Case Studies
J.S. Held Acquires Shechter & Everett to Expand Forensic Accounting Capabilities for Family Law Disputes in Florida
Read MoreIn the immediate aftermath of the wildfires that affected Los Angeles, CA, in January of 2025, an insurance client contacted J.S. Held for guidance and assistance in helping several of their insured homeowners recover from the recent devastation. Having completely lost their homes in the wildfires, the insured wished to locate and potentially recover personal effects from their properties.
J.S. Held experts from several practices were involved in the recovery. Industrial hygienists from the Building Environment and Health Sciences teams evaluated the potential hazards for individuals wishing to return to or work in the areas of the former residences. A comprehensive safety protocol was implemented, combined with on-site safety oversight and air monitoring. A structural engineer from Forensic Architecture & Engineering conducted assessments of the remaining structures to establish safe navigation around the properties and provided recommendations for a subsequent salvage team to safely retrieve identified items. Finally, members from the Building Consulting and Contents teams helped to locate, document, and advise on the handling of any personal effects that were retrieved.
Thales Cheng, MPH, CIH
Technical Fellow, Industrial Hygiene
Environmental, Health & Safety Practice
+1 626 718 3010
[email protected]
> Industrial Hygiene Services
Our team of Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs), Certified Safety Professionals (CSPs), and environmental scientists provide expert counsel on matters involving asbestos, lead, mold, legionella, smoke, noise, occupational risks, and other hazards. Our experts are retained to perform exposure assessments, environmental sampling, air quality testing, noise and moisture mapping, and cause and origin investigations.
> Structural Engineering
Our team is composed of civil and structural engineers who specialize in forensic investigations, repair scopes, code upgrade/compliance evaluations, and repair plans. We provide detailed forensic analysis of property and infrastructure damage by leveraging our understanding of the built environment and the impact of wind, water, fire, deterioration, construction defects, and outside forces.
> Contents & Inventory Services
Our team provides reliable and efficient commercial, residential, retail, and industrial contents and inventory appraisal services. Our contents and inventory specialists utilize industry-leading property appraisal processes, developed from our extensive industry experience in business, and cutting-edge technology to provide on-site inventory re-creation, documentation, pricing, and reporting.