WEST KENNEBUNK MAINE CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

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

---

How AI Turns Construction Documents Into Procurement Intelligence

May 05, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
MEP equipment accounts for up to 40% of costs on data center or hospital projects, has lead times ranging from 20 weeks to over a year, and has historically been the most underserved area in construction software. In this episode, I speak with Victor Muchiri from BuildVision about what it actually takes to make AI useful in construction procurement, not as a pilot, but in production. We dig into why you cannot simply upload a set of construction drawings to ChatGPT and trust the output. Construction documents are complex, cross-referenced, and consequential. Without deep domain context, such as manufacturer ontologies, equipment taxonomies, and engineering expertise, AI produces plausible results, not reliable ones. BuildVision’s approach is to act as a harness around AI models, wrapping them in construction-specific knowledge so the output can be trusted for real procurement decisions. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

---

Only A Contractor Can Appeal a Contracting Officer’s Final Decision

April 20, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
A recent decision from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals confirms that “only a ‘contractor’ may file an appeal of a contracting officer’s final decision.” Wattiker v. General Services Administration, 2026 WL 846001 (CBCA 2026) (citation omitted). The term “contractor is not an ambiguous term. A ‘contractor’ refers to a party to a federal government contract. Wattiker (citing the Contract Disputes Act). This is why the Contract Disputes Act does not apply to parties that are NOT in contract with the federal government. Id. In Wattiker, an appellant (appealing party) challenged the dismissal of a co-appellant. The co-appellant was dismissed because he was not a contractor, i.e., a party in contract with the federal government. In other words, the co-appellant had no privity of contract with the federal government. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

---

Insured’s Failure to Determine Depreciation When Presenting Claim for Replacement Cost Value

August 16, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The Third Circuit affirmed the district court’s granting of summary judgment to the insurer when the insured submitted replacement cost value of the loss but did not include a determination of depreciation. Kimmel v. Massachusetts Bay Ins. Co., 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 16569 (3d Cir. June 9, 2026). A lightning strike downed a tree on the insured’s property, causing extensive damage to the home. The insured had a homeowner’s policy with Massachusetts Bay Insurance Company (MBIC). MBIC denied the claim, determining that much of the claimed damage already existed and that several policy exclusions otherwise barred coverage. The insured filed suit for breach of contract and bad faith. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

---

Georgia HB 676: A Bill Property Owners and Contractors Should Watch

March 24, 2026 — Robert Lafayette - The Construction Seyt
Property owners, contractors, and others dealing with mechanics and materialmen’s liens in Georgia should keep an eye on HB 676, which is currently making its way through the Georgia General Assembly. The bill aims to curb misuse of the lien process and provide additional remedies to those challenging a frivolous lien filing. What HB 676 Would Do HB 676 would add a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-366.6) to the mechanics and materialmen’s lien statutes. If a lien is filed “without substantial justification or that is not made in good faith or that is made with malice or a wrongful purpose,” this new Code section would impose a fine of $1,500 per lien on the lien claimant, in addition to any attorney’s fees or court costs incurred by the party challenging the lien. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Robert Lafayette, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Mr. Lafayette may be contacted at rlafayette@seyfarth.com

---

Data Center Construction and the AEC Partner of the Future

April 14, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
During my involvement in designing mobile phone production facilities, the speed of design and construction was critical. Any delay could directly translate into lost revenue. That same logic now applies to data centers, though the stakes are much higher. Instead of optimizing physical production lines, we are constructing infrastructure for digital production. The global data center capacity is expected to nearly double by 2030, and with this level of demand, the traditional project-by-project delivery model begins to show its limitations. Data centers are no longer isolated projects in the traditional sense. They are evolving into repeatable, scalable production systems, making them ideal environments for AEC process and business model innovation. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

---

Breaking Ground On New California Public Works Prevailing Wage Requirements

April 27, 2026 — Heather Frisch, Christopher Bouquet & Ashley Stein - The Construction Seyt
Seyfarth Synopsis: As of January 1, 2026, AB 889 bulldozed California’s Prevailing Wage law, which impacts public works employers—including public agencies, the contractors that work for them, and private owners and developers whose projects may be subject to public works requirements. The amended law reframes the calculation of fringe benefits for individuals who work on public works project and mandates annualization of such benefits, demolishes the practice of frontloading these benefits, and requires employers to maintain inspection-ready records of compliance. This year, AB 889 significantly revised California’s prevailing wage law, codified at Labor Code section 1773.1, to clarify the state’s prevailing wage regulations and streamline enforcement. Accordingly, as of January 1, 2026, California public works employers are required to annualize employees’ fringe benefits and maintain specific documentation demonstrating statutory compliance. These new obligations impact public agencies and their contractors, as well as private owners and developers whose projects may be subject to public works requirements. Continue reading for the blueprint of how to comply with the state’s amended prevailing wage law. Reprinted courtesy
Harmon Towers to Be Demolished without Being Finished

Changes to Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act in New York Introduced

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (05/17/23) – A Flop in Flipping, Plastic Microbes and Psychological Hard Hats

Material Prices Climb…And Climb…Are You Considering A Material Escalation Provision?

Receiving a $0 Verdict and Still Being Deemed the Prevailing Party for Purposes of Attorney’s Fees

Insurer's Attempt to Limit Additional Insured Status Fails

Traub Lieberman Partners Ryan Jones and Scot Samis Obtain Affirmation of Final Summary Judgment

It’s (Not) Discretionary

If You Get ‘Reported to the Board’ for Your Professional License (Law Note)

Differences in Types of Damages Matter

Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Standard of Repose in Fruit Warehouse Case

Foreign Entry into the United States Construction, Infrastructure and PPP Markets

Congratulations to Haight’s 2021 Super Lawyers San Diego Rising Stars

Manhattan to Get Tall, Skinny Tower

Did You Get a Notice of Mechanic’s Lien after Project Completion? Don’t Panic!

Traub Lieberman Partner Jessica Kull Obtains Favorable Arbitration Award In Year-Long High-Stakes Construction Defect Case

Nicholas A. Thede Joins Ball Janik LLP

New York Governor Expected to Sign Legislation Greatly Expanding Recoverable Damages in Wrongful Death Actions

Where There’s Smoke, Is There Coverage? A Closer Look at Bottega, LLC v. National Surety and Gharibian v. Wawanesa

Drowning of Two Boys Constitu
The Future for Tall Buildings Could Be Greener

Quanta Asks Judge to Block Award of $400M Long Island, NY Grid Contract to PSEG

Terminating the Notice of Commencement (with a Notice of Termination)

Choose the Right Option: How Facilitative and Evaluative Approaches Can Both Have a Role in Mediation

Navigating Construction Contracts in the Energy Sector – Insights from Sheppard Mullin’s Webinar Series

Construction Firm Sues Town over Claims of Building Code Violations

Presenting a “Total Time” Delay Claim Is Not Sufficient

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Shares Fall on Wind-Down Measure

California Court of Appeal Finds Alleged Inadequate Defense by Insurer-Appointed Defense Counsel Does Not Trigger a Right to Independent Counsel

Surviving the Construction Law Backlog: Nontraditional Approaches to Resolution

No Coverage for Negligent Misrepresentation without Allegations of “Bodily Injury” or “Property Damage”

Circuit Court Supports Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Protections in Connection with Internal Investigations

OH Supreme Court Rules Against General Contractor in Construction Defect Coverage Dispute

Less Than Perfectly Drafted Endorsement Bars Flood Coverage

43% of U.S. Homes in High Natural Disaster Risk Areas

Florida Courts Say that Developers Are Responsible for Flooding

A New Hope - You Now May Have Coverage for Punitive Damages in Connecticut

Allegations that Carrier Failed to Adequately Investigate Survive Demurrer

West Virginia Wild: Crews Carve Out Corridor H Through the Appalachian Mountains

Women Make Slow Entry into Building Trades

Tropical Storms Pile Up Back-to-Back-to-Back Out West

Insurance Policy’s “No Voluntary Payment” Clauses Lose Some Bite in Colorado

The Washington Supreme Court Rules that a Holder of a Certificate of Insurance Is Entitled to Coverage

Newmeyer & Dillion Announces Three New Partners

Release Of “Unknown” Claim Does Not Bar Release Of “Unaccrued” Claim: Fair Or Unfair?

David Samani Joins BHBA Podcast on Mediation Best Practices

The Need for Situational Awareness in Construction

James R. Lynch Appointed to the Washington State Capital Project Review Committee

Colorado homebuilders target low-income buyers with bogus "affordable housing" bill

Federal Court Rejects Insurer's Argument that Wisconsin Has Adopted the Manifestation Trigger for Property Policy

Panel Declares Colorado Construction Defect Laws Reason for Lack of Multifamily Developments

Near-Zero Carbon Cement Powers Sustainable 3D-Printed Homes

#12 CDJ Topic: Am. Home Assur. Co. v. SMG Stone Co., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75910 (N. D. Cal. June 11, 2015)

Mandatory Energy Benchmarking is On Its Way

Measure Twice, Cut (the Check) Once: Liability for Cybercrime and How to Avoid It

SEC Approves New Securitization Risk Retention Rule with Broad Exception for Qualified Residential Mortgages

Newmeyer & Dillion Gets Top-Tier Practice Area Rankings on U.S. News – Best Lawyers List

EPA Announces Decision to Retain Current Position on RCRA Regulation of Oil and Gas Production Wastes

Massachusetts Federal Court Rejects Adria Towers, Finds Construction Defects Not an “Occurrence”

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (05/23/23) – Distressed Prices, Carbon Removal and Climate Change

Los Angeles Office Secures Summary Judgment for Electric Company Client in Asbestos Lawsuit

Design-Build Contracting for County Road Projects

Consequential Damage Claims for Insurer's Bad Faith Dismissed

Florida Enacts Sweeping Tort Reform Legislation, Raising Barriers to Insurance Coverage Claims

R-E-C-I-P-R-O-C-I-T-Y ~ Find Out What It Means to You (Updated August 2025)

Eight Payne & Fears Attorneys Named 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers

Does Your U.S. Company Pull Data From European Citizens? Fall In Line With GDPR by May 2018 or Suffer Substantial Fines

Appraisal Appropriate Despite Pending Coverage Issues

Personal Injury Claims – The Basics

New Jersey’s Independent Contractor Rule