration, automation scripting
- VoIP protocols (SIP, RTP, SRTP), presence detection, call routing algorithms
- Embedded systems, network stack implementation, telecom software design
Source Code Review Expert Witness
Background
This expert holds a BA in Mathematics from a top university. With over 20 years of industry experience, this expert has worked as a software architect, principal developer, lead, and founding member at software companies and startups. They have served as an expert witness in multiple litigation cases involving patent infringement and class actions in U.S. district courts and the International Trade Commission.
Expertise
- Java, JavaScript, C, C++, Rust, Swift, Assembly, Lisp
- Python, Ruby, Perl, Visual Basic, scripting languages
- SQL, HTML, CSS, web application development
- Software architecture, system design, full-stack development
- Codebase forensics, code comparison, multi-language repository analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is litigation source code review?
Litigation source code review is the forensic examination of software source code to produce evidence for a legal dispute: mapping accused code to patent claims, comparing codebases for copying, or assessing delivered code against contractual specifications. Findings are documented so they are objective, reproducible, and able to withstand Daubert scrutiny.
How does source code review work in patent litigation?
In patent litigation, source code is typically produced on a secured review machine under a protective order. Reviewers perform line-by-line analysis of the accused implementation, prepare claim charts mapping code to the asserted claims, and support expert reports and testimony for district court and PTAB proceedings.
Who can serve as a source code expert witness?
Courts expect a source code expert witness to combine hands-on software engineering depth with the ability to explain code clearly to judges and juries. Sidespin Group’s reviewers are PhD-level computer scientists with industry engineering backgrounds and deposition and trial testimony experience.
How is confidential source code protected during review?
Source code is reviewed under the case’s protective order, usually on isolated, non-networked review computers at a secured facility, with printing and note-taking restrictions and detailed access logs. Our experts follow these protocols routinely in patent, trade secret, and copyright matters.
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
