Three Experts. Decades of Hands-On Experience. One Source.
Airport Expert Witness brings together Paul Gaston, Ryan Dahlstrom, and Preston Rideout — three independently credentialed experts whose combined 85+ years of operational experience spans airport construction, hospitality management, and alcohol service liability across all 50 states.
Paul Gaston
Principal Expert — Airport Premises Liability, Construction Safety & Facilities Management
Licensed General Contractor · 17+ Years at O'Hare International Airport · OSHA 30-Hour Certified
Paul Gaston is a construction safety and facilities maintenance professional with over 30 years of hands-on experience managing commercial, municipal, healthcare, and high-security projects. He has served as General Foreman at O'Hare International Airport since 2007, overseeing construction and maintenance operations in one of the busiest and most operationally complex airports in the world.
As a Licensed General Contractor for the City of Chicago (License #TGC131247) and a Union Journeyman Carpenter (Local 10, since 1989), Paul brings a practitioner's eye to every case. He has been retained as an expert witness in premises liability, slip/trip/fall, construction defect, ADA compliance, and OSHA violation matters across Illinois and nationwide. His testimony is grounded in direct operational knowledge — not academic theory.
Why Attorneys Retain Paul
Areas of Expertise
Career Timeline
Credentials & Licenses
- Licensed General Contractor — City of Chicago (Active, #TGC131247)
- Union Journeyman Carpenter — Carpenters Local 10 (Since 1989)
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety & Health
- OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Safety & Health
- Fall Protection and Slip/Trip/Fall Hazard Recognition
- ADA Accessibility and Compliance in Public Facilities
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Jobsite Safety
- Scaffolds in Construction Safety
- Confined Space Entry and Safety
- Fire Prevention and Emergency Action Plans
- Hazard Communication (HazCom/GHS)
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Procedures
Certifications
- Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness
- Electrical Safety for Non-Electrical Workers
- Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention
- Forklift / Powered Industrial Truck Safety
- Hand and Power Tool Safety
- Heat Illness Prevention
- Ladder Safety
- Struck-By and Caught-In/Between Hazards
- Walking-Working Surfaces (29 CFR 1910.22)
- Trenching and Excavation Safety
Testimony Highlights
- Slip/trip/fall cases at O'Hare International Airport — wet floors, tracked moisture, and HVAC condensation
- ADA violation cases involving transition strips, ramp gradients, and door hardware at commercial facilities
- Construction defect cases involving flooring installation, handrail systems, and egress compliance
- OSHA violation cases in occupied commercial and municipal facilities
- Premises liability cases at Chicago-area hospitals, retail centers, and government buildings
- Automatic door malfunction and entrapment cases at airports and public facilities
Ryan Dahlstrom
Expert — Hospitality Liability, Dram Shop, Nightlife Security & Premises Liability
35+ Years in Hospitality & Entertainment · Founder, The Bar & Restaurant Experts · Published Author
Ryan Dahlstrom is one of the most credentialed hospitality and dram shop expert witnesses in the United States. With over 35 years of hands-on experience across bars, nightclubs, hotels, and event venues — from managing Las Vegas Strip properties to directing the Nightclub & Bar Convention — he brings an unparalleled operational perspective to every case.
Ryan is the founder of The Bar & Restaurant Experts and the Nightclub Hall of Fame, and has authored four industry books and over 1,000 pages of training manuals. He has been published in the Wall Street Journal and Las Vegas Weekly, and has appeared on Fox TV. He evaluates dram shop liability, responsible alcohol service, nightlife security, premises liability, and video evidence in cases nationwide.
Why Attorneys Retain Ryan
Areas of Expertise
Career Timeline
Credentials & Licenses
- Founder — The Bar & Restaurant Experts (2013–Present)
- Founder / President — Nightclub Hall of Fame (2013–Present)
- Nightlife & Entertainment Director — Questex Media Group / Nightclub & Bar Convention (2011–2014)
- Hotel Director of Beverage / Nightclub GM — Crowne Plaza Dallas (2009–2010)
- Published Author: The Bar Starts Here
- Published Author: Life Behind Bars
- Published Author: Bartender Training Manual
- Published Author: Server Training Manual
- Published: Wall Street Journal, Las Vegas Weekly, Fox TV
- 1,000+ pages of industry training manuals and operating procedures authored
Testimony Highlights
- Dram shop cases involving overservice of visibly intoxicated patrons at bars and nightclubs
- Underage service cases at licensed establishments across multiple states
- Nightclub security and use-of-force cases involving bouncers and crowd control failures
- Premises liability cases at event venues, concert halls, and entertainment complexes
- Video analysis and incident reconstruction in hospitality liability cases
- Expert consultation on bar and nightclub industry standards of care
Preston Rideout
Expert — Dram Shop Liability, Alcohol Service Standards & Bar/Restaurant Operations
CEO, Rideout Hospitality Consulting · 100+ Alcohol Safety Certifications in All 50 States · Bar Rescue Consulting Expert
Preston Rideout is the CEO of Rideout Hospitality Consulting and one of the most widely certified dram shop expert witnesses in the country. He holds over 100 alcohol safety certifications across all 50 states — including TAM, TIPS, TABC, BASSET, and ATAP — and has been retained as an expert witness in hundreds of dram shop, overservice, and hospitality liability cases.
Preston's career spans Las Vegas, Nashville, Memphis, and beyond, with hands-on experience managing some of the country's most high-volume nightlife venues. He served as a consulting expert on Spike TV's Bar Rescue and has deep operational knowledge of alcohol service standards, responsible service programs, and bar and restaurant management best practices.
Why Attorneys Retain Preston
Areas of Expertise
Career Timeline
Credentials & Licenses
- 100+ Alcohol Safety Certifications — All 50 States (TAM, TIPS, TABC, BASSET, ATAP, and more)
- CEO — Rideout Hospitality Consulting (2010–Present)
- Bar Rescue (Spike TV) — Consulting Expert
- Director of Bar Operations — Luke's Icehouse (2014–2016)
- Director of Nightlife — Electric Cowboy (2013–2014)
- General Manager — Eve Nightclub, Las Vegas (2010–2011)
- Multi-Unit AGM — LAX, Pure, Pussy Cat Doll Lounge, Venus Pool Club (2008–2010)
Certifications
- TAM (Techniques of Alcohol Management) — Multiple States
- TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) — Multiple States
- TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) Certification
- BASSET (Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training) — Illinois
- ATAP (Alcohol Training Awareness Program) — Multiple States
- State-specific alcohol service certifications in all 50 U.S. states
Testimony Highlights
- Dram shop cases involving overservice and visible intoxication at bars and restaurants
- Underage alcohol service cases at licensed establishments
- Cases involving inadequate staff training and responsible service program failures
- High-volume nightclub and event venue liability cases
- Cases involving alcohol service standards in Las Vegas and Nashville markets
- Regulatory compliance cases across multiple state jurisdictions
Request CVs or Prior Testimony Lists
Full CVs and prior testimony lists for all three experts are available upon request at no charge. Contact us to receive these materials or to discuss your specific case.