Westmoreland County Pennsylvania Construction Expert Witness Directory

New California Law Requires Real Estate Agents and Brokers to Disclose AI Alterations in Listings

January 21, 2026 — Brian Slome - Lewis Brisbois
San Diego, Calif. (December 19, 2025) - Artificial intelligence and digital marketing have become ubiquitous in real estate advertising. The widespread use of AI creates risk for consumers who don’t know whether images shown online or on the multiple listing services are real. A new California law that goes into effect in January 2026 tries to draw a clear line: innovation is welcome but deception is not. The state’s new law requires licensed real estate brokers and salespersons to disclose when images used in advertisement and promotional materials have been digitally altered and to provide access to the original, unaltered images. The law is intended to enhance transparency in real estate advertising and to reduce the risk of consumer deception arising from image editing, virtual staging, or other digital modifications. Who Is Covered The law applies to real estate agents, brokers, developers, and marketing staff involved in property advertising. It encompasses advertisements including those in print and online. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brian Slome, Lewis Brisbois
Mr. Slome may be contacted at Brian.Slome@lewisbrisbois.com

New York Moves to Tighten Third-Party Practice: Key Changes to CPLR 1007

March 31, 2026 — Sophia L. Cahill - Sheppard
Effective April 18, 2026, the New York Legislature enacted the Avoiding Vexatious Overuse of Impleading to Delay (“AVOID”) Act, amending CPLR 1007—the statute that governs third-party practice. The amendment sharply limits when and how defendants can commence third-party actions, curbing the expansive discretion they previously enjoyed and targeting the late-stage impleaders that often upend case schedules. What Changes Before the AVOID Act was signed into law on December 19, 2025 (and subsequently modified by Chapter Amendments A9502 and S8809, signed by Governor Hochul on February 13, 2026[1]), CPLR 1007 gave defendants broad latitude to implead “any person who is or may be liable” for all or part of the plaintiff’s claim. CPLR 1007 specified no outside time limit for the initiation of a third-party claim; courts assessed only whether a defendant’s delay was undue—such as impleading months after the note of issue—and whether the plaintiff would suffer prejudice if the third-party action were not severed. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Sophia L. Cahill, Sheppard
Ms. Cahill may be contacted at scahill@sheppard.com

Don’t Hire Me! (Principle Is Expensive, and Lawsuits Based on Principle Are Even More Expensive)

February 10, 2026 — Melissa Dewey Brumback - Construction Law in North Carolina
I spend a lot of time trying to convince my clients to NOT hire me. I’m not crazy—let me explain. Litigation is costly. Very costly. And it is time consuming. Don’t get me wrong—I will go to Court and fight just as hard as you want me to, but I want you to know what you are facing before you go down that road. Now, obviously, if you are the one that is being sued, you have no choice but to defend yourself and your Firm. But if you are considering suing someone else, think long and hard about it before you pull the trigger. There are ways to reduce cost, time, and risk: for example, pre-suit or early mediation, or agreeing to arbitration in lieu of trial. But I always want my clients to know that real law is not like Law & Order. Things take time. A trial is often a year or more away from when you first file the lawsuit. Make your decisions on not just your heart, but your economic brain as well. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Melissa Dewey Brumback, Ragsdale Liggett PLLC
Ms. Brumback may be contacted at mbrumback@rl-law.com

Buffalo, NY Stadium Work Resumes After Suspects ID'ed in $150K Graffiti Vandalism

March 17, 2026 — Emell D. Adolphus - Engineering News-Record
Construction work is back on track at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., after police identifed, but did not arrest two suspects in connection with $150,000 in property damage that paused work for nearly one week at the $2.1 billion stadium project, said the Gilbane Building Cos. and Turner Construction joint venture building it for the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Emell D. Adolphus, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Adolphus may be contacted at adolphuse@enr.com

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (4/1/26) – President Trump’s EO Affects Federal Funding, Fannie Mae Accepts Crypto-Backed Mortgages, Private Sector Construction Weakness Offsets Public Sector Gains

April 08, 2026 — Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
In our latest roundup, California to pursue office-to-housing conversions, hoteliers to increase investment in artificial intelligence, private credit exodus to boost commercial real estate capital, and more!

President Donald Trump’s executive order to remove regulatory barriers to affordable home construction could affect federal funding for cities and states that don’t follow what the order calls “regulatory best practices,” including faster permitting, fewer green building mandates and relaxed limits on exurban development. (Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Multifamily Dive)
California state policymakers have been pursuing policy changes that remove barriers to converting older commercial buildings into housing. (Keith Loria, Construction Dive)
Private sector weakness largely offset modest gains in public construction spending, despite data center gains. (Sebastian Obando, Construction Dive)

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team

Construction’s AI Moment — Why Contractors Are Increasingly Optimistic

December 30, 2025 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
A new industry research report from Dodge Construction Network in partnership with CMiC reveals a striking level of optimism among contractors about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in construction. According to the survey, 87% of contractors believe AI will meaningfully transform their businesses, even though current adoption remains relatively low. This optimism reflects a growing recognition that AI isn’t just a buzzword, but a set of capabilities beginning to deliver tangible operational value across the built environment. Evolving roles One of the most interesting shifts the report highlights is how contractors envision their own roles evolving. Instead of being bogged down in repetitive administrative tasks, project teams expect AI to enable them to work more strategically, focusing on predictive insights rather than reactive fire-fighting. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

Microscopic Soot, Major Win: Policyholder Coverage Expands

January 06, 2026 — Scott P. DeVries & Natalie Reed - Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog
In a recent opinion, the 8th Circuit rejected an insurer’s attempt to expand insurer victories in a COVID-19 context to other more traditional claims of property damage. Reaffirming long standing principles, the court held soot and water damage associated with a fire constituted “direct physical loss or damage” under a commercial property insurance policy. The policyholder, Maxus Metropolitan, sued their insurer, Travelers, which had refused to reimburse Maxus for remediation costs associated with a fire at their building. The dispute arose after one of six buildings in a complex owned by Maxus caught fire. Travelers covered part of the damage for the building that caught fire. However, seven months after the fire, Maxus learned of soot and water damage throughout the other five buildings, some of which were under construction and some that had residents. The commercial property policy Travelers issued to Maxus covered up to $35 million in “direct physical loss…or damage.” Travelers refused to reimburse for the remediation and in response Maxus sued Travelers for breach of contract and vexatious refusal to pay in Missouri. Reprinted courtesy of Scott P. DeVries, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and Natalie Reed, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP Mr. DeVries may be contacted at sdevries@hunton.com Ms. Reed may be contacted at nreed@hunton.com Read the full story...

Meet BWB&O’s Super Lawyers Rising Stars in Colorado!

April 08, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP
Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP is thrilled to share that Partner Devin Brunson and Associate Melissa Youngpeter have been named to the Super Lawyers 2026 Colorado Rising Stars list. This recognition reflects their exceptional work in Personal Injury and Civil Litigation.

SUPER LAWYERS RISING STARS

Devin Brunson: 2024-2026

Melissa Youngpeter: 2026

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP

WESTMORELAND COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES