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DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

GRSM Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027

August 24, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani is pleased to announce that 183 of its attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027 Edition, six of whom received “Lawyer of the Year” recognitions. Additionally, 49 GRSM attorneys were recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2027. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on peer-review evaluations. For the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, results were determined using millions of confidential attorney evaluations. Ones to Watch adopts the same peer-review methodology. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Hunton’s Jae Lynn Huckaba Selected to Miami-Dade Bar’s 2026 Circle of Excellence for Insurance Law

October 26, 2026 — Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog
Congratulations to Hunton insurance coverage associate Jae Lynn (JL) Huckaba for being selected to the Miami-Dade Bar’s 2026 Circle of Excellence for Insurance Law. Now in its fifth year, the Miami-Dade Bar’s Circle of Excellence Awards recognize attorneys who exemplify the highest standards of skill, integrity, and professionalism across the county. Honorees are chosen by a panel of past Circle of Excellence recipients following a rigorous two-month review that incorporates input from the public, Bar members, and committee leadership. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

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DOI Finalizes Long-Awaited Modernization of Type A Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations

August 03, 2026 — Amanda G. Halter, Ashleigh K. Myers & Jillian Marullo - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
For nearly three decades, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) simplified “Type A” Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations were available more in theory than in practice, constrained by dated models, narrow geographic applicability and a $100,000 cap that rarely matched the economics of modern environmental claims. DOI has now finalized revisions to the Type A natural resource damages assessment procedures under 43 C.F.R. Part 11 for hazardous substance releases under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), with the final rule published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2026 and scheduled to become effective August 12, 2026. As discussed previously, DOI has sought to modernize what it views as an “inefficient and inflexible” process and restore the Type A procedure to its intended role as a more streamlined pathway for smaller, less contentious NRD claims. The final rule adopts a $5 million default damages threshold, allows use above that amount if all parties agree, clarifies that Type A may be used in all environments and for all natural resource types, and removes legacy model appendices that had tethered the process to outdated formulas. Reprinted courtesy of Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury, Ashleigh K. Myers, Pillsbury and Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury Ms. Halter may be contacted at amanda.halter@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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Not All Warranty E-Mails Are Notices of Claim

October 20, 2026 — David McLain - Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
There is a frustrating tendency in some Colorado construction defect litigation to treat virtually any written complaint about construction work as a statutory notice of claim under the Construction Defect Action Reform Act (“CDARA”). An e-mail complaining about cracked concrete. A request for warranty service. A message asking a builder to come inspect a leaking window. Years later, when the homeowner faces a statute-of-limitations defense, these routine communications are suddenly characterized as statutory notices of claim, with the convenient consequence that an otherwise untimely lawsuit becomes timely. Enough is enough. A warranty complaint is not a statutory notice of claim simply because a homeowner complains about construction. Courts and arbitrators should stop treating the two as interchangeable. 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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GRSM Team Obtains Defense Verdict for Homeowners’ Association in Orange County Superior Court

July 20, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
A Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani multi-state team, including Partners Christine Barker, Sean Ferron, and Keith Cramer, obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a homeowners’ association (HOA) in an Orange County Superior Court bench trial spanning two months. The case began in 2022 when a homeowner sued after the Architectural Review Committee and HOA Board of Directors declined his teardown-and-rebuild plans due to view and aesthetic concerns. After a motion for summary judgment ruling in which the court found that the existing covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) did not protect views, the HOA held a special election to add explicit view protections to the CC&Rs. At the February 2025 trial call, the plaintiff sought leave to file a third amended complaint challenging the validity of that vote, drastically reframing the case from CC&R enforcement to one of election validity. A second plaintiff then filed a parallel action toward the end of the limitations period, and the two cases were consolidated. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Nicole Whyte is the Newly Elected Secretary of the Orange County Bar Association

September 28, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP
“I am deeply honored to serve as Secretary of the Orange County Bar Association. To everyone who supported me, endorsed me, encouraged me, shared my message, and cast a ballot, thank you. I am profoundly grateful for your trust and confidence. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am ready to get to work.” – Nicole Whyte Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP

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New Florida Law Adds Licensing Risk to Contractor/Subcontractor Payment Disputes

September 29, 2026 — Brett J. Moritz & Ali Heyat - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Effective July 1, 2026, Florida’s newly enacted Section 489.1295 of the Florida Statutes, titled “Prohibition Against Nonpayment,” requires licensed contractors to timely compensate subcontractors and suppliers for labor, services, or materials. Enacted as part of Senate Bill 290 (Ch. 2026-3, Laws of Fla.), the statute adds a new basis for instituting disciplinary proceedings against a contractor’s license if a payment is knowingly or willfully withheld. While this is not a sweeping overhaul of Florida construction payment laws by any means, contractors should be aware that nonpayment disputes with subcontractors and suppliers may carry potential licensing consequences. Reprinted courtesy of Brett J. Moritz, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Ali Heyat, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Moritz may be contacted at bmoritz@pecklaw.com Mr. Heyat may be contacted at aheyat@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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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

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