- $3B in real estate transactions
- Attorney
- LL.M. Taxation
- Adjunct Professor of Law
The real estate expert who holds up under cross-examination.
Retained by law firms and in-house counsel nationwide. Legal precision, plus the judgment of more than two decades across valuation, development, financing and asset management.
Conflict check typically within one business day.
Jeffrey S. Rothbart, J.D., LL.M.
Principal · Real Estate Expert Witnesses, LLC
Areas of testimony
Commercial and residential real estate disputes
Retained in all six core categories of real estate litigation, so counsel can call one expert instead of assembling a committee. If your case turns on a question a jury can't answer from common experience, bring an expert in early, before discovery closes.
Valuation & Damages
Property values, appraisal methodology, market analysis and investment underwriting.
- Sales comparison, income and cost approaches
- Cap rate, vacancy, growth and discount-rate assumptions
- Commercial appraisal disputes
- Lost profits and damages models
- Investment risk and return projections
Partnership & JV Disputes
Joint ventures, LLC operating agreements, fiduciary duties and co-ownership conflicts.
- Breach of fiduciary duty by a managing member
- Waterfall and distribution provisions
- Capital-call enforcement
- Forced-sale triggers and buy-sell clauses
- Deadlock remedies
Brokerage Standard of Care
Brokerage practices, agent duties and professional standards.
- Commission disputes
- Broker disclosure obligations
- Duties to buyers, sellers and principals
- Dual agency and conflicts of interest
- Listing and purchase agreement disputes
Financing & Lender Liability
Lending practices, loan underwriting and commercial financing standards.
- Breach of commercial loan covenants
- Lender obligations and duties
- Underwriting standards
- Defaults, workouts and guaranties
- Mortgage disputes
Title & Survey
Title defects, survey discrepancies, easements and boundaries.
- Title insurance claims
- Landlocked-parcel claims
- Easement disputes
- Riparian rights
- Boundary line and survey conflicts
Landlord–Tenant & Leasing
Lease interpretation, property management and tenancy obligations.
- Commercial lease interpretation
- Lease guaranties and defaults
- CAM and operating-expense disputes
- Property management standards
- HOA violations
Diversified experience across property type, geographic location and risk profile.
Book a free 30-minute callWhy Jeff
Why litigators retain Jeff, and retain him again.
Unshakeable under cross
Credible, consistent testimony, in deposition and at trial.
Reports judges follow
Organized, cogent, convincing written opinions — delivered on deadline.
A lawyer who speaks your language
Licensed Illinois attorney who understands Daubert, discovery and case strategy.
Engaged, reasonably priced
Direct access from retention to verdict, with charges counsel call reasonable.
Your report was excellent – one of the best reports I have seen doing litigation for nearly 40 years.
Jeffrey S. Rothbart,
J.D., LL.M.
Principal · Real Estate Expert Witnesses, LLC
The operator
23 years across valuation, acquisitions, development, financing, asset management, leasing and brokerage — over $4B in real estate valued and $3B+ in transactions.
The attorney
Licensed Illinois attorney and Managing Real Estate Broker. Adjunct professor of law since 2007 — Real Estate Acquisition and Development at Chicago-Kent and UIC Law.
The expert
Qualified as an expert witness 30+ times in state and federal court, retained in 200+ matters — from municipalities and Fortune 100 companies to family offices and homeowners.
The credentials
B.A., Emory · J.D., Chicago-Kent · LL.M. Taxation, Northwestern · Certificates from Cornell, Rice and Fordham · 40+ published market studies cited in 100+ publications · Certified Mediator.
How it works
From first call to verdict
- 01
Free 30-minute call
Describe the matter. You'll get a candid answer on fit and conflicts — usually same day.
- 02
Retention & review
Document review, analysis, and direct access to Jeff — never handed off to junior staff.
- 03
Report & testimony
Organized, cogent written opinions, then deposition and trial testimony built to withstand cross.
Book a call
Pick a time that works
Confidential and free. Thirty minutes, and you'll know whether I'm the right expert for the matter.
Common questions
What does a real estate expert witness do?
A real estate expert witness reviews the record, forms an independent opinion on questions a jury can't answer from common experience, and explains it in a written report and in deposition and trial testimony. Jeff has qualified as a real estate expert witness 30+ times in state and federal court.
Are you a commercial real estate expert witness?
Yes. As a commercial real estate expert witness, Jeff draws on 23 years across valuation, acquisitions, development, financing, leasing and brokerage, with $3B+ in real estate transactions.
Do you handle residential real estate expert witness cases as well as commercial?
Yes. My background spans both — more than two decades of commercial and residential transactions, so brokerage, title, financing and valuation questions carry the same weight whether the asset is a downtown tower or a single-family home.
Can you serve as an appraisal expert witness?
Yes. Appraisal disputes are part of Valuation & Damages: sales comparison, income and cost approaches, cap rate and discount-rate assumptions, and commercial appraisal methodology.
Do you take land survey and boundary cases?
Yes. Title & Survey matters include boundary line and survey conflicts, easements, landlocked parcels and title insurance claims — read against the policy, the plat and the survey.
Are you a real estate broker expert witness?
Yes. Jeff is a licensed Illinois Managing Real Estate Broker and testifies on brokerage standard of care, commissions, disclosure, dual agency and agent duties.
What kinds of real estate disputes do you testify in?
Six categories of real estate disputes: valuation and damages, partnership and JV disputes, brokerage standard of care, financing and lender liability, title and survey, and landlord–tenant and leasing.
Do you offer consulting as well as trial testimony?
Yes. Jeff's real estate expert witness services include consulting-only engagements, expert reports, and deposition and trial testimony, for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Do you work outside Illinois?
Yes. Jeff has been retained in matters across the United States, for both plaintiffs and defendants.
How quickly can you start?
Most conflict checks are completed within one business day, and work can begin immediately after retention.
What does the first call cost?
Nothing. The initial 30-minute consultation is free and confidential.
Jeffrey S. Rothbart, J.D., LL.M.
Real Estate Expert Witnesses, LLC
312-307-1429cell