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Snell & Wilmer’s Orange County Office Recognized as One of the “Best Places to Work” by the Orange County Business Journal

August 16, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
ORANGE COUNTY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that its Orange County office has been selected as one of the 2026 “Best Places to Work in Orange County” by the Orange County Business Journal. This recognition honors outstanding employers that foster exceptional workplace cultures and demonstrate a strong commitment to employee engagement, professional development, and organizational excellence. The annual awards recognize Orange County employers that create positive workplace environments and set the standard for employee satisfaction and organizational success. Honorees are selected through a comprehensive evaluation process that includes confidential employee surveys and an independent assessment of company policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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Congratulations to Gianna Liddy on Her Promotion to Partner

September 21, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP
Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP is proud to announce that Gianna Liddy has been promoted to partner. Gianna’s dedication, leadership, and exceptional contributions to the firm have earned her this well-deserved recognition. Please join us in congratulating her on this exciting achievement! Meet Gianna Liddy! Gianna has been with BWB&O since 2019 and has been practicing law since 2017. Her practice focuses on complex civil defense litigation, including high-exposure personal injury, premises liability, transportation, construction defect, habitability, and general liability matters. As a Supervising Attorney in the firm’s Encinitas office, she oversees a team of attorneys, collaborates closely with clients and insurance professionals, and develops litigation strategy in complex matters. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP

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Colorado’s New Mechanic’s Lien Law: Bigger Claims, Stronger Protections, and New Risks for Owners and Contractors

October 12, 2026 — David McLain - Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
On April 6, 2026, the same day that the Colorado Supreme Court issued its decision in Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company, LLC v. Regional Rail Partners, Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 26-074 into law. The legislation, which took effect on August 12, 2026, clarifies the amounts that may be included in mechanic’s liens and public construction payment claims, as well as the circumstances under which those claims may be considered excessive. While the timing of the Supreme Court’s decision and the Governor’s approval of SB 26-074 is noteworthy, the legislation has implications extending beyond the public works claims addressed in Wadsworth. Most significantly, it expressly addresses disputed and unliquidated amounts, including delay and disruption costs, in mechanic’s liens filed against private construction projects. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David McLain, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC
Mr. McLain may be contacted at mclain@hhmrlaw.com

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DOI Finalizes Long-Awaited Modernization of Type A Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations

August 03, 2026 — Amanda G. Halter, Ashleigh K. Myers & Jillian Marullo - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
For nearly three decades, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) simplified “Type A” Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations were available more in theory than in practice, constrained by dated models, narrow geographic applicability and a $100,000 cap that rarely matched the economics of modern environmental claims. DOI has now finalized revisions to the Type A natural resource damages assessment procedures under 43 C.F.R. Part 11 for hazardous substance releases under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), with the final rule published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2026 and scheduled to become effective August 12, 2026. As discussed previously, DOI has sought to modernize what it views as an “inefficient and inflexible” process and restore the Type A procedure to its intended role as a more streamlined pathway for smaller, less contentious NRD claims. The final rule adopts a $5 million default damages threshold, allows use above that amount if all parties agree, clarifies that Type A may be used in all environments and for all natural resource types, and removes legacy model appendices that had tethered the process to outdated formulas. Reprinted courtesy of Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury, Ashleigh K. Myers, Pillsbury and Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury Ms. Halter may be contacted at amanda.halter@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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A Green Light for Housing? What Executive Order 14394 Means for Your Next Project

May 26, 2026 — Bennett Houck, Miranda Martinez & Byron Sarhangian - Snell & Wilmer
On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14394, “Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction” (the “Order”). The Order directs federal agencies to reduce regulatory burdens on residential development, streamline environmental permitting, and encourage state and local governments to adopt housing-friendly policies. The Order includes several key provisions that developers and homebuilders should be aware of moving forward. Key Provisions The Order targets four main areas: 1. Federal Environmental Regulations First, it directs the Secretary of the Army and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise permitting standards, including stormwater permits, wetlands permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and related construction-site requirements. The Order also targets energy-efficiency mandates for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) financed housing. For developers and homebuilders, these revisions could reduce project delays and compliance costs associated with stormwater management, wetlands mitigation, and energy-efficiency upgrades, expenses that often add significant time and cost to residential development projects. Reprinted courtesy of Bennett Houck, Snell & Wilmer, Miranda Martinez, Snell & Wilmer and Byron Sarhangian, Snell & Wilmer Mr. Houck may be contacted at bhouck@swlaw.com Ms. Martinez may be contacted at mimartinez@swlaw.com Mr. Sarhangian may be contacted at bsarhangian@swlaw.com Read the full story...

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Federal Court Finds that Master Agreement Bestows Additional Insured Coverage

November 09, 2026 — Craig Rokuson - Traub Lieberman
In the recent case Triborough Scaffolding & Hoisting Servs. v. Sw. Marine & Gen. Ins. Co., 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 226876, Judge P. Kevin Castel, who was also operating as finder of fact, held that a subcontractor master agreement covered a subcontractor’s work at a specific project, such that an obligation to name the prime contractor Triborough as well as the undefined Owner, bestowed additional insured coverage to Triborough and the Owner under policies issued to the subcontractor. The agreement at issue was dated December 15-16, 2017 and the accident at issue occurred in 2018. The trial evidence includes testimony from both Triborough and the subcontractor that the agreement was intended to apply annually, and the subcontractor could not recall the parties ever signing a project-specific agreement. Further, Triborough assigned work to the subcontractor by telephone call or texts on several projects, and without a project-specific contract. Moreover, no other operative indemnity or insurance agreement between Triborough and the subcontractor, other than a backdated agreement that was not applicable. Finally, the court did not find plausible that the subcontractor would enter into an agreement meant only to cover the final two weeks of 2017, such that the agreement extended into work occurring in 2018. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Craig Rokuson, Traub Lieberman
Mr. Rokuson may be contacted at crokuson@tlsslaw.com

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Five Snell & Wilmer Partners Named to Utah Business’ 2026 Legal Elite

September 29, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
SALT LAKE CITY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that five partners have been named to Utah Business’ 2026 “Legal Elite.” The annual recognition honors leading Utah attorneys who are making a meaningful impact in their respective areas of practice. Honorees are peer-nominated and selected by a panel of experienced legal and law enforcement professionals based on their legal knowledge, commitment to ethical standards, and professional achievements. Wade R. Budge is a land use and real estate lawyer with significant experience advising developers and owners in all aspects of real estate development. He has negotiated entitlements for master planned communities, industrials projects, retail centers, office buildings, subdivisions, and mountain resorts throughout Utah. He also regularly represents clients in the use, acquisition, and disposition of real estate projects throughout the Western United States. Budge has advised developers in obtaining public incentives and using public finance tools, including tax increment financing, to facilitate new and redevelopment projects, and regularly advises clients with government relations matters involving state and local governments. Budge has negotiated public-private partnerships with dozens of local governments and with every one of the state’s development agencies, including the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, the Military Installation Development Authority, and the Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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Federal Court Strikes Down New York’s Climate Superfund Act: What It Means for the “Polluter Pays” Movement

September 28, 2026 — Amanda G. Halter, Ashleigh K. Myers & Jillian Marullo - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
A federal judge in the Northern District of New York has struck down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act, ruling that the “polluter pays” climate law is preempted by federal law and “simply beyond the limits of state law.” The court concluded that the Clean Air Act (CAA) does not authorize New York’s compensation scheme, which calculates liability based on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to worldwide fossil fuel extraction and refining. It separately held that any cost-recovery demand against a foreign producer would be preempted under the constitutional foreign affairs doctrine, which limits state intrusion into matters committed predominantly to the federal government. The court directed the parties to file a status report by September 14, leaving the form of further relief unresolved. In practical terms, the court has decided that the Act is preempted and cannot be enforced but has not yet determined the precise terms of its final order, including whether to formally enjoin its enforcement. The decision in West Virginia v. James, Case No. 1:25-cv-00168 (N.D.N.Y. Aug. 31, 2026), issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, who was appointed by President Obama, marks the first judicial invalidation of a state climate superfund statute and carries significant implications for the climate superfund landscape and the three remaining lawsuits challenging these laws. Reprinted courtesy of Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury, Ashleigh K. Myers, Pillsbury and Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury Ms. Halter may be contacted at amanda.halter@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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