ANNAPOLIS CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Denis Serkin and Michael S. Zicherman Co-Edit/Author Lexology Panoramic: Construction 2027

August 03, 2026 — Denis Serkin & Michael S. Zicherman - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
P&A partners Denis Serkin and Michael S. Zicherman served as co-editors and authors of Lexology’s Panoramic: Construction 2027 – US and Global guide. Formerly Getting the Deal Through, Lexology Panoramic provides members of the construction industry and construction-related legal and business providers with side-by-side comparison of key industry issues in 19 jurisdictions worldwide. Reprinted courtesy of Denis Serkin, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Michael S. Zicherman, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Serkin may be contacted at dserkin@pecklaw.com Mr. Zicherman may be contacted at mzicherman@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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Daily Journal Publishes Article by Brenda Radmacher on Proposed Overhaul of California Construction Defect Law

June 29, 2026 — Brenda Radmacher - The Construction Seyt
Daily Journal (California) featured an article by Construction Law partner Brenda Radmacher, “A new path for construction defects in California.” The piece, published on June 15, 2026, examines Assembly Bill 1903 and its potential to significantly reshape California’s construction defect framework, particularly for common interest properties. The article highlights how AB 1903 would overhaul the state’s current right-to-repair system by mandating completion of prelitigation procedures, raising requirements for defect claims, strengthening developers’/builders’ rights to repair, and introducing a voluntary “certified building” program. The legislation aims to rebalance competing interests by reducing litigation-driven costs while preserving protections for homeowners. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brenda Radmacher, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Ms. Radmacher may be contacted at bradmacher@seyfarth.com

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NJ Public Works Contractors Beware – Pay Special Attention When Submitting Your Public Works Contractor Registration

May 26, 2026 — Levi W. Barrett & Aaron C. Schlesinger - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
While it is always important to be careful when making submissions to government agencies, recent activity by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“NJDOL”) reveals considerably increased scrutiny in connection with contractors renewing their New Jersey Public Works Registration. Extra care when completing the registration renewal process is warranted, because the consequences of a misstep can be significant and disruptive. The New Jersey Public Works Contractor Registration Act requires all contractors bidding on or engaging in construction-related public works projects to register with the NJDOL. This registration, which must be resubmitted every 1-2 years, requires contractors to make a number of detailed disclosures relating to, among other things, the entity’s ownership structure, prior state and federal labor law violations, details regarding interests in other businesses, unlawful acts by owners/officers, and participation in apprenticeship programs. Reprinted courtesy of Levi W. Barrett, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Aaron C. Schlesinger, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Barrett may be contacted at lbarrett@pecklaw.com Mr. Schlesinger may be contacted at aschlesinger@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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Brandy Price, Dean Pillarella Named to Lawdragon's "Next Generation" List

June 22, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
Charlotte/North Charleston Partner Brandy G. Price and New York Partner Dean Pillarella have been selected to "The 2026 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation," which recognizes emerging leaders in law. Lawdragon's annual Next Generation listing highlights up-and-coming attorneys with fewer than 15 years in practice. The legal media company selected these honorees through a combination of peer nominations, extensive journalistic research by Lawdragon editors, and independent vetting. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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What Is the Independent Tort Doctrine? New Case Explains…

August 24, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
Florida’s Sixth District Court of Appeals in Atout v. HHM Land Trust Dated October 29, 2013, 51 Fla.L.Weekly D1569a (Fla. 6th DCA 2026) recently included an extensive discussion on Florida’s independent tort doctrine. The independent tort doctrine is an important legal doctrine, particularly when parties are in contractual privity. This doctrine stands for the proposition that tort claims must be independent of any breach of contract. See Atout, supra. The Sixth District’s extensive discussion analyzed the indicators to determine this “independence,” which may arise from the source of the duty, the asserted conduct, the damages sought, or even public policy: Unlike claims that rely on contractual relationships, an “independent” tort is often characterized by a duty imposed by law rather than by agreement. As to this consideration, United States District Court Judge Steven Merryday has explained that the independent tort doctrine honors the same divide as the economic loss rule, but rather than looking at the nature of the loss, it focuses on the source of the duty allegedly breached. “If a contract imposes a duty, and the defendant breaches that duty, the plaintiff must sue for breach of contract. If society imposes the duty, the plaintiff must sue in tort.” Following this reasoning, courts should consider whether the alleged breach of a duty in tort coincides or overlaps with a duty imposed by a contract. If the duty at issue is within the scope of a contract, and the relationship of the parties that led to the creation of that duty stems from a contract, then that duty’s source is from contract and any alleged tort claims based on a breach of those duties may not be “independent.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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GRSM Ranked Among Texas’ 50 Largest Law Firms by Texas Lawyer

August 03, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has been recognized byTexas Lawyer in its 2026 Texas 100 ranking, earning the No. 49 spot among the state’s largest law firms by attorney headcount. The annual report spotlights the continued strength of Texas’ legal market, with firms across the state collectively increasing lawyer headcount by 2% in 2025. “Texas continues to be one of the country’s most thriving legal and business markets, and we are proud to be recognized among the state’s largest law firms,” said Laura De Santos, Regional Oversight Partner for Texas. “Our continued growth shows the confidence our clients place in us, the exceptional talent of our attorneys, and our commitment to delivering seamless, high-quality legal services throughout Texas and across our 50-state platform.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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We Won’t Permit That Excuse!

June 23, 2026 — Curt Martin & Richard Eiszner - ConsensusDocs
A Texas appellate court recently ruled that a building permit wasn’t a condition precedent for a construction project. That caught our attention. Can you build a commercial project without a permit? But as we read the case, we see the court’s reasoning. And it reminds us of an important legal principle that should inform our contract drafting and negotiation. The case was a civil suit brought by the project owner against its tenant improvement contractor for work on a medical spa. The owner claimed that the contractor didn’t perform the work properly and didn’t finish construction. The contractor argued that delays and problems were caused by the owner, alleging numerous failures, including the owner’s failure to secure a building permit. Reprinted courtesy of Curt Martin, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Richard Eiszner, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Martin may be contacted at cmartin@pecklaw.com Mr. Eiszner may be contacted at reiszner@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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The Seventh Circuit Rejects Navigators Insurance Company’s Attempt to Escape Additional Insured Coverage For a Gas Explosion

March 24, 2026 — Kyle A. Rudolph & Anna M. Perry - Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
In a recent Seventh Circuit decision, Atlanta Gas Light Company v. Navigators Insurance Company, the court addressed a theme that policyholders are often confronted with by insurers[1] – insurers disputing additional insured coverage where the named insured is not named in the underlying action. The court aptly rejected this position since it was undisputed that the bodily injuries alleged in the underlying lawsuits were due to a gas explosion that was “caused, in whole or in part, by” the named insured’s acts or omissions. I. Background The additional insureds, Atlanta Gas Light Company and Southern Company Gas (collectively, “AGL”), retained the named insured, U
Endorsements Do Not Exclude Coverage for Wrongful Death Claim

Drafting the Bond Form, Particularly Performance Bond Form

City Potentially Liable for Cost Overrun on Not-to-Exceed Public Works Contract

Several Wilke Fleury Attorneys Featured in Sacramento Magazine 2022 Top Lawyers!

Wildfire Threats Make Utilities Uninsurable in US West

What ‘The Curse’ Gets
First Circuit Rejects Insurer’s “Insupportable” Duty-to-Cooperate Defense in Arson Coverage Suit

ADA Compliance Checklist For Your Business

Energy Efficiency Ratings Aren’t Actually Predicting Energy Efficiency

Ninth Circuit Court Weighs In On Insurance Coverage For COVID-19 Business Interruption Losses

Wendel Rosen’s Construction Practice Group Welcomes Quinlan Tom

Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara LLP Attorneys to Speak at the 2016 National Construction Claims Conference

How Will Today’s Pandemic Impact Tomorrow’s Construction Contracts?

Robinson+Cole’s Amicus Brief Adopted and Cited by Massachusetts’s High Court

Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (11/16/22) – Backlog Shifts, Green Battery Storage, and Russia-Ukraine Updates

Sixth Circuit Revives Builder’s Risk Coverage, Refusing to Let Insurer Escape on a Technicality

Wildfire Smoke Threatens to Wipe Out Decades of Air Pollution Progress

Beware of Personal-Liability Clauses – Even When Signing in Your Representative Capacity

Surety's Settlement Without Principal's Consent Is Not Bad Faith

Fire Tests Inspire More Robust Timber Product Standard

Consider the Risks Associated with an Exculpatory Clause

Who Decides Who Can Arbitrate? The Court . . . Sometimes

South Carolina “Your Work” Exclusion, “Get To” Costs

Construction Litigation Group Listed in U.S. News Top Tier

Of Pavement and Pandemic: Liability and Regulatory Hurdles for Taking It Outside

COVID-19 Pandemic Preference Amendments to Bankruptcy Code Benefiting Vendors, Customers, Commercial Landlords and Tenants

Alaska Supreme Court Finds Insurer Owes No Independent Duty to Injured Party

Mitigate Construction Risk Through Use of Contingency

A Special CDJ Thanksgiving Edition

Colorado Introduces Construction Defect Bill for Commuter Communities

2025 Construction Outlook: Growth, But Uneven in Certain Areas

Administrative and Environmental Law Cases Decided During the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017-2018 Term

Legal 500 US Ranks Hunton’s Insurance Coverage Team Among Top Policyholder Practices in 2026 Guide

How Berger’s Peer Review Role Figures In Potential Bridge Collapse Settlement

What a Difference a Day Makes: Mississippi’s Discovery Rule

Chutes and Ladders...and Contracts.

Giant Floating Solar Flowers Offer Hope for Coal-Addicted Korea

Insurer Prevails on Summary Judgment for Bad Faith Claim

Construction Litigation Roundup: “Tender Is the Fight”

Contractor Allegedly Stole Construction Materials

Port Authority Revises Plans for $10B Midtown NYC Bus Terminal Replacement

There Is No Sympathy If You Fail to Read Closely the Final Negotiated Construction Contract

Ahead of the Storm: Preparing for Irma

Supply Chain Delay Recommendations

Federal Judge Strikes Down CDC’s COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium

Employer’s Liability Exclusion Bars Coverage

Colorado General Assembly Sets Forth Prerequisites for an Insurance Company to Use Failure to Cooperate as a Defense to a Claim for First Party Insurance Benefits

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (10/23/24) – Construction Backlog Rebounds, Real Estate Sustainability Grows, and Split Incentive Gap Remains Building Decarbonizing Barrier

New Jersey Appeals Court Ruled Suits Stand Despite HOA Bypassing Bylaw

The Moving Finish Line: Statutes of Limitation and Repose Are Not Always What They Seem

“Based On”… What Exactly? NJ Appellate Division Examines Phrase and Estops Insurer From Disclaiming Coverage for 20-Month Delay

BWB&O’s Los Angeles Office Obtains Major Victory in Arbitration!

Liquidating Agreements—Bridging the Privity Gap for Subcontractors

Louisiana Legislature Enacts Act 932 – Significant Changes to Insurer Bad-Faith Exposure for Failure to Settle

Home Builders and Developers Beware: SC Supreme Court Beats Up Hybrid Arbitration Clauses Mercilessly

Ex-Pemex CEO Denies Allegations of Involvement in Brazil Scandal