SDV Celebrates 30th Anniversary Press Release
April 08, 2026 —
Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.Trumbull, Connecticut – Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. (SDV) is proud to announce the celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Founded in 1996 by three attorneys in a small New Haven, Connecticut office, SDV was built on a clear and focused mission: representing policyholders in insurance coverage matters. Three decades later, that commitment remains at the core of the firm’s identity and has been instrumental in its continued success and reputation nationwide.
Today, SDV is a nationally recognized boutique firm with 50 attorneys serving policyholders across the United States. Building on its longstanding reputation for excellence and client advocacy, the firm is pleased to announce the opening of its newest office in Massachusetts—an exciting milestone that reflects SDV’s continued growth. The new office is led by Managing Partner Anna Perry.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
Colorado Legislature Considers Series of Bills Aimed at Boosting Affordable Housing Construction in Colorado — What Homebuilders Need to Know
April 08, 2026 —
Amanda E. McKinlay - Snell & WilmerOn January 21, 2026, lawmakers introduced a series of bills with the goals of addressing affordable housing issues and incentivizing construction in Colorado.
House Bill 26-1001 (known as the “Housing Opportunities Made Easier ‘HOME’ Act”) concerns the promotion for residential developments on “qualifying properties” that do not contain exempt parcels through the bypassing of often time-consuming local planning processes. Under HB26-1001, a “qualifying property is any real property that contains no more than five acres of land and is owned by: (i) a nonprofit organization with a demonstrated history of providing affordable housing; (ii) a nonprofit organization that provides public transit; (iii) a nonprofit organization that has entered into an agreement with another nonprofit organization with a demonstrated history of providing affordable housing, provided that the agreement requires the nonprofit organization with a demonstrated history of providing affordable housing to develop a residential development on the property; (iv) a school district; (v) a state college or university; (vi) a housing authority; or (vii) a local or regional transit district or a regional transportation authority serving one or more counties.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Amanda E. McKinlay, Snell & WilmerMs. McKinlay may be contacted at
amckinlay@swlaw.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 CarolinaI 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 PLLCMs. Brumback may be contacted at
mbrumback@rl-law.com
How to Properly Fill Out and Use the Conditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment Form Used in California Construction
December 30, 2025 —
William L. Porter - Porter Law GroupThis is the third article in a series of four articles discussing how to properly fill out the four California construction releases described in California Civil Code 8132 – 8138.
Let me start by noting that in addition to practicing construction law for more than 35 years, I chaired the committee of California construction attorneys who revised those sections of the California Civil Code dealing with this release form and many other construction forms as part of Senate Bill 189 in 2010. I also wrote the first version of this release form and made it free to the public well before the new law took effect in 2012. With this background, let me note a few things about the Conditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment form to help you avoid mistakes that might prevent you from achieving the intended effect of the form or releasing claim rights to a greater extent than you intend.
At the end of this article is a copy of the form itself which includes numbers coinciding with the instructions I will give below. A live electronically fillable version of the form is available on our firm’s website (www.porterlaw.com) under the “Forms” section. It is free and you can fill it out on your screen before printing it out and signing it.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
William L. Porter, Porter Law GroupMr. Porter may be contacted at
bporter@porterlaw.com
Midwest Team Secures Resolution of Matter for Homeowners’ Association Client, Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees
February 10, 2026 —
Lewis Brisbois NewsroomKansas City/Wichita Partner Alan L. Rupe and Kansas City Associate Delaney McCoy recently achieved a victory on behalf of their client, a homeowners’ association that was sued after denying a solar panel application. The plaintiff homeowners challenged the association’s decision in court, and after extensive—and costly—litigation, the court ultimately determined that the dispute was not yet ripe for judicial review.
With that threshold issue resolved, the parties were able to work collaboratively to address the solar panel matter itself. But one significant question remained: whether the association was entitled to recover its legal fees under the declaration, despite the American Rule, which generally requires each party to bear its own costs. The client felt understandably taken advantage of because this issue could—and should—have been resolved without litigation. Considerable time and resources were diverted from the community for the advantage of a single household, so the Lewis Brisbois team continued to advocate for the association’s contractual right to recover fees. After oral argument, the Court agreed, enforcing the fee‑shifting provisions in the governing documents and ruling in favor of the homeowners’ association.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Lewis Brisbois
Time to Negotiate Limitation on Remedies and Damages Is on the Front End
February 10, 2026 —
David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal UpdatesRemember, when it comes to contracts, the time to negotiate and enter into mutually agreed upon bargains is on the front end. And, if the contract is not negotiable, at least you know that and can make the business decision whether you want to accept the bargains and risks. If you don’t, well, you can walk away. Move onto another deal. If you do, then you make the business decision as to the bargains or risk transfers and accept them moving forward. One of those bargains and risks deals with a limitation on damages and remedies.
In a recent dispute dealing with the sale of an aircraft, there was a provision dealing with the buyer and seller’s remedies in the event of a breach. (Similar to a real estate transaction or other buyer-seller scenario.) “Contract section 10.4(a) stated that if the buyer defaulted, the seller’s “exclusive remedies” were to keep the aircraft and the buyer’s deposit. Section 10.4(b) stated that if the seller defaulted by “fail[ing] to deliver the [aircraft] in accordance with the terms of [the contract],” the buyer’s “sole remedies” were the seller’s reimbursement of the buyer’s inspection costs.” Sky Aviation Holdings, LLC v. Aviation Unlimited, 50 Fla.L.Weekly D2658c (Fla. 4th DCA 2025). As you can see, there was a limitation on the seller’s damages.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
David Adelstein, Kirwin NorrisMr. Adelstein may be contacted at
dma@kirwinnorris.com
FERC’s New Order on Data Center Co-Location: What Utilities Need to Know
January 26, 2026 —
Stephen J. Humes - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law BlogOn December 18, 2025, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a pivotal order to PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest regional wholesale power grid operator running the transmission system in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Order intends to help reshape how large loads—especially data centers—connect to the grid in the face of massive load growth from artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscalers.
At FERC’s monthly open meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved the Order, finding that PJM’s existing tariff does not adequately address the issue of co-locating large loads with data centers and electric generation. The Order was issued in FERC Docket Nos. EL24-49-000 et al., can be found at
this link.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Stephen J. Humes, PillsburyMr. Humes may be contacted at
stephen.humes@pillsburylaw.com
The Dominguez Case and Deed Fraud: Who Criminals Target and How to Protect Yourself Against Fraud
November 04, 2025 —
Lauren P. Merdinger, Ryan D. Konsdorf, Jordin Pettit & Alison Tobin - Snell & WilmerArizonans should be aware of a recent decision from the Arizona Supreme Court that increases consequences for unsuspecting victims of deed fraud. Deeds are official documents that memorialize the owner of real property. When real property is bought, inherited, or otherwise conveyed, the deed is transferred to the new owner, who formally records the document with the county in which the real property exists to signify a change in ownership. However, scammers can create fraudulent deeds by forging landowner’s signatures, purporting to transfer the real property without the rightful owner’s consent. The Arizona Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Dominguez will impact victims of deed fraud moving forward, as it holds that if certain conditions are met, a recorded fraudulent deed can strip landowners of their property rights.
1
The Case
In Estate of Magdalena Rios De Dominguez v. Renee Kay Dominguez, the Arizona Supreme Court was asked to address a family dispute over an unoccupied piece of real property in Maricopa County.
2 In 1995, Magdalena and Isidro Dominguez acquired the property in question. After the couple divorced in 1998, their son Jose and his wife Renee recorded a deed in 2003 purporting to convey the property to themselves, and Jose and Renee began paying the taxes on the property from thereon. In 2020, Magdalena discovered the 2003 recorded deed and claiming it was forged, filed a “quiet title” suit asking the Court to declare her the rightful owner of the property.
Reprinted courtesy of
Lauren P. Merdinger, Snell & Wilmer,
Ryan D. Konsdorf, Snell & Wilmer and
Jordin Pettit, Snell & Wilmer
Ms. Merdinger may be contacted at lmerdinger@swlaw.com
Mr. Konsdorf may be contacted at rkonsdorf@swlaw.com
Ms. Pettit may be contacted at jpettit@swlaw.com
Read the full story...
