Basin Montana Construction Expert Witness Directory

Project Labor Agreements: A New Bid Protest Forum Split

May 14, 2026 — Dirk D. Haire, David P.J. Timm and Michael J. Brewer - ConsensusDocs
Advertisements often include a disclaimer: “individual results may vary.” Similarly, lawyers are notorious for saying “it depends.” The mandatory Project Labor Agreement (“PLA”) regulations have recently placed into context this adage as it applies to federal contract bid protests, with very different results depending on which forum – the Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) versus the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) – different contractors have selected to bring PLA bid protests. Over the last two years, over 30 protesters have successfully achieved removal of mandatory PLAs from large-scale federal construction contracts based on two landmark bid protest decisions issued by the COFC. Similar challenges to PLAs at the GAO, however, have not been successful in removing PLAs, highlighting an emerging trend that the COFC is often a more effective relief forum than GAO for government construction contractors. Reprinted courtesy of Dirk D. Haire, Burr & Forman LLP, David P.J. Timm, Burr & Forman LLP and Michael J. Brewer, Burr & Forman LLP Mr. Haire may be contacted at dhaire@burr.com Mr. Timm may be contacted at dtimm@burr.com Mr. Brewer may be contacted at mbrewer@burr.com Read the full story...

It’s More Than a Feeling: Proving Construction Damages and When You Should Hire an Expert to Help Do It

July 27, 2026 — Bradley E. Sands & Katie McCracken - ConsensusDocs
When you win a bid, you might be singing that everything is going your way. Then something goes wrong. The owner hands you defective plans, sits on RFI responses or other critical information, or otherwise upends the work. The costs pile up through no fault of your own. You feel wronged, and you want to be made whole. But a feeling that you got burned is not enough. To recover, that feeling has to become something the law recognizes as damages. So, what are damages, and how do you prove them? At bottom, contract damages are the money that puts the non-breaching party (i.e., the party that doesn’t breach the contract) in the position it would have occupied had the contract been performed. Reprinted courtesy of Bradley E. Sands, Jones Walker LLP and Katie McCracken, Summer Associate, University of Georgia School of Law Read the full story...
Mr. Sands may be contacted at bsands@joneswalker.com

Seattle Team Obtains Summary Judgment in Real Estate Broker Professional Liability Action

July 20, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
Seattle Partner Kathleen A. Nelson and Associate Synova M. L. Edwards prevailed on a hotly contested motion for summary judgment in Whatcom County, Washington court in a real estate broker professional liability action. The plaintiff filed an action against Lewis Brisbois' clients, a real estate agent and brokerage firm, among several others, including the title company, purchasers and others related to the sale of real property following his complicated and long running divorce action. These claims primarily arose out of the clients’ reliance on an order signed by the court in the underlying divorce action. The order allowed the clients to execute the purchase and sale agreement, as the plaintiff was non-cooperative. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

Navigating Timelines and Technology: Patent Strategies for Space and Earth

June 01, 2026 — Kate Nuehring Su & Vanessa Wang - Engineering News-Record
More than half a century after the Apollo 11 landing fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s bold vision, the global race back to the Moon is no longer theoretical. With renewed attention on NASA’s Artemis program and a surge of commercial investment in space infrastructure, lunar exploration is again shaping technology priorities here on Earth. Reprinted courtesy of Kate Nuehring Su, Engineering News-Record and Vanessa Wang, Engineering News-Record Read the full story...
ENR may be contacted at enr@enr.com

Segal McCambridge Shareholders and Associates Recognized in 2027 Best Lawyers in America®

September 01, 2026 — Segal McCambridge
Segal McCambridge is pleased to announce that 24 firm shareholders and associates have been recognized in the 2027 editions of the Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Best Lawyers® is an elite global network of legal professionals recognized through a trusted, peer-reviewed distinction. For more than four decades, its Purely Peer Review® methodology has upheld the principle that recognition should be earned through the opinions of fellow attorneys, not marketing influence or paid listings. No fees are accepted for consideration or inclusion.    "This Best Lawyers recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the caliber of advocacy our attorneys bring to clients every day, across a wide range of practice areas," said Jason P. Eckerly, Segal McCambridge Managing Shareholder. "We are proud to see so many of our colleagues honored for their legal skills, dedication, and professionalism. This continued recognition underscores the strength of our national platform and the depth of talent across our firm." Segal McCambridge's attorneys named in Best Lawyers in America® include: Jason P. Eckerly; Chicago, IL; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Scott R. Emery; New York, NY; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Jay Evans; Pittsburgh, PA; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Richard H. Glucksman; Los Angeles, CA; Construction Law Nathan R. Horne; Austin, TX; Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Alice Sacks Johnston; Pittsburgh, PA; Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Patrick M. Kemp; Austin, TX; Litigation - Insurance Mitchell P. Morinec; Chicago, IL; Commercial Litigation Anthony J. Sbarra, Jr.; Milton, MA; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Alan J. Taylor; Southfield, MI; Litigation - Construction; Real Estate Law Kenneth P. Williams; Southfield, MI; Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants David J. Yates; Southfield, MI; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Segal McCambridge's attorneys named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® include: Masood Syed Ali; Chicago, IL; Labor and Employment Law - Management Mari Bryn Dowdy; Austin, TX; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Chaniece M. Hill; Chicago, IL; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Mandy Kolodkin; Indianapolis, IN; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Jeffrey M. Marchese; New York, NY; Litigation - Construction Courtney C. McLaren; Memphis, TN; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Benjamin J. Nellans; Chicago, IL; Commercial Litigation Christopher P. Norton; Los Angeles, CA; Commercial Litigation Nelson T. Rainey; Memphis, TN; Family Law; Health Care Law; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Nicholas E. Richardson; Tampa, FL; Insurance Law Jordan B. Rosenberg; Philadelphia, PA; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Ian M. Sadler; Austin, TX; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law About Best Lawyers® Best Lawyers® is an elite global network of legal professionals recognized through trusted, peer-reviewed distinction. For over four decades, its Purely Peer Review® methodology has upheld the principle that recognition should be earned through the opinions of fellow attorneys, not marketing influence or paid listings. Each year, millions of confidential evaluations are collected worldwide, contributing to one of the legal industry's most rigorous and trusted vetting processes. Only about 5% of lawyers in the United States and 3% globally are recognized, reflecting the selectivity and credibility of the results. No fees are accepted for consideration or inclusion, maintaining the integrity and independence of all recognitions. For more information, visit: www.bestlawyers.com. About Segal McCambridge Segal McCambridge has built a reputation as a national law firm of accomplished trial attorneys for almost four decades. Founded in 1986, the firm has grown from a four-lawyer shop in Chicago to a firm with more than 20 offices nationwide. The firm routinely counsels and defends clients, including Fortune 500 companies, corporations, and individuals, across the United States in complex litigation matters including, but not limited to: asbestos, class action, construction, employment, environmental, food and beverage, insurance coverage and bad faith, life sciences, product liability, professional liability, technology and cyber risk, transportation, and warranty. For more information, visit: www.segalmccambridge.com.

Tariffs As Taxes — What Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump Means for Contractors and the WSDOT Specifications

March 17, 2026 — Brett M. Hill - Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC
In October 2025, we explored a pressing question for public works contractors: should post-contract award tariffs be reimbursable? The crux of that analysis was whether tariffs imposed after contract award constitute a tax under the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Standard Specifications, triggering reimbursement under Section 1-07.1(5)B (“tax changes”). Since then, a landmark Supreme Court ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump has clarified the legal nature of tariffs in a way that could significantly affect this debate. In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 U.S. (2026), the U.S. Supreme Court addressed whether the President had the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose broad tariffs on imports. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brett M. Hill, Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC
Mr. Hill may be contacted at brett.hill@acslawyers.com

Construction Attorneys: Contract Negotiation Strategy

September 01, 2026 — Construction Executive
Contract negotiation is where project expectations become enforceable business obligations. A reasonable bid can become a high-risk agreement when the final contract expands the scope, shortens notice periods, limits payment rights or transfers liability that was never included in the price. Construction attorneys help project leaders identify those consequences before execution. Their role is not to eliminate every risk or prolong negotiations. It is to determine which risks can be controlled, insured, priced, shared or rejected while preserving a workable deal. The financial stakes can be substantial. HKA's 2025 analysis of more than 2,200 distressed construction and engineering projects found that disputed costs averaged 33.4% of contract budgets. Scope changes affected more than 28% of the projects studied and remained the most common cause of conflict. In North America, the average dispute studied by Arcadis in 2024 had a value of $60.1 million and took 12.5 months to resolve. Reprinted courtesy of Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

Brenda Radmacher Authors Chapter in ABA Publication on Construction Delays

May 26, 2026 — Brenda Radmacher - The Construction Seyt
Brenda Radmacher, a partner in Seyfarth’s Construction Law practice and a mediator and arbitrator serving on the American Arbitration Association’s panels, is among the contributing authors to the American Bar Association’s forthcoming guide on construction disputes: Time – The Legal Implications of Project Delay in Construction. Drawing on three decades of experience, Radmacher authors Chapter 8, Contractor Delay Damages, offering practical insight into one of the most contested issues in construction litigation and arbitration. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brenda Radmacher, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

BASIN MONTANA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES