BAKER CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

GRSM Secures Illinois Appellate Victory for Architectural Firm in Implied Warranty Dispute

May 14, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Partner Jonathan Federman, Partner Thomas Cronin, and Senior Counsel Garrett Lee recently secured a victory in the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District, on behalf of the firm’s client, an architectural firm, in a liability dispute. The case arose following an entity’s purchase of a 111-unit building for use as an investment or rental property. The plaintiff made claims against the architect of the building, alleging that there were design defects that breached an implied warranty, as well as a negligence claim. GRSM argued that an architect could not be liable for implied warranties, particularly for an implied warranty which no Illinois court has ever recognized. GRSM further argued that Illinois law bars an architect from liability for negligence arising from a duty pursuant to contract under the economic loss doctrine. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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The Architects Who Dream of a New Stone Age

October 26, 2026 — Jennifer Hahn – Bloomberg
Most of the world’s longest-standing buildings have one thing in common: They are made from stone. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find this civilization-outlasting material as a structural element in modern construction. Many stone buildings are imposters: thin veneers of limestone or granite disguising concrete and steel skeletons. In its day job as Earth’s crust, stone is currently holding up entire cities, countries and continents. But it’s rarely used to its full potential as a load-bearing material that can be stronger than concrete. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Jennifer Hahn, Bloomberg

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Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (8/5/26) – Data Centers Reshape Hotel Demand, AI Changes Construction Workflows and Global Tariffs Raise CRE Construction Costs

August 16, 2026 — Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
In our latest roundup, AI creates new real estate play for VCs, Wall Street sells more rental homes, builders capitalize on flood of water projects and more!

• Data center construction has the potential to be a significant opportunity for extended stay hotels in the near and long term, provided sustainable demand patterns exist within a given market. (Jenna Graber, Hotel Dive)
• Artificial intelligence doesn’t represent an “extinction event” for AEC firms, but it will fundamentally change the way construction pros streamline certain tasks. (Matthew Thibault, Construction Dive)
• With the 21st Century ROAD to Housing now law, there are a number of outstanding questions about implementation and compliance for multifamily pros. (Julie Strupp, Multifamily Dive)

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team

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Connecticut Expands Construction Wage-Theft Liability and Prevailing Wage Recordkeeping Requirements

June 29, 2026 — Anand Gupta & Guest Contributor - Construction Law Zone
This post was co-authored by Labor + Employment group lawyer Christopher Costain, Hayden Eckblom (Summer Intern), and Pasqualina Fox-Mina (Summer Associate). Hayden and Pasqualina are not admitted to practice law. On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 26-12, a wide-ranging bill centered around employee rights. Our colleagues in Robinson+Cole’s Labor, Employment, Benefits + Immigration group recently published a legal update summarizing the key components of Public Act 26-12. Here, we focus on the Wage Theft and Prevailing Wage concepts in the bill that directly relate to the construction industry. Wage Theft With exceptions for public works and small residential projects, general contractors will be jointly and severally liable for any unpaid wages owed to an employee of a subcontractor of any tier on private construction projects, beginning with contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2027. As we know, there is a separate regime for public works projects involving payment bonds. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Anand Gupta, Robinson & Cole LLP
Mr. Gupta may be contacted at agupta@rc.com

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Suit Against Broker Untimely Filed

November 09, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The insured’s suit against the broker alleging insufficient coverage was dismissed as untimely. Elite Rental Properties, LLC, et al. v. Nautilus Ins. Co., et al., 2026 La. App. LEXIS 1704 (Aug. 26, 2026). Elite retained Southern General Agency (SGA) and The Lincoln Agency, LLC to procure insurance coverage for multiple properties. SGA/Lincoln obtained a property insurance policy from Nautilus. The property had two structures, a single-family home and a rear structure, which contained a small apartment. Elite claimed that it understood the policy to cover both structures. On September 9, 2022, a fire caused catastrophic damage to the rear structure and exterior damage to the primary structure. Nautilus denied payment for the rear structure, claiming it was not covered in the policy. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

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New York Construction Employers Face New Reporting and Cancellation Pay Requirements Beginning December 8, 2026

October 26, 2026 — Bradley J. Bartolomeo & Clare M. Cunningham - Lewis Brisbois
Effective December 8, 2026, pursuant to the New York Construction Reporting Pay Act, employers in the New York State construction industry will be subjected to new reporting requirements and will be required to pay both union and non-union workers for certain last-minute schedule changes, even when the disruption is caused by weather, failed inspections, material shortages, site-access restrictions, or delays attributable to owners, general contractors, or other trades. For many contractors, routine decisions that have historically been considered part of construction scheduling risk may now create mandatory wage obligations, prevailing wage compliance concerns, and potential wage-and-hour litigation exposure. Reprinted courtesy of Bradley J. Bartolomeo, Lewis Brisbois and Clare M. Cunningham, Lewis Brisbois Mr. Bartolomeo may be contacted at Bradley.Bartolomeo@lewisbrisbois.com Ms. Cunningham may be contacted at Clare.Cunningham@lewisbrisbois.com Read the full story...

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California Contractors Get a Much-Needed Break: SB 342 Softens the Harsh Consequences of Contractor License Lapses

October 20, 2026 — Heather Frisch - The Construction Seyt
Imagine completing a multimillion-dollar project, performing quality work, paying your subcontractors, and satisfying the owner, only to discover that a temporary contractor license lapse could prevent you from recovering payment for that work or pursuing claims for extra work. For decades, that was the reality under California Business and Professions Code section 7031. A contractor that allowed its license to lapse, even briefly, could face catastrophic consequences completely disconnected from the quality of its work. In some cases, a contractor that performed otherwise flawless work could be barred from recovering payment and even be ordered to disgorge compensation already received – even if the owner knew the contractor had a lapse in its licensing and allowed it to continue construction. That reality is about to change. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Heather Frisch, Seyfarth
Ms. Frisch may be contacted at hfrisch@seyfarth.com

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Kahana Feld Announces Key Partner Additions Coast to Coast

June 22, 2026 — Kahana Feld
IRVINE, CA – June 10, 2026 – Kahana Feld is pleased to announce Yvette Davis, Evan Kalooky, Beth Obra-White, Sean Paden, Michael Parme, Jeffrey Schmid, and Julieanne Yanez have joined the firm as partners. Four of these partners are joining the San Diego office, which further strengthens the firm’s General Liability and Construction Litigation practices and enhances Kahana Feld’s ability to serve clients across a broad range of complex matters in the region. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Kahana Feld

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