PANORA IOWA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®

December 02, 2025 — David McLain - Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC is proud to announce that Lisa Bondy Dunn and David M. McLain have been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for their excellence in construction law and litigation. Lisa Dunn was recognized for Litigation - Construction, marking her first year on this prestigious list, while Dave McLain was recognized for both Construction Law and Litigation - Construction, continuing his inclusion in Best Lawyers since 2021. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David McLain, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC
Mr. McLain may be contacted at mclain@hhmrlaw.com

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Insured’s Breach of Contract Claim Survives Motion to Dismiss, but Bad Faith Claim Does Not

November 21, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The court denied the insurer’s motion to dismiss the insured’s breach of contract claim, but granted the motion to dismiss without prejudice the bad faith claim. Terrazas v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173920 (D. Colo. Sept 5, 2025). The plaintiff, Alejandro Garcia-Terrazas, had a policy issued by State Farm. The policy covered the abrupt and accidental discharge or overflow of water. Terrazas noticed a water discharge or overflow in the kitchen. The water caused damage to the floors, cabinets, and other items in the kitchen. A claim was filed with State Farm. State Farm investigated but refused to pay the full value of the claim. 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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Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause Prevents Coverage for Collapse

April 27, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The appellate court affirmed the decision of the trial court granting summary judgment to the insurer after agreeing that the policy’s anti-concurrent causation clause barred coverage. Lido Hospitality, Inc. v. AIX Specialty Ins. Co., 2026 Iii. App. Unpub. LEXIS 133 (Ill. Ct. App. Jan. 27, 2026). One of the brick veneer walls of the Lido Motel collapsed during a windstorm. Lido reported the loss it its insurer, AIX. AIX investigated and determined that the brick veneer collapsed due to pervasive wear and tear and corrosion of the underlying infrastructure that secured the veneer- specifically the components that anchored or tied the masonry veneer to the underlying wooden substrate. 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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Forget Fifth Graders - Are You Smarter Than a CEO?

December 02, 2025 — Daniel Lund III - JD Supra
The Supreme Court of South Dakota says that (in certain circumstances) you need to be. That court wrangled with the evidentiary requirements for professional negligence and breach of contract claims arising from the construction of a clinical research facility in Brookings, South Dakota. The general contractor on the project alleged defects in the design and installation of the HVAC system and suspended ceiling, resulting in contamination and operational failures. The general contractor sued the architect, engineers, and contractors, asserting breach of contract and implied warranties. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Daniel Lund III, Phelps Dunbar
Mr. Lund may be contacted at daniel.lund@phelps.com

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Standing When It Comes to Real Property Owned by a Trust

February 23, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
It is not uncommon for property to be owned in the name of the trust as part of an estate planning agenda. In construction, improvements are made all the time to real property owned in the name of a trust or later transferred to a trust for estate planning purposes. In a recent case, the question became that if the property is owned by the trust does only the trust have standing to file the lawsuit. In this case, homeowners, in their individual capacities, sued a flooring contractor for defective work; however, prior to the lawsuit, the homeowners deeded the home (which would include the flooring in the home) to a revocable trust. The plaintiffs, though, were the trustees of the revocable trust and the settlors of the trust. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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AI Adoption in Construction: A UK Practitioner’s View

April 20, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
I recently talked with Chris Brady, an AI adoption consultant based in Birmingham, UK, who has spent 18 years working in construction. Two years ago, he began integrating AI into his work with contractors and SMEs, initially as an add-on service, and it has since become his main business. Chris now runs Metrix, an AI consultancy focused on UK construction companies, alongside two other ventures: Trade Upskill, an education platform for construction professionals, and ctrldash.ai, a compliance-automation SaaS for construction SMEs, both of which are soon to launch. What struck me most in our conversation was how grounded his approach is, built on years of direct industry experience rather than arriving from outside with a technology solution looking for a problem. 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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House Passes ABC-Supported Permitting Reform Legislation

February 02, 2026 — ABC - Construction Executive
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18—Associated Builders and Contractors applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing two comprehensive, ABC-supported permitting reform bills: H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act, and H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act. Reprinted courtesy of ABC, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

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GRSM Attorneys Named Finalists in 2026 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards

March 10, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani attorneys have been shortlisted as finalists for Corporate Counsel’s 2026 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards, which honor women leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in the legal profession. In the Law Firm Internal Collaborative Leadership category, Stephanie Jones was recognized for her exceptional ability to foster collaboration, mentor talent, and align colleagues across GRSM. Jones has consistently demonstrated leadership rooted in trust, inclusion, and shared purpose, qualities that have strengthened the firm during a period of extraordinary growth. Her impact on the firm’s culture and success will continue as she steps into her role as Chief Operating Partner in June 2026, where she will further build on her leadership in fostering teamwork, mentorship, and alignment across the firm’s national platform. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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