What Halliwell does

Halliwell is a global forensic engineering and loss consulting firm founded in 1954, specializing in commercial property damage investigation, origin-and-cause analysis, restoration consulting, and expert witness testimony. Its core services span engineering and forensic architecture (civil/structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, building envelope, fire and explosion, meteorology, GIS/GMS), construction services (scope of damage evaluation, restoration estimating, CAT team support), environmental services (Phase I/II site assessment, remediation design, hazardous materials), fire research services (NFPA 921/1033 fire investigation, fire protection engineering, toxicological research), industrial loss services (finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics for complex petrochemical, power generation, and heavy machinery losses), forensic equipment consulting, and most recently time element and delay analysis for DSU/BI claims.

The business operates a B2B professional services model, billing per assignment on a quote-based engagement basis, with delivery through a network of 45-plus U.S. offices plus operations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK/Ireland, and Malaysia as of May 2025. Customer mix centers on insurance companies and law firms as primary segments, with corporations and government agencies as secondary segments. Technology differentiation rests on standards-based methodologies (NFPA, RICS), credentialed human experts (professional engineers, registered architects, certified building consultants, meteorologists), and advanced diagnostic tooling (infrared thermography, drone imaging, FEA/CFD, dual-polarization radar), rather than on proprietary software products. The firm is wholly owned by McLarens, a global claims services provider, and has executed an aggressive APAC roll-up since 2023, integrating GKA, Fire Research Group, FireTox, Quintons, IMPARTA Engineers, and du Chateau Chun.

Name

Halliwell

Legal name

Halliwell Engineering Associates, LLC

Website

https://halliwellglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Halliwell is a global forensic engineering and loss consulting firm founded in 1954, providing commercial property damage investigation, origin-and-cause analysis, fire research, environmental, and expert witness services to insurance carriers, law firms, corporations, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Engineering and Loss Consulting

NAICS

Building Inspection Services (54135)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Claims Advocacy & Loss Recovery Services (FSAEADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Insurance Claims Estimation, Documentation & Managed Repair (HSAPAOAL), Code Compliance, Permitting & Inspections (Rebuild) (HSAPAOAK), Storm Drain & Yard Drain Cleaning & Repair (HSAOABAL)

Keywords

• Forensic engineering
• Property loss consulting
• Construction damage assessment
• Fire investigation
• Environmental consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

East Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices56 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Forensic Engineering and Architectural Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for insurance-focused forensic engineering and architectural investigations, including damage failure analysis, origin and cause investigations, and expert witness testimony. Services are billed on a per-assignment basis.
2. Construction Consulting Services: Scope of damage evaluation, scope of restoration, and cost of damage assessments based on professional construction and property damage analysis. Includes rough order of magnitudes, damage analysis, cost estimates/review, and bid analysis.
3. Environmental Consulting Services: Environmental damage assessments, pollution/environmental damage evaluations, abatement and restoration design scopes, hazardous materials services, and regulatory consulting.
4. Time Element and Delay Analysis Services: Specialized analysis services for DSU (Delay in Start-Up) and Business Interruption (BI) insurance claims, including forensic schedule analysis and timeline consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Halliwell provides commercial property loss investigative services including damage failure analysis, origin and cause investigations, and restoration solutions. The firm delivers construction management services, engineering and forensic architectural services, fire and explosion evaluations, environmental consulting, fire research, industrial loss analysis, forensic equipment consulting, time element and delay analysis, and CAT response to insurance companies, law firms, corporations, and government agencies worldwide.

Product overview

Halliwell is a global loss consulting organization offering a comprehensive suite of forensic engineering, construction consulting, environmental, and fire research services. The company operates as a unified platform of specialized service lines serving corporations, insurance companies, law firms, and government agencies. The core offerings include: Construction Services for damage analysis and restoration estimating; Engineering and Forensic Architectural Services covering civil/structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, fire, and building envelope disciplines; Environmental Services for damage assessment and remediation; Fire Research Services for fire investigation, toxicological research, and protection engineering; Forensic Equipment Consulting Services; Industrial Loss Services for complex industrial facility losses; Time Element and Delay Analysis Services for DSU and BI insurance claims; and CAT Response for rapid deployment after catastrophic events. The company also operates regional sub-brands including Halliwell Forensics (UK & Ireland), Halliwell Fire Research (ANZ), and has acquired IMPARTA Engineers, du Chateau Chun, Quintons, and FireTox to expand capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Halliwell Fire Research: Fire and explosion investigation, fire science and toxicological research, fire protection engineering, and fire investigation training services.

Products and services

• Construction Services Construction management services including condition assessments, scope of repair, restoration estimating, CAT team support, and expert witness/litigation services for all structure types based on qualified construction and property damage analysis.
• Engineering and Forensic Architectural Services Comprehensive engineering services including civil/structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical engineering, forensic architecture, building envelope assessments, fire and explosion investigations, and expert witness/litigation support.
• Environmental Services Property and environmental damage assessments, smoke and fire damage evaluation, food/product contaminant assessment, Phase I and II environmental site assessment and remediation design, hazardous materials services, and regulatory consulting.
• Fire Research Services Fire and explosion investigation, fire science and toxicological research, fire protection engineering, and fire investigation training services following NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033 standards.
• Forensic Equipment Consulting Services Forensic consulting services for equipment damage including initial damage assessment, recovery scope development, detailed cost analysis, and end-to-end project management for medical, broadcasting, analytical, computer/IT, manufacturing, telecommunications, and food processing equipment.
• Industrial Loss Services Expert forensic investigation and analysis for large and complex industrial losses including power generation, refineries, petrochemical processing, heavy machinery, and manufacturing equipment using computer-modeling approaches including finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics.
• Time Element and Delay Analysis Services Specialized time element and delay analysis services for global insurance and reinsurance markets, focusing on Delay in Start-Up (DSU) and Business Interruption (BI) claims resolution through forensic schedule analysis, timeline consulting, and construction project progress monitoring.
• CAT Response Catastrophe response services providing rapid deployment of forensic architects, professional engineers, and construction consultants to manage and analyze property and infrastructure claims after major events including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods.
• Halliwell Forensics (UK & Ireland) Forensic fire and technical investigations services for the UK and Ireland markets, operating under the Halliwell Forensics brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 years of industry experience since founding in 1954
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• IMPARTA EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Insurance-focused technical engineering and structural diagnostics consultancy acquired in May 2025. Established in 1999 with four office locations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Introduces civil/structural and geotechnical engineering capabilities to Halliwell's APAC offerings. Led by directors Phil Prider, Josh Miller, and Sibbe Lodenstein.
• du Chateau ChuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Specialist building regulation, code and compliance advisors acquired in May 2025. Established in 1987 with three office locations in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Clients include insurers, law firms, owners, developers, commercial and financial institutions, and government entities. Founded by Greg du Chateau and Marie Otteren.
• FireToxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Fire and toxicological sciences specialist integrated into Halliwell Fire Research in September 2024. Provides expert services in forensic investigation, fire protection engineering, fire safety research, and training. Led by Dr. Jamie McAllister, licensed fire protection engineer, toxicologist, certified fire investigator, and certified safety professional.
• QuintonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024RICS Regulated commercial property surveying firm acquired via asset purchasing agreement in September 2024. Offices in Auckland, Wellington, and Melbourne. Specializes in building surveying, contract administration, quantity surveying, and project financial services. Led by Founding Director James Bundy.
• McLarensflagshipOthers · 1 September 2024Global claims services provider and parent company of the Halliwell group of companies. Halliwell operates as distinct legal entities with own operating system, business model, and governance, offering independent but complementary services to insurance and related markets.
• Mode Project SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Existing specialist service line in APAC region alongside Halliwell Forensics, Halliwell Fire Research, and Fire Group Passive Fire Experts.
• Fire Research Group (FRG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Leading applied fire research consultancy rebranded as Halliwell Fire Research in December 2023. Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. Provides expert witness and advisory services, incident reconstruction, risk analysis, building and material defects analysis, specialist modeling, human behaviour analysis, and product and system testing. Led by Per Olson.
• GKA Investigations GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Leading forensic fire and technical investigations firm rebranded as Halliwell in Australia and New Zealand in June 2023. 20+ specialists across five offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and one newly opened office in Wellington, New Zealand. Led by Colin Taylor as Managing Director.
• Halliwell Forensics (UK & Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Complementary forensic fire and technical cause and origin investigations operations in UK and Ireland. Enables international collaboration across the Halliwell group of companies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• McLarens: McLarens is Halliwell's parent company and a global claims services provider offering loss adjusting and claims management to insurers — comparable as a broader claims platform that encompasses Halliwell's specialized forensic engineering services.
• Exponent: Exponent is a multi-disciplinary engineering and scientific consulting firm performing failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and expert testimony; its industrial and structural failure practices overlap with Halliwell's industrial loss and expert witness services.

Direct peers

• The Vertex Companies: Vertex is a multi-disciplinary forensic, construction, and environmental consulting firm serving insurance, legal, and corporate clients; it overlaps with Halliwell's construction services, environmental, and expert witness practice areas.
• EFI Global: EFI Global is a leading forensic engineering, environmental, fire investigation, and equipment consulting firm serving insurance, legal, and corporate clients — directly comparable to Halliwell across forensic engineering, fire, and environmental service lines.
• J.S. Held: J.S. Held is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm with practices spanning forensic engineering, construction, environmental, and equipment consulting for insurers and law firms — a direct competitor to Halliwell's full-service loss consulting platform.
• Jensen Hughes: Jensen Hughes is a global leader in fire protection engineering, forensic fire investigation, and code consulting, overlapping directly with Halliwell Fire Research and Halliwell's NFPA-certified fire investigation methodology.
• YA Group: YA Group provides forensic engineering, construction defect, property loss, and litigation support services primarily to insurance carriers — a direct competitor in the same insurance-focused loss consulting market.
• Haag Engineering: Haag Engineering is a forensic engineering firm specializing in structural damage assessment, storm analysis, and expert testimony for the insurance industry — directly comparable to Halliwell's meteorology, building envelope, and storm damage investigation services.
• Rimkus Consulting Group: Rimkus provides forensic engineering, construction consulting, and expert witness services to insurance, legal, and corporate clients globally, with overlapping practice areas in property loss, industrial loss, and expert testimony.
• Donan (Sedgwick): Donan is a forensic investigation firm focused on fire origin and cause, structural, and equipment losses for insurers, now part of Sedgwick; it competes directly with Halliwell's fire investigation and forensic equipment consulting practices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halliwell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Halliwell