HARVEL ILLINOIS CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Bad Faith Claim Dismissed as Insurer’s Actions Found Reasonable

December 08, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The insured’s bad faith claims failed as the court found that the insurer’s handling of the claim was reasonable. Terrazas v. State Farm Lloyds, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 201925 (W.D. Tex. Oct. 20. 2025). Plaintiff filed a claim with State Farm when her home suffered hail damage. Claims Specialist Denice Gomez was assigned to inspect, but she was unable to access the roof. She inspected the interior of the home and found water damage and observed hail damage on the garage doors. Ms. Gomez retained SeekNow to complete the roof inspection. 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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Arbitration Provision Must Be Incorporated into a Bond for Surety to Elect Arbitration

March 03, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
“Sureties cannot exercise unilateral election rights that are reserved for the principal of the underlying contract.” Anderson Service Corp. v. Old Republic Surety Company, 2026 WL 61436, *2 (Fla. 4th DCA 2026). This was the holding in a recent case dealing with arbitration. In this case, a subcontractor entered into a contract with a contractor that gave the contractor the right to elect arbitration in Pennsylvania. A dispute arose and the subcontractor recorded a construction lien. The contractor transferred the lien to a lien transfer bond under Florida law. (The contractor was the principal of the lien transfer bond.) The lien transfer bond surety then moved to compel the subcontractor to arbitration based on the underlying subcontract. The trial court agreed to compel arbitration but this was reversed on appeal. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Super Lawyers Names Five White and Williams LLP Attorneys to its Metro New York Lists

December 02, 2025 — White and Williams LLP
White and Williams LLP is proud to announce that five attorneys in the firm’s New York City office have been recognized on the 2025 Metro New York Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists. This recognition highlights our attorney's exceptional legal acumen, and their commitment to client service excellence. Lawyers are selected for inclusion in Metro New York Area Super Lawyers and Rising Stars through a process that considers independent research, peer recognition and the professional achievements of attorneys from more than 70 practice areas. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of White and Williams LLP

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Insurer Granted Summary Judgment, in Part, After Partial Payment of Claim

February 10, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The insurer was awarded summary judgment, in part, after paying a portion of the insured’s claim for hurricane damage. Taylor v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 231406 (S.D. Ala. Nov. 24, 2025). The Taylors’ home was damaged by Hurricane Sally. They submitted a claim under their homeowners’ policy to State Farm. They reported trees collapsing onto the house and blocking the front door, broken windows and doors, water damage and the roof collapsing in certain rooms of the house. 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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Newark Team Obtains Appellate Ruling Affirming Summary Judgment for Lawyer and Firm in Professional Negligence Lawsuit

April 14, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
Newark Partner Meredith Kaplan Stoma and Associate Anthony Doss recently secured a decision from the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, affirming summary judgment for their clients, a lawyer and her firm, in a lawsuit alleging professional negligence in connection with the administration of a commercial loan. The circumstances giving rise to the lawsuit date back to September 2020, when the plaintiff was approached by members of a real estate investment company regarding a short-term loan opportunity whereby he would loan the company $200,000. The company provided the plaintiff with a “bridge loan package,” which stated that the requested funds would be held in the escrow account of their counsel and her firm (Lewis Brisbois’ clients), and returned to him with interest within six months once the company was “capitalized” by a senior lender. The company subsequently prepared two notes, each for $100,000, in connection with the agreement. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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PSA: Be Sure to Document (Even When Time is Short)

April 14, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
Written change orders are a big deal. Almost all construction contracts (at least the well drafted ones) require written contracts. Written change orders are even important enough that Virginia law requires these provisions in residential construction contracts. Why are they so important? Because they are a “mini-contract” of sorts. They set the expectations, price, time, and work to be performed; work that was not included in the original price or scope for the project. Without this in writing, there will be no record of what the parties agreed to do. Does this sound familiar? Sound like its own contract? It should. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

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Why and When Construction Robotics Makes Sense

February 10, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
In construction, robotics is often discussed in terms of technology: better AI, more capable machines, and robots on job sites. Recent research suggests that the question is less about whether robots can work and more about when and why they deliver real value. An Aalto University research paper on computer-vision-driven robotic waste sorting offers a valuable lens into this. The researchers use ZenRobotics’ computer-vision-enabled automated system as a case study. The Finnish startup was acquired by Terex, a U.S. company, in 2022. At first glance, waste sorting might seem like a niche application. But it illustrates a broader economic logic that aligns with findings across the broader body of research on construction robotics. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

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Top 10 Insurance Cases of 2025

January 26, 2026 — Jeffrey J. Vita, Michelle A. Grieco, Kiley Stackpole - Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
The insurance landscape continues to evolve, shaped by litigation that tests the limits of policy language, coverage obligations, and public policy considerations. In 2025, courts across the country issued several significant rulings that will influence how insurers and policyholders navigate claims and risks. Notable trends in 2025 include disputes over property coverage for wildfire and smoke damage, the treatment of interrelated claims under successive D&O policies, enforcement of arbitration clauses in international insurance contracts, and general liability coverage issues—such as construction exclusions for phased projects and limits on coverage for losses tied to the opioid crisis. This publication spotlights the top insurance cases of 2025, highlighting their legal reasoning, practical implications, and impact for policyholders—plus a look ahead at key cases to watch in 2026. Reprinted courtesy of Jeffrey J. Vita, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C., Michelle A. Grieco, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. and Kiley Stackpole, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. Mr. Vita may be contacted at JVita@sdvlaw.com Ms. Grieco may be contacted at MGrieco@sdvlaw.com Ms. Stackpole may be contacted at KStackpole@sdvlaw.com Read the full story...

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