Dr L. M. Callow

Les Callow (currently 74) is Technical Director of Amtec. He has been working continuously in the fields of corrosion and coatings since 1966, when he took the 2 year corrosion option whilst studying metallurgy at the University of Leeds.

After graduation he took a post as metallurgist at Yorkshire Imperial Metals, where he worked on copper and copper alloy corrosion.

Les returned to full time education at the Corrosion and Protection Centre in UMIST and achieved an MSc and a PhD in Corrosion Engineering. He became a Research Fellow and undertook a number of contracts, which focused on using advanced instrumental techniques to investigate general corrosion failures, localized corrosion and paint & coating breakdown mechanisms. During this time, he wrote a large number of academic papers on mechanisms of paint breakdown, coating characterization and new test methods.

As a result of industrial demand for this work, he started a company with Jane Lomas and at the age of 40, opted for working full time for his own business.

Les has worked as a consultant in corrosion and paint to many multi-national companies across a broad spectrum of industries including construction, civil engineering, transport and pharmaceutical industries. Currently he is especially busy with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) cases.

As part of this work, he has frequently been involved in litigation, from expert reports to High Court appearances as an expert witness. This has involved working with a large number of legal firms, a partial list of which are included below: Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Brodies, Cluttons, Clyde & Co, Dentons, Fenwick Elliott, Field Fisher, Gateley Wareing, Holman Fenwick Willan, Keoghs, Lewis Silkin, Mayer Brown, Norton Rose, Pinsent Masons, Plexus Law, Randell & Loveridge, Reed Smith, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, Stronachs, Tozer Gallagher, Weightmans, White & Case, Workman.