BLACHLY OREGON CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

At the Frontier of Change: How—or Where—to Rebuild as Alaska's Permafrost Disappears

September 28, 2026 — Pam McFarland - Engineering News-Record
In some areas of the tiny subsistence coastal village of Kwigillingok along the Bering Sea in western Alaska, pockets of ground feel squishy, almost gelatinous, rather than solid. It’s an odd sensation, as if there is only a thin layer of muddy soil preventing people from falling into the water beneath their feet. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Pam McFarland, Engineering News-Record
Ms. McFarland may be contacted at mcfarlandp@enr.com

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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...

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Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Multiple Snell & Wilmer Attorneys and Practices

August 11, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
PHOENIX – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that its attorneys have received 57 individual recognitions in their respective fields, by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2026. These prestigious rankings are driven by independent interviews with clients of the firm and members of the legal community. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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A Million-Dollar Claim. A Decisive Defense Victory.

November 02, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP
Partner Daniel Crespo and Associate Soyoun K. McConnell secured summary judgment for their Hotel client in a premises liability action seeking $1 million for injuries allegedly requiring surgery. Through targeted photographic evidence and expert analysis, Mr. Crespo and Ms. McConnell successfully persuaded the court that the curb at issue was ordinary, plainly visible, and presented no actionable dangerous condition. They convincingly countered the plaintiff’s expert’s contention that yellow warning paint was required. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP

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RONI: What You Lose by Not Investing in AI – With Sam Zolfagharian

September 21, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
Sam Zolfagharian returns to the AEC Business Podcast for her second appearance. She is an AI strategist, keynote speaker, and the author of two books, Disrupt It and Future by Design. She spoke at the AI in AEC conference in Helsinki in March, and we picked up the conversation where that keynote left off. The starting point was a question her clients keep raising. Executives are being asked by their boards about the return on their AI investments, and many of them do not have an answer they trust. This episode is about what to measure instead, and when the dollar figure finally becomes the right number to look at. 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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Traub Lieberman Recognized in the 2026 Edition of Chambers USA

June 29, 2026 — Traub Lieberman
In the 2026 edition of Chambers USA, Traub Lieberman has been awarded rankings in the following categories: Illinois – Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer In the Chambers research, clients noted: "The team are technically very strong, responsive, and on top of their cases." Florida – Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer In the Chambers research, clients noted: "Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry distinguishes itself through a combination of deep subject-matter expertise, responsiveness, and practical risk-management orientation." Commenters went on to say: “The team has deep knowledge of Florida property insurance statutes, regulations and case law, enabling effective handling of disputes, appeals and third-party litigation." Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Traub Lieberman

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The Great Escape: Non-Invalidation Clauses and Property Damage Claims

October 20, 2026 — Abigail Smith & Kaarthiga Manimaran - SDV Fenchurch
At their core, non-invalidation clauses (“NICs”) recognise an important commercial reality: an insured cannot control everything that happens at its premises. In the event that an insured finds itself in breach of a condition or warranty owing to events that have increased the risk of damage to its property, but which were outside its authority, knowledge or beyond its control, a NIC may prevent the insurer from avoiding the claim. For that reason, they’re an important tool in an insured’s coverage arsenal. Although there is relatively little caselaw on NICs, their purpose was recognised in The Seashell of Lisson Grove Ltd v Aviva Insurance Ltd [2011] EWHC 1761 (Comm) (on which we wrote a previous article – The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: #26 The Good: The Seashell of Lisson Grove Ltd v Aviva) Reprinted courtesy of Abigail Smith, SDV Fenchurch and Kaarthiga Manimaran, SDV Fenchurch Ms. Smith may be contacted at abigail.smith@sdvfenchurch.uk Ms. Manimaran may be contacted at kaarthiga.manimaran@sdvfenchurch.uk Read the full story...

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Bona Fide Dispute Defeats Violation of Prompt Payment Act

June 15, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
Most, if not all, jurisdictions, including the federal government, have what is known as a “Prompt Payment Act.” The objective is to ensure prompt payment. If prompt payment is not made, the Prompt Payment Act provides for interest penalties, as well as potentially other costs such as attorney’s fees. But the thing is, it’s not as simple as untimely payment to support the recourse and interest penalties the applicable Prompt Payment Act affords. And the teeth associated with the applicable Prompt Payment Act are not as sharp as perhaps the party claiming untimely payment prefers. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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