EL NIDO CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

AI Data Centers Become City-Scale Infrastructure, Prompting New Industry Playbook

August 11, 2026 — Bryan Gottlieb - Engineering News-Record
AI data centers are no longer just buildings. They are increasingly reaching power-demand levels more commonly associated with municipalities, prompting industry groups to launch a new framework they say is needed to keep pace with rapidly changing power, cooling and reliability requirements. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bryan Gottlieb, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Gottlieb may be contacted at gottliebb@enr.com

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The Most Expensive Signature to Not Get: Why Change Orders Matter

August 16, 2026 — Kathryne E. Baldwin - Wilke Fleury
George Bernard Shaw has a quote we use a lot in my family: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” This is pertinent to contractors and homeowners alike because the cost of failing to get proper signatures on documents like construction contracts, and particularly, change orders, is heavy. Both contractors and homeowners are in the same boat as far as wanting to complete a job as swiftly as possible: contractors go on to their next job and homeowners can return to peace in their home. This is prime territory for either party to suggest the work be completed today and the contract or change order executed tomorrow, or even later. However, without a contract, there is no memorialization of the communication between the parties, which can lead to confusion and missed expectations on both sides. Construction plans are rarely as neat and tidy as they originally seem to be. A contractor may uncover unforeseen conditions, an owner may request additional work or changes that require additional work, or weather interferes with project schedules or the work itself. Unfortunately, the signature that never gets collected can become one of the most expensive omissions on a project – for both sides. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Kathryne E. Baldwin, Wilke Fleury
Ms. Baldwin may be contacted at kbaldwin@wilkefleury.com

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Snell & Wilmer Recognized Among the Top 10 Largest Law Firms in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal for the Ninth Consecutive Year

April 27, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
ORANGE COUNTY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that its Orange County office has been named the eighth largest law firm in Orange County on the Orange County Business Journal’s 2026 List of Law Firms. The office has been ranked among the top 10 largest law firms in the region by the Orange County Business Journal for nine consecutive years. “We are proud to once again be recognized among the top law firms in Orange County,” said Jonathan E. Frank, managing partner of the firm’s Orange County office. “This recognition is a testament to the outstanding attorneys and professionals in our Orange County office and the clients who trust us with their most important matters. Being ranked among the top 10 largest firms in the region for nine consecutive years reflects both the strength of our team and our deep commitment to serving the Orange County business community.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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Achieving Sustainability Through Design-Build Delivery: Part I – An Overview

September 21, 2026 — Joshua M. Pruett, Jennifer L. Harris & Tiffany A. Harrod - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
This article was written for the AGC’s Law in Brief and first appeared here. Sustainability is no longer optional. What was once a matter of public policy or corporate preference has become a regulatory mandate and is reshaping how construction projects are designed, built, and operated. This mandate is not solely figurative. Rather, states have started to follow Europe’s lead by beginning to codify sustainability requirements into regulations and law. California led the charge by adding mandatory embodied-carbon emissions regulations into CALGreen, and other states, such as New York, have introduced bills to implement similar requirements. Owners, designers, and builders must now treat sustainability not as aspirational, but as a clearly defined contract issue from the outset, particularly where the project is expected to achieve a third-party rating, meet energy or resiliency targets, qualify for incentives, or comply with evolving green building codes. In the federal public sector, construction contracts include a layered compliance framework—executive order-inspired policy, FAR-mandated clauses, and enduring statutory requirements—requiring contractors to integrate sustainability into design, material selection, and lifecycle management. Staying ahead means aligning with regulatory standards, conducting life-cycle cost analyses, and embedding sustainability into every procurement and construction decision. Reprinted courtesy of Joshua M. Pruett, Peckar & Abramson, P.C., Jennifer L. Harris, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Tiffany A. Harrod, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Pruett may be contacted at jpruett@pecklaw.com Ms. Harris may be contacted at jharris@pecklaw.com Ms. Harrod may be contacted at tharrod@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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Jenny Michel Named Top Lawyer by Acadiana Profile Magazine

June 29, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
Lafayette Managing Partner Jenny Michel has been named to Acadiana Profile magazine’s 2026 Top Lawyers list for Insurance Law. The annual list honors excellence across several practice areas. To select attorneys for its Top Lawyers list, Acadiana Profile works with a research firm that conducts a peer-review survey of attorneys in the Acadiana, Louisiana region. The attorneys nominate fellow professionals who they consider the best in their field of practice. Ms. Michel is co-chair of the London Market Group, the Pollution Legal Liability/Environmental Impairment Liability (PLL/EIL) practice, and the Energy, Marine & Power practice. She has worked with London insurers her entire career. Licensed in both Louisiana and Texas, she leads a team of experienced attorneys focused on marine, both traditional and alternate energy, onshore and offshore property, trucking and environmental insurance coverage and bad faith claims, excess monitoring, advice and litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice Earns Prestigious Band One Ranking in the Chambers USA 2026 Guide

June 22, 2026 — White and Williams LLP
White and Williams LLP's Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice Group is pleased to share that it has received a Band One ranking in the Chambers USA 2026 Guide for Insurance, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Patricia B. Santelle, Chair Emeritus, Randy Maniloff, Partner, and Robert Walsh, Partner have all been individually ranked on the Chambers USA 2026 Guide in Insurance in Pennsylvania. The Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice's consistent focus on their clients and handling of complex claims were just two of the attributes contributing to their elite Band One ranking, after 11 years on the Chambers USA list. When asked about their experience working with White and Williams’ Pennsylvania Insurance Practice, one client stated, “What distinguishes White and Williams is the high level of service and accountability. The team is responsive, organized and reliable, which allows our internal teams to move quickly and make informed decisions with confidence.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of White and Williams LLP

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Ownership and Licensing in Design Agreements

April 14, 2026 — Abby Dvorkin - Snell & Wilmer
The ownership and licensing of design documents in professional services agreements play a significant role in protecting the interests of the design professional and the project owner during and after project completion. The ownership or licensing of the drawings provision typically outlines who owns the drawings and specifications, who can use the documents, and how the documents can be used during and after the project. Project owners and developers should understand that payment for design services does not automatically transfer ownership or an exclusive right to use the professional design. Under U.S. copyright law, the default rule is that the design professional retains ownership of the instruments of service absent a contractual provision transferring ownership or a license. See 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq. The Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act provides that copyright protection applies to “pictorial, graphic and sculptural works” and includes “architectural works.” 17 U.S.C. § 102. A design professional may only transfer copyright ownership in writing. 17 U.S.C. § 204(a). Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Abby Dvorkin, Snell & Wilmer
Ms. Dvorkin may be contacted at advorkin@swlaw.com

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Alert: Fraudulent Notice of Nonpayment Defen
Update: Supreme Court Issues Opinion in West Virginia v. EPA

White and Williams Announces the Election of Five Lawyers to the Partnership and the Promotion of Five Associates to Counsel

AB 3018: Amendments to the Skilled and Trained Workforce Requirements on California Public Projects

Liquidated Damages: A Dangerous Afterthought

2023’s Bank Failures: What Contractors, Material Suppliers and Equipment Lessors Can Do to Protect Themselves

Blue-Sky Floods Take a Rising Toll for Businesses

OSHA Joins the EEOC in Analyzing Unsafe Construction Environments

Lasso Needed to Complete Vegas Hotel Implosion

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (2/26/25) – Uncertainty for Renters, a Record-High Hotel Project Pipeline and Hybrid Hopes for Office Leasing

From Singapore to Rio Green Buildings Keep Tropical Tenants Cool

Faulty Workmanship Causing Damage to Other Propert
A Brief Discussion – Liquidating Agreements

Insurance for Defective Construction Now in Third Edition

London's Walkie Talkie Tower Voted Britain's Worst New Building

MGM Seeks to Demolish Harmon Towers

House Bill Clarifies Start Point for Florida’s Statute of Repose

Pennsylvania Sues Firms to Recoup Harrisburg Incinerator Losses

The Race to Reengineer Cybersecurity

Montana Significantly Revises Its Product Liability Laws

Colorado Senate Committee Approves Construction Defect Bill

Firm Seeks to Squash Subpoena in Coverage CD Case

Denver’s Mayor Addresses Housing and Modifying Construction Defect Law

Congratulations 2025 DE, MA, MD, NJ, NY, and PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Alaska Supreme Court Dismisses Claims of Uncooperative Pro Se Litigant in Defect Case

Steven L. Heisdorffer Joins Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell

TOP TAKE-AWAY SERIES: The 2023 Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Cutting the Salt Out: Tips for Avoiding Union Salting Charges

An Era of Legends

Risk Associated with Design-Build Project Delivery Method

Congratulations to Haight’s 2019 Northern California Super Lawyers

Buy Clean California Act Takes Effect on July 1, 2022

What Contractors Can Do to Address Rising Material Costs

How to Defend Stucco Allegations

Subcontractors on Washington Public Projects can now get their Retainage Money Sooner

Blackstone Suffers Court Setback in Irish Real Estate Drama

You Have Choices (Litigation Versus Mediation)

Federal Courts Reject Insurers’ Attempts to Recoup Defense Costs Expended Under Reservation of Rights

Preventing Common and Costly Water Intrusion Events in Construction

Elliott Backed Venture Sues Lloyds Over Avant Cladding, Times Reports

Suing a Local Government in Land Use Cases – Part 2 – Procedural Due Process

Read Before You Sign: Claim Waivers in Project Documents

Conditional Payment Bond Consideration-Make Sure There Is Pay-If-Paid Provision

Top 10 Cases of 2019

Why A Jury Found That Contractor 'Retaliated' Against Undocumented Craft Worker

Court Holds That Self-Insured Retentions Exhaust Vertically And Awards Insured Mandatory Prejudgment Interest in Stringfellow Site Coverage Dispute

Professional Liability Alert: California Appellate Courts In Conflict Regarding Statute of Limitations for Malicious Prosecution Suits Against Attorneys

Big Policyholder Win in Michigan

How VR and AR Will Help in Remote Expert Assistance

Client Alert: Court of Appeal Applies Common Interest Privilege Doctrine to HOA Litigation Meetings

“You’re Out of Here!” -- CERCLA (Superfund) Federal Preemption of State Environmental Claims in State Courts

Google Advances Green Goal With AES Deal for Carbon-Free Power

Newmeyer & Dillion Ranked Fourth Among Medium Sized Companies in 2016 OCBJ Best Places to Work List

Residential Interior Decorator Was Entitled to Lien and Was Not Engaging in Unlicensed Contracting

CA Supreme Court Set to Rule on Important Occurrence Issue Certified by Ninth Circuit

Congratulations to San Diego Partner Johnpaul Salem and Senior Associate Scott Hoy for Obtaining a Complete Defense Verdict!

Homebuilders Leading U.S. Consumer Stocks: EcoPulse

What If an Irma-Like Hurricane Hit the New York City Metro Area?

DC District Court Follows Ninth Circuit’s Lead Dismissing NABA’s Border Wall Case

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

Falling Crime Rates Make Dangerous Neighborhoods Safe for Bidding Wars

Attorney Writing Series on Misconceptions over Construction Defects