HHMR Honored as a 2026 Denver Business Journal Best Places to Work Recipient
March 10, 2026 —
David McLain - Colorado Construction Litigation BlogWe are pleased to share that Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell has been named a 2026 Denver Business Journal Best Places to Work honoree, a recognition grounded entirely in direct feedback from our own team members.
The Denver Business Journal Best Places to Work program, in partnership with Quantum Workplace, ranks organizations based on anonymous employee engagement survey results that measure culture, leadership, communication, trust, team dynamics, and satisfaction. This year’s list includes 65 companies across the Denver metropolitan area, judged by the people who know these workplaces best: their employees.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
David McLain, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & RoswellMr. McLain may be contacted at
mclain@hhmrlaw.com
Standing When It Comes to Real Property Owned by a Trust
February 23, 2026 —
David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal UpdatesIt is not uncommon for property to be owned in the name of the trust as part of an estate planning agenda. In construction, improvements are made all the time to real property owned in the name of a trust or later transferred to a trust for estate planning purposes.
In a recent case, the question became that if the property is owned by the trust does only the trust have standing to file the lawsuit. In this case, homeowners, in their individual capacities, sued a flooring contractor for defective work; however, prior to the lawsuit, the homeowners deeded the home (which would include the flooring in the home) to a revocable trust. The plaintiffs, though, were the trustees of the revocable trust and the settlors of the trust.
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David Adelstein, Kirwin NorrisMr. Adelstein may be contacted at
dma@kirwinnorris.com
The “Pay When Paid” Clause in California Construction—Strategies as the Battle Continues
August 03, 2026 —
William L. Porter - Porter Law GroupIt is well known in California Construction circles that the “Pay If Paid” clause is illegal in this state. There is a great distinction, though, between this clause and a similar clause, known as a “Pay When Paid” clause. A pay if paid clause allows a contractor to tell a subcontractor that if the contractor is unpaid for the subcontractor’s work, then the contractor has no legal obligation to pay the subcontractor, ever. For a great variety of reasons, the California Supreme Court, in the case of Wm. R. Clarke Corp v. Safeco Ins. Co. of America (1997) 15 Cal.4th 882, declared this type of clause illegal in California Construction.
Although the pay if paid clause is illegal in California, the pay when paid clause is still perfectly legal and is found in many subcontracts that contractors issue to their subcontractors. The pay when paid clause allows a contractor to delay paying its subcontractors until the dispute between the contractor and the property owner over payment has been resolved and the contractor is paid by the property owner. Although seemingly reasonable (since it merely delays payment until the contractor is paid by the owner, thereby providing a funding source to pay subcontractors), significant problems still arise.
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William L. Porter, Porter Law GroupMr. Porter may be contacted at
bporter@porterlaw.com
New York Enacts First-in-the-Nation Statewide Data Center Moratorium
August 03, 2026 —
Joshua L. Sturtevant - SheppardAs of May 2026, nearly 12 gigawatts of data center load requests were in the New York Independent System Operator interconnection queue, with more than two-thirds of capacity requests entering the queue in 2025 alone. On July 14, 2026, in response to concerns over this rapid growth, Governor Kathy Hochul issued Executive Order No. 62 (the “Order”) imposing a temporary moratorium on data centers in New York State. Among the concerns cited in the Order are the cost burden on ratepayers associated with transmission upgrades required to accommodate large loads, potential environmental impacts, and large-scale water use.
The moratorium is intended to halt activities while the state government develops a comprehensive legal framework for data center development. While dozens of municipal and county-level moratoriums are in place throughout the U.S., and while the legislatures of several states, including Maine, have proposed moratoriums, the Order is the first statewide moratorium to be enacted nationally.
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Joshua L. Sturtevant, SheppardMr. Sturtevant may be contacted at
jsturtevant@sheppard.com
Amended Again?! Critical Changes to RPAPL § 881: What New York Contractors and Construction Managers Need to Know
March 10, 2026 —
Mark A. Snyder & David Polazzi - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.Recent amendments to New York’s RPAPL § 881 will significantly change how project teams obtain and maintain access to adjoining properties for construction-related work. The 2025 amendment signed into law by Governor Hochul, and the newly enacted 2026 revisions, will directly impact general contractors (GCs) and construction managers (CMs), as well as their trade contractors who regularly confront neighbor‑access, support‑of‑excavation, and protection‑of‑adjoining‑property challenges. Although we do not advise that GCs and CMs get involved in the “weeds” of license agreements or the prosecution of an action to obtain access pursuant to an RPAPL § 881 action, which are typically owner responsibilities, GCs and CMs should understand the change in law, as there may be circumstances where they are responsible for securing access.
This alert outlines the key statutory changes and explains the operational, scheduling, insurance, and risk‑management implications for the New York construction industry.
Reprinted courtesy of
Mark A. Snyder, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and
David Polazzi, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Mr. Snyder may be contacted at msnyder@pecklaw.com
Mr. Polazzi may be contacted at dpolazzi@pecklaw.com
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Fourth Circuit Extends Coverage to Contractor
May 14, 2026 —
Hunton Insurance Recovery BlogThe Fourth Circuit in APAC-Atlantic, Inc. v. Owners Insurance Co., No. 24-1969, 2026 WL 458402 (4th Cir. Feb. 18, 2026) recently endorsed broad coverage for additional insureds, interpreting “arising out of” broadly under North Carolina law to extend coverage to a repaving company under its subcontractor’s liability insurance policy. The court held that an additional insured’s liability “arising out of” a named insured’s work in an additional-insured endorsement means liability “relating to” or “causally connected to” the named insured’s operations, rather than liability defined more narrowly as “caused by” or “the fault of” the named insured.
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Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Pay-If-Paid: What You Need to Know Before Signing on the Dotted Line
August 03, 2026 —
Christian Fernandez & Matthew Racioppo - Snell & WilmerBuried deep in the fine print of a subcontract, a pay-if-paid clause may be looming. If you are a subcontractor or supplier, misreading these clauses can put your cash flow at risk. If you are an owner or general contractor, drafting them incorrectly can leave you with obligations you never intended — or unenforceable protections you were counting on.
It is more important than ever to understand when pay-if-paid clauses hold up and when they do not, as well as recent litigation and drafting trends. Whether you are negotiating a new agreement, reviewing your standard form contracts, or staring down a payment dispute, understanding how Arizona law treats pay-if-paid clauses is essential. In this article, we break down key considerations, walk through the legal standards Arizona courts apply, and offer practical tips to consider to help you protect your payment rights on the next project.
Reprinted courtesy of
Christian Fernandez, Snell & Wilmer and
Matthew Racioppo, Snell & Wilmer
Mr. Fernandez may be contacted at cfernandez@swlaw.com
Mr. Racioppo may be contacted at mracioppo@swlaw.com
Read the full story...
Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (7/8/26) – Data Centers Negotiate Flexibility for Speed, Hotel Deal Activities Focus on Luxury, and DC Sues Apartment Owners
July 20, 2026 —
Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law BlogIn our latest roundup, rail projects gain steam across the U.S., AI optimizes building operations, a modular approach speeds data center construction, and more!
- Hyperscalers want their data centers online, and utilities want to provide interconnections, but both are still looking for common operating guidelines. (Herman K. Trabish, Construction Dive)
- Contractors are taking advantage of multibillion-dollar train and transit contracts, even as funding challenges create hurdles for project execution. (Matthew Thibault, Construction Dive)
- Although hospitality and leisure M&A deal volume was down 2.5% in the first half of 2026 compared to the prior six months, Several Wilke Fleury Attorneys Featured in Sacramento Magazine 2022 Top Lawyers!
Building the Future: Inside China’s Cutting-Edge Construction Innovations
A Court-Side Seat: SCOTUS Clarifies Alien Tort Statute and WOTUS Is Revisited
CA Civil Code § 8850: What Private Multi-state Owners an
Real Property Alert: Recording Notice of Default as Trustee Before Being Formally Made the Trustee Does Not Make Foreclosure Sale Void
Pending Home Sales in U.S. Increase Less Than Forecast
Engineer Probing Champlain Towers Debacle Eyes Possibility of Three Successive Collapses
Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (7/17/24) – Housing Inflation to Remain High, Proptech Investment to Fall and Office Vacancy Rates to Reach Peak in 2025
5 Ways Equipment Financing is Empowering Small Construction Businesses
No Coverage for Additional Insured for Construction Defect Claim
Angels Among Us
Rhode Island Closes One Bridge and May Have Burned Others with Ensuing Lawsuit
The Advantages of Virtual Reality in Construction
Mitigating the Consequences of Labor Unrest on Construction Projects
New York Appellate Court Holds Insurer’s Failure to Defend Does Not Constitute a “Reasonable Excuse” Required to Overturn Judgment
California’s Right To Repair Act Is The Sole Remedy For Damages For Construction Defects In New Residential Construction
A Court-Side Seat: Citizen Suits, “Facility” Management and Some Nuance for Your Hazard Ranking
New WA Law Caps Retainage on Private Projects at 5%
Backpacks, Broadway, and Building Restrictions: A Legal Reminder
Insurer's Attempt to Challenge Appraisal Award Rejected
Coloradoans Deserve More Than Hyperbole and Rhetoric from Plaintiffs’ Attorneys; We Deserve Attainable Housing
Fort Lauderdale Associate Secures Summary Judgment in Rare Premises Liability Win
Can an Owner Preemptively Avoid a Mechanics Lien?
Is the Event You Are Claiming as Unforeseeable Delay Really Unforeseeable?
NYC Airports Get $500,000 Makeover Contest From Cuomo
MSJ Granted Equates to a Huge Victory for BWB&O & City of Murrieta Fire Department!
New Law Impacting Florida’s Statute of Repose
HHMR: A Retrospective — Chapter One (2001–2025)
Canada Housing Starts Increase on Multiple-Unit Projects
Washington State May Allow Common Negligence Claims against Construction Professionals
Fast-Moving Isaias Dishes Out Disruption in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
A Relatively Small Exception to Fraud and Contract Don’t Mix
Insuring Lease/Leaseback Projects
Top Developments: 2025 - Issue 2
It is Time to Assess Your Strategy
No Coverage For Wind And Flood Damage Suffered From Superstorm Sandy
Construction Defect Claims Not Covered
No Duty to Defend Additional Insured for Construction Defects
Parking Reform Takes Off on the West Coast
When Does a Claim Against an Insurance Carrier for Failing to Defend Accrue?
Nevada OSHA Provides Additional Requirements for Construction Employers to Address Feasibility of Social Distancing at Construction Sites
Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up 04/06/22
Even with LEED, Clear Specifications and Proper Documentation are Necessary
Anti-Fracking Win in N.Y. Court May Deal Blow to Industry
Define the Forum and Scope of Recovery in Contract Disputes
Construction Litigation Roundup: “Apparently, It’s Not Always Who You Know”
Legislation Update: S-865 Public-Private Partnerships in New Jersey Passed by Both Houses-Awaiting Governor’s Signature
UPDATE - McMillin Albany LLC v. Superior Court
Building a Case: Document Management for Construction Litigation
Buffalo, NY Stadium Work Resumes After Suspects ID'ed in $150K Graffiti Vandalism
Editorial: Qatar Is Champion of Safety Hypocrisy in Migrant Worker Deaths
Occurrence Found, Business Risk Exclusions Do Not Bar Coverage for Construction Defects
20 Wilke Fleury Attorneys Featured in Sacramento Magazine 2020 Top Lawyers!
California Beach Hotel to Get $185 Million Luxury Rebuild