VENETIE ALASKA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Did You Get the Message? (And does it count?) The Legal Consequences of Text Messages, Group Chats, and Informal Digital Communication on Construction Projects

March 17, 2026 — Kellie Ros & Curtis Martin - ConsensusDocs
Introduction: The New Reality of Construction Communication Construction projects have always depended on a constant stream of communication. Today’s project managers, superintendents, and foremen have broadened the method of communication to include convenient forms of digital communication. Superintendents text photos of field conditions, owners send quick approvals through WhatsApp, architects clarify design intent in a Teams chat, and subcontractors coordinate sequencing through group texts. These channels are fast, convenient, and deeply embedded in modern project culture. Yet the legal framework governing construction contracts has not evolved at the same pace. Many contracts still assume – or require – that notice, directives, and approvals occur through formal written channels—letters, emails to designated recipients, or structured project‑management platforms. This disconnect creates significant legal risk, particularly for contractors who rely on informal messages as authorization for extra work or schedule changes. Courts are increasingly asked to interpret text messages, chat threads, and screenshots as evidence of notice, direction, or waiver. The outcomes vary, but the trend is unmistakable: informal digital communication is now part of the project record, and it can bind parties in ways they did not expect. Reprinted courtesy of Kellie Ros, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Curtis Martin, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Ms. Ros may be contacted at kros@pecklaw.com Mr. Martin may be contacted at cmartin@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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Seventh Circuit Finds “Additional Insured” Requirements Met Where Non-Party Subcontractor Was Proximate Cause of Underlying Injuries

February 23, 2026 — Jason Taylor - Traub Lieberman Insurance Law Blog
In Atlanta Gas Light Company et al v. Navigators Ins. Co., Nos. 24-2888 & 24-2889 (7th Cir. Jan. 22, 2026), the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals assessed whether an upstream contractor was an “additional insured” under an umbrella policy issued to its subcontractor. Atlanta Gas and Southern Company Gas (“AGL”) hired United States Infrastructure Corporation (“USIC”) to locate and mark gas lines that AGL owned throughout Georgia. In 2018, USIC failed to mark a gas line in Homerville, Georgia, and a boring company struck it, leading to an explosion that severely injured three women. The victims settled their claims with USIC but did not come to terms with AGL. AGL eventually did settle with the victims, but only after they sued AGL in Georgia state court (the “Underlying Suits”). AGL’s service agreement with USIC required USIC to obtain primary and excess liability insurance coverage that included AGL as an additional insured. Because USIC’s settlement with the victims exhausted its primary policy, AGL tendered the defense and indemnification of the Underlying Suits to USIC’s excess insurer, Navigators. Navigators denied the request on the ground that AGL was not an “additional insured” under the policy. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Jason Taylor, Traub Lieberman
Mr. Taylor may be contacted at jtaylor@tlsslaw.com

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Tampa Team Obtains Highly Favorable Verdict for Property Owner Client in Lawsuit over Traffic Accident

March 24, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
Tampa Managing Partner John Rine and Partner Nick Dareneau obtained a very favorable verdict for their property owner client in a Sarasota County trial in a lawsuit arising from a traffic accident. At the end of closing arguments, plaintiff’s counsel requested appropriately $18 million from the jury. The jury returned a net verdict of just over a thousand dollars. The plaintiff was on a scooter and was involved in an accident with an SUV in a parking lot intersection. Our firm represented the property owner. The plaintiffs argued that the landscape vegetation was too tall and violated the sight lines of the two drivers, and that the height of the shrubbery violated the owner’s landscaping contract and a local sight line ordinance. They also argued that the intersection lacked a stop sign in contrast to the other six parking lot entrances, which had stop signs. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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Moving in Before Substantial Completion? The Risks of Early Owner Occupancy

March 24, 2026 — Sydney Koby - ConsensusDocs
Introduction On many construction projects, particularly large projects facing schedule pressure, owners may begin occupying or using portions of the project before the work reaches substantial completion. This is often due to operational needs, phased turnover, or market demands that drive owners to take possession of all or part of a project while construction activities are ongoing. While early occupancy may seem practical, it can blur the lines of responsibility between owner and contractor and can create significant legal and practical complications. These disputes are especially common on large, complex projects where punch list work, system commissioning, and closeout activities overlap with owner use. Without clear documentation and carefully drafted contract provisions, early occupancy can undermine an owner’s ability to enforce completion requirements while simultaneously exposing the contractor to claims of delay, inefficiency, or interference. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Sydney Koby, Jones Walker
Ms. Koby may be contacted at skoby@joneswalker.com

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EPA Expands PFAS Reporting Requirements with Addition of New Chemical to Toxics Release Inventory, Published by Law360

June 08, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) addition of sodium perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS-Na) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) introduces new federal reporting requirements for businesses that manufacture, process, or use the chemical. Because reporting obligations apply retroactively to the start of the year, affected facilities must quickly evaluate their compliance and recordkeeping practices. In a recent Law360 article, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Senior Counsel, Ayodeji Ayolola, explains why PFHxS-Na was automatically added to the TRI, how the EPA’s public reporting system works, and which businesses may be affected by the new rule. The article also touches upon key compliance considerations, including supply chain reviews, reporting thresholds for chemicals of special concern, and preparation for public disclosure requirements. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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ACEC Supports BUILD America 250 Act as Important First Step on Surface Reauthorization

May 26, 2026 — The American Council of Engineering Companies
WASHINGTON -- The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering and design services industry released the following statement on the BUILD America 250 Act: "Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen have taken an important bipartisan step toward reauthorizing the federal surface transportation programs that are critical to economic growth in every state. The BUILD America 250 Act provides five years of stability in funding road and transit projects, raises new revenues to address the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, and includes meaningful provisions to strengthen project delivery, advance digital infrastructure, and improve the contracting framework that engineering firms rely on every day. ACEC will continue to advocate for investment levels that keep pace with the country's growing infrastructure needs, and we urge the Committee to keep this process moving forward." The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of America’s engineering industry, representing more than 5,500 independent engineering firms and more than 650,000 professionals throughout the United States engaged in the development of America’s transportation, water, and energy infrastructure, along with environmental, industrial, and other public and private facilities. Founded in 1906 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.

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LA Fire Victims Can Pursue City Utility Claims, Judge Rules

March 10, 2026 — Jef Feeley & Maxwell Adler - Bloomberg
The water and power utility that serves the city of Los Angeles must face hundreds of lawsuits faulting its response to the massive 2025 wildfire that leveled one of the city’s premier seaside neighborhoods and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. In a significant victory for fire victims, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner concluded in a written ruling Thursday that a unique California law allows property and business owners to pursue claims that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power failed to supply enough water to fight the blaze that consumed the Pacific Palisades area. Over strong objections from lawyers for the nation’s largest public utility, Jessner finalized a tentative ruling she issued last week concluding victims have a legal basis to move forward with allegations a city reservoir drained for repairs left fire hydrants with inadequate water pressure and helped the wind-whipped blaze get out of control. Reprinted courtesy of Jef Feeley, Bloomberg and Maxwell Adler, Bloomberg Read the full story...

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Location, Location, Location — But Which One? The Few Words in Your Construction Contract that Pick Where You Fight

June 29, 2026 — Brad Sands - ConsensusDocs
Most professionals know the old real estate line: location, location, location. It turns out to be just as true for construction contracts as it is for property. Consider a recent case involving a project owner that hired two design firms for a project. When issues arose during construction, the owner sued the design firms in state court in Brazoria County, Texas, pursuant to the forum selection clause in the parties’ contracts. The defendants then removed the case to the federal district court in Galveston, a courthouse in a different county. But the owner wanted the case back in Brazoria County state court. Whether it got its wish came down to two words in the contract: “situated in.” This article is about words like those. A construction contract’s forum selection clause names the place for the fight nobody plans to have, and where that fight happens can shape how it goes. This article explains why the wording in your forum selection clause deserves careful reading before you sign a construction contract. It is not a deep dive into the mechanics of federal removal jurisdiction, and it is not an academic comparison of the terms “forum” and “venue.” Instead, it is a practical look at how courts actually read these clauses, so the location of a future fight is the one you intended. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brad Sands, Jones Walker, LLP
Mr. Sands may be contacted at bsands@joneswalker.com

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