The City is plaintiff in pending litigation against Towers in the case styled; The City of Houston v. Towers Watson & Co.: Civil Action No. 14-cv-022l3. The lawsuit is currently set for trial in Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas on October 31, 2017. The City asserts claims for negligence, negligent misrepresentations, and professional malpractice and seeks damages in an amount far in excess of the minimal jurisdictional limits of the court.
The City is engaging litigation experts and consultants with respect to liability and damage issues. The City Attorney recommends contracting with Gold to address liability issues.
The City Attorney recommends Dr. Gold because of his unique abilities and qualifications and national reputation as a knowledgeable independent consulting actuary specializing in the financial aspects of pensions plans. A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst, Dr. Gold received his Ph.D. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gold also has experience with litigation similar to the issues in the Towers case.
These expert witness fees requested, for the current fiscal year, are within the amounts contemplated when this suit was initiated and outside counsel's contract was signed and approved by Council in 2014. These fees were also anticipated in the Legal Department's FY17 budget.