Robert Sasson

In his current role, Robert is involved with construction and financial advisory consulting, integrity monitoring, and forensic analyses of construction claims performing schedule and cost analyses, delay, and productivity analyses, change order analyses, and providing dispute resolution litigation support. He directly manages and provides construction advisory and financial oversight on laboratory, office, and residential construction projects. In addition, Robert manages a team that oversees around $75 million in annual capital spend on projects ranging from $2 million to more than $100 million for a large, publicly trade, organization.

Prior to joining Ankura, Robert had experience as a civil and transportation engineer in Connecticut and Rhode Island, where he worked on both state and federally funded highway and transportation projects. He was responsible for design and field inspection on Connecticut DOT highway, bridge, and railroad projects.

Robert’s professional experience includes:

• Project advisory consulting services around the United States to provide support and expertise to clients to plan and execute capital projects. Services focus on minimizing client risk and successful deployment of the invested capital and include capital project planning, program management, design and construction oversight, and schedule and cost management. Projects include:
  – ~$30 million, 220 thousand SF office renovation in North Carolina
  – ~$10 million, 20 thousand SF laboratory expansion in Texas
  – ~$120 million, 100 thousand SF laboratory expansion and renovation in New Jersey
  – ~$5 million laboratory mechanical upfit in California
  – ~$3 million laboratory consolidation in Illinois
  – ~$10 million residential ground-up in Connecticut

• Integrity Monitorship: Act as Integrity Monitor on projects to detect and deter fraud, waste and abuse. Ensure required processes and procedures in place are adhered to by all stakeholders.
  Projects Include:
  – Integrity Monitoring of Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Second Avenue Subway: Robert worked as part of the Integrity Monitoring team at NYC’s Second Avenue Subway project. The team was responsible for monitoring the project for fraudulent billing schemes, labor compliance issues and project safety. Robert performed site inspections, reviewed payment applications, and change orders for validity and accuracy, and assisted in the preparation of the quarterly reports to the MTA.
  – Integrity Monitoring of New York City’s Rapid Repair Program: Robert was a member of the team selected by the NY Department of Investigations for integrity monitoring of the Rapid Repair Program. The team was responsible for integrity monitoring during the demolition and installation of heating, hot water, and electrical systems in thousands of homes in Brooklyn and Queens. Robert’s role within the monitoring included, but were not limited to, overall monitoring on behalf of both the city’s and the homeowner’s best interests, tracking construction crews, oversight of construction work including code and scope requirements and documenting potential fraudulent issues.

• Construction Disputes: Perform forensic schedule, technical issue, and cost analyses to assist clients in a construction related dispute.
  Projects Include:
  – Construction Project Audit and Analysis of Internal Policies and Procedures: Retained by a large Connecticut corporation to review their internal policies and procedures for upcoming capital investments. Robert performed an audit on six construction projects and issued a report of findings as well as observations on project management techniques. Robert reviewed all proposals, commitments, invoices, and lien waivers for the different projects. The findings developed by Robert and the team were issued in two reports to the client with recommendations for future improvements.
  – State of Connecticut Correctional Facility Renovation: Robert worked as a consultant providing on-site observation and analyses of building envelope failures during the renovation of a state-owned correctional facility in Connecticut. Retained by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Works to observe and assess defects during the renovations and provide litigation support to recover damages. Robert was on-site one to two times per week observing the demolition of the existing masonry façade, documenting existing construction issues and amassing on-going project documentation for further review of damages. Robert also reviewed documents from the original construction, compiled document sets of key issue files (organized by construction defects and responsible party) and prepared presentations for counsel and State representatives.
  – Schedule Delay and Damages Analysis for University Ground-Up Science Building: Retained by a large University to opine on causation of project delays and corresponding financial damages. Robert reviewed contemporaneous records including P6 schedules, job-site photographs, payment applications, meeting minutes, RFIs and change orders to develop findings and assist the client through dispute resolution. Robert also oversaw the last ~6 months of construction to monitor progress and closeout.