New California Law Requires Real Estate Agents and Brokers to Disclose AI Alterations in Listings
January 21, 2026 —
Brian Slome - Lewis BrisboisSan Diego, Calif. (December 19, 2025) - Artificial intelligence and digital marketing have become ubiquitous in real estate advertising. The widespread use of AI creates risk for consumers who don’t know whether images shown online or on the multiple listing services are real. A new California law that goes into effect in January 2026 tries to draw a clear line: innovation is welcome but deception is not.
The state’s new law requires licensed real estate brokers and salespersons to disclose when images used in advertisement and promotional materials have been digitally altered and to provide access to the original, unaltered images. The law is intended to enhance transparency in real estate advertising and to reduce the risk of consumer deception arising from image editing, virtual staging, or other digital modifications.
Who Is Covered
The law applies to real estate agents, brokers, developers, and marketing staff involved in property advertising. It encompasses advertisements including those in print and online.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Brian Slome, Lewis BrisboisMr. Slome may be contacted at
Brian.Slome@lewisbrisbois.com
How to Properly Fill Out and Use the Conditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment Form Used in California Construction
December 15, 2025 —
William L. Porter - Porter Law GroupThis is the first article in a series of four articles discussing how to properly fill out the four California construction releases described in California Civil Code 8132 – 8138.
Let me start by noting that in addition to practicing construction law for more than 35 years, I chaired the committee of California construction attorneys who revised those sections of the California Civil Code dealing with this release form and many other construction forms as part of Senate Bill 189 in 2010. I also wrote the first version of this release form and made it free to the public well before the new law took effect in 2012. With this background, let me note a few things about the Conditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment form to help you avoid mistakes that might prevent you from achieving the intended effect or the form or releasing claim rights to a greater extent than you intend.
At the end of this article is a copy of the form itself which includes numbers coinciding with the instructions I will give below. A live electronically fillable version of the form is available on our firm’s website (www.porterlaw.com) under the “Forms” section. It is free and you can fill it out on your screen before printing it out and signing it.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
William L. Porter, Porter Law GroupMr. Porter may be contacted at
bporter@porterlaw.com
White and Williams LLP is Proud to Host the 20th Anniversary Virginia Barton Wallace Award and Reception
May 05, 2026 —
White and Williams LLPWhite and Williams LLP is proud to host the 20th Anniversary Virginia Barton Wallace (VBW) Award and Reception, which will celebrate this year’s honoree,
The Rendell Center for Civics & Civic Engagement. This award was created to celebrate the remarkable career of Virginia “Ginny” Barton Wallace, the first woman to be elected to partnership not only at White and Williams but also at any law firm in Philadelphia. The VBW Award is presented to a woman or organization that embodies the same qualities that Ginny possessed: leadership, drive, exemplary work ethic, overall excellence in her field, or an ability to inspire other women to succeed.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
White and Williams LLP
Additional Insured’s Claim for a Defense Is Dismissed
December 22, 2025 —
Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law HawaiiThe court dismissed the additional insured’s complaint seeking a defense against a personal injury case. Piece Mgmt., Inc. v. Atlantic Casualty Ins. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 205589 (S.D. N. Y. Oct. 18, 2025).
The underlying plaintiff, Mustafaa Dais alleged that he was injured when a glass door collapsed onto him as he exited BJ’s Restaurant. Dais sued BJ’s seeking damages for his injuries. He later amended his complaint to add Piece Management, Inc. the property’s management company, and Narway, Inc., the company hired to install the glass door.
Under the subcontract between Piece and Narwy, Narway was required to maintain a general liability policy and to add Piece as an additional insured. Narway obtained the required policy from Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak HastertMr. Eyerly may be contacted at
te@hawaiilawyer.com
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, United States Infrastructure Corporation (“USIC”), to locate and mark gas lines that AGL owned in Georgia. USIC failed to mark a certain gas line, which was later struck by a boring company, leading to an explosion that injured three people.
Reprinted courtesy of
Kyle A. Rudolph, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. and
Anna M. Perry, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
Mr. Rudolph may be contacted at KRudolph@sdvlaw.com
Ms. Perry may be contacted at APerry@sdvlaw.com
Read the full story...
What if the Supreme Court Overrules the Reciprocal Tariffs? Plan Now for Refunds, Protests, and Contract Reconciliation
December 15, 2025 —
Brett W. Johnson, T. Troy Galan, Cole Craghan & Thomas Williams - Snell & WilmerAs the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the legality of President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” companies that sell goods internationally face a pivotal inflection point. If the tariffs are struck down, the decision will not simply unwind a trade policy — it may trigger a complex refund process involving billions of dollars in tariffs. This will lead to disputes over who receives repayment, and potential friction between suppliers and customers whose contracts passed tariff costs downstream.
Such disputes appear to be on the horizon, as the U.S. Supreme Court considered oral arguments on the reciprocal tariffs on November 5, 2025, and several Justices signaled their skepticism about whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) permits the president to impose tariffs unilaterally. While the outcome remains uncertain, businesses that act now to preserve refund rights and clarify contractual obligations may be best positioned to receive refunds and avoid costly disputes if the tariffs are ordered to be repaid.
Reprinted courtesy of
Brett W. Johnson, Snell & Wilmer,
T. Troy Galan, Snell & Wilmer,
Cole Craghan, Snell & Wilmer and
Thomas Williams, Snell & Wilmer
Mr. Johnson may be contacted at bwjohnson@swlaw.com
Mr. Galan may be contacted at tgalan@swlaw.com
Mr. Craghan may be contacted at ccraghan@swlaw.com
Mr. Williams may be contacted at twilliams@swlaw.com
Read the full story...
Snell & Wilmer Partner Jonathan Frank Named Winner of 2025 Connect CRE’s Lawyers in Real Estate Award
January 13, 2026 —
Snell & WilmerORANGE COUNTY — Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that Orange County Partner
Jonathan Frank has received the 2025 Connect CRE’s
Lawyers in Real Estate Award, a distinction honoring attorneys who demonstrate excellence in commercial real estate law while making meaningful contributions to the industry and their communities. The award recognizes legal leaders whose expertise, vision, and dedication set them apart, reflecting a career marked by both professional achievement and civic impact.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Snell & Wilmer
Will the YIMBY ‘Holy Grail’ Deliver an LA Building Boom?
December 08, 2025 —
Patrick Sisson - BloombergWhen California Governor Gavin Newsom signed State Bill 79 into law on Oct. 10, supporters of the pro-housing “Yes In My Backyard” movement celebrated a legislative victory that had been called a YIMBY “
holy grail.” By legalizing multistory apartments near transit stops in the state’s most urbanized counties — and crucially, in areas formerly zoned for single-family homes — SB 79 was hailed as a huge step toward closing
Cal
Caltrans Hiring of Inexperienced Chinese Builder for Bay Bridge Expansion QuestionedCoverage Rejected Under Owned Property and Alienated Property ExclusionsThe Coronavirus, Zoom Meetings and Now a CCPA Class ActionPort Authority Approves Subsidies for 2 World Trade ProjectBarratt Said to Suspend Staff as Contract Probe ContinuesPrecast Standards' Work Under Way as Brittle Fracture Warnings AiredCongratulations 2019 DE, NJ and PA Super Lawyers and Rising StarsTexas Jury Finds Presence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Causes “Physical Loss or Damage” to Property, Awards Over $48 Million to Baylor College of MedicineRise in Home Building Helps Other Job SectorsGloria Gaynor Sues Contractor over Defective Deck ConstructionWisconsin Court Enforces Breach of Contract Exclusion in E&O PolicyTexas Allows Wide Scope for Certificate of MeritToolbox Talk Series Recap – Considerations for Optimizing Dispute Resolution ClausesNevada Bill Would Bring Changes to Construction DefectsEfficient Proximate Cause Applies to Policy's Collapse ProvisionsUS Supreme Court Backs Panama Canal Owner in Dispute with BuildersCA Supreme Court Expands Scope of Lawyers’ Statute of Limitations to Non-Legal Malpractice Claims – Confusion Predicted for Law and Motion JudgesNavigating Construction Defect Claims and Statutes of Limitation: Key Lessons from Stoecklein v. Fayette FarmsWith VA Mechanic’s Liens Sometimes “Substantial Compliance” is Enough (but don’t count on it)Contractors Set to Implement Air Quality Upgrades for Healthier BuildingsReal Estate & Construction News Round-Up (10/05/22) – Hurricane Ian, the Inflation Reduction Act, and European Real EstateHow to Protect a Construction-Related InventionWill the Hidden Cracks in the Bay Bridge Cause Problems During an Earthquake?Meet the Forum's ADR Neutrals: TOM NOCARLucky No. 7: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Issues Pro-Policyholder Decision Regarding Additional Insured Coverage for Upstream PartiesLast Parcel of Rancho del Oro Masterplan Purchased by Cornerstone CommuntiesFirst Look at Long List of AEC Firms Receiving PPP LoansNew York's Highest Court Says Asbestos Causation Requires Evidence Of Sufficient Exposure To Sustain LiabilityEnglish v. RKK- There is Even More to the StoryManhattan Condo Resale Prices Reach Record HighHousing Woes Worse in L.A. Than New York, San FranciscoConstruction Suit Ends with Just an ApologyPallonji Mistry, Indian Billionaire Caught in Tata Feud, Dies at 93Nobody Knows What Lies Beneath New York CityA Recession Is Coming, But the Housing Market Won't Trigger ItHow Does Your Construction Contract Treat FloatCoverage Denied for Ensuing Loss After Foundation DamageBremer Whyte Congratulates Nicole Nuzzo on OCBA Professionalism and Ethics Committee AppointmentTetra Tech-U.S. Cleanup Dispute in San Francisco GrowsFeds, County Seek Delay in Houston $7B Road Widening Over Community ImpactCoverage for Injury to Insured’s Employee Not CoveredNuclear Fusion Pushes to Reach Commercial Power Plant StageLA Home Destroyed in Palisades Fire Draws More Than 60 OffersHome Prices on the RiseTiny Houses Big With U.S. Owners Seeking Economic FreedomThe Burden of BettermentOSHA Reinforces COVID Guidelines for the WorkplaceAs the Term Winds Down, Several Important Regulatory Cases Await the U.S. Supreme CourtLabor Shortages in Construction: Managing Legal and Operational RisksPreserving Lien Rights on Private Projects in Washington: Three Common Mistakes to Avoidrop="name">Risk Protection: Force Majeure Agreements Take on Renewed Relevance
Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (06/29/22)Construction Litigation Roundup: “Wrap Music to an Insurer’s Ears?”What is Toxic Mold Litigation?The Condominium Warranty Against Structural Defects in the District of ColumbiaCliff White Expands Insurance Litigation Team at Payne & FearsSubrogation Insight: Expert Testimony Admissible Despite Post-Loss RepairsHomeowners Sue Over Sinkholes, Use Cash for Other ThingsToddler Crashes through Window, Falls to his Death
