NEEDVILLE TEXAS CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

PSA: Be Sure to Document (Even When Time is Short)

April 14, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
Written change orders are a big deal. Almost all construction contracts (at least the well drafted ones) require written contracts. Written change orders are even important enough that Virginia law requires these provisions in residential construction contracts. Why are they so important? Because they are a “mini-contract” of sorts. They set the expectations, price, time, and work to be performed; work that was not included in the original price or scope for the project. Without this in writing, there will be no record of what the parties agreed to do. Does this sound familiar? Sound like its own contract? It should. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

---

Anomaly in Adding a Third-Party Claimant to a Liability Insurance Coverage Dispute

May 05, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
In an insurance coverage lawsuit seeking declaratory relief, an insurer sued the third-party claimant. The insurer was seeking a declaration that there was no coverage, which naturally would impact the third-party claimant. The insured did not respond to the lawsuit and the insurer moved for a default judgment which was objected to by the third-party claimant. The trial court granted a final judgment in favor of the insurer, which prompted an appeal from the third-party claimant because the final judgment impacts its rights to coverage if it obtains a judgment against the insured. The appellate court reversed but please take a look at this Court’s discussion on the issue of an insurer adding a third-party claimant to a coverage lawsuit when then the third-party cannot pursue a direct claim against the insurer until it obtains a settlement or judgment against the insured. It presents an interesting argument and counter-point for a third-party claimant that is added to the coverage lawsuit which has implications if it obtains a judgment against the insured: This case involves an apparent anomaly in Florida law. It is well-established that third-party claimants injured by an insured’s negligence have a right as third-party beneficiaries to payment from the insured’s insurance proceeds. It is equally well-established that the third-party claimants’ rights in this regard do not accrue unless and until they obtain a verdict or settlement against the insured. A quick review of this law is helpful at this point. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

---

High-Rise Design and Construction: Then, Now, and Next

March 16, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
The Empire State Building was built in 14 months. Since 2010, the average completion time for a 200-meter-plus building has increased from 4.3 to 5.8 years. Buildings have become more complex, and there's more regulation than in the 1930s. Still, there are ways to make high-rise construction more efficient. An Unlikely Benchmark From 1930 When construction began on the Empire State Building on March 17, 1930, the world was in the midst of the Great Depression. That turned out to be an advantage. Contractors Starrett Brothers & Eken had access to a vast, motivated workforce, peaking at 3,439 workers on a single day in August 1930. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

---

Over 50 Lewis Brisbois Attorneys Recognized in 7th Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America

September 01, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
56 Lewis Brisbois attorneys across 26 offices have been named to the 7th edition of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.” Congratulations to the following attorneys on this recognition! You can see the full list of Lewis Brisbois attorneys named to Best Lawyers' 33rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America here. Akron, OH

• Partner Meleah M. Skillern - Commercial Litigation

Atlanta, GA

• Partner Catherine Crawley - Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; and Transportation Law
• Associate Davis Lackey - Insurance Law; and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

---

A Win for Clarity: What a Recent Federal Court Decision Means for Davis-Bacon Compliance

July 13, 2026 — Stephen E. Irving - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Following the Department of Labor’s 2023 Davis-Bacon rule changes, federal construction contractors faced a pressing question: not whether paying prevailing wages is required, but how far those obligations could extend. Could they reach off-site material suppliers? Delivery drivers? Contracts that omitted Davis-Bacon clauses entirely? A recent federal court decision in AGC of America v. US Department of Labor answers these questions in important ways, vacating several disputed provisions and giving contractors greater certainty when pricing, bidding, and administering federal construction projects. The ruling addresses three aspects of the 2023 regulations that sought to extend Davis-Bacon obligations beyond their traditional scope. By vacating those provisions, the decision creates a more predictable compliance environment and reinforces an important principle: Davis-Bacon enforcement works best when contractors, workers, and regulators operate under clear, objective rules. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Stephen E. Irving, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Mr. Irving may be contacted at sirving@pecklaw.com

---

Construction Companies Are Nearly Seven Times Safer With These Best Practices

June 15, 2026 — ABC - Construction Executive
WASHINGTON, May 4—Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report, an annual guide to health and safety best practices on construction jobsites. The 2026 report shows the positive effects of participating in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System, which enables top-performing ABC members to achieve incident rates 686% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction industry average, reducing total recordable incident rates by 85%. Established in 1989, STEP is a proven system that provides contractors and suppliers with a robust, no-cost framework for measuring health and safety data and benchmarking with peers in the industry. This self-assessment tool helps participants identify real opportunities for scalable growth in their health and safety programs to lower their total recordable incident rates and become an employer of choice in a competitive labor market. Reprinted courtesy of ABC, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

---

Document Everything! Always! No Exceptions! (AKA, Help Your Lawyer Help You!)

April 14, 2026 — Melissa Dewey Brumback - Construction Law in North Carolina
I had a case last year in which once again I found myself thinking: if only my client had better documented the verbal agreements, we would have had a much easier time defending his work. I know this is often easier said than done— you are in the middle of building a project, and you get a call, and you need to keep the project moving. No time for written change directives or a special bulletin. And yet—it is simply amazing to me the number of people who develop “litigation amnesia” about things when a lawsuit is involved. Your documentation system does not need to be perfect. You can use a simple Field notebook and handwritten notations. A text memo to yourself or, better yet, an email confirmation to the owner/contractor/whoever. Read the full story.
Wow! A Mechanic’s Lien Bill That Helps Subcontractors and Suppliers

Appeals Court Finds Manuscript Additional Insured Endorsements Ambiguous Regarding Completed Operations Coverage for Additional Insured

Will The New U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal Calm Industry Jitters?

Sustainable, Versatile and Resilient: How Mass Timber Construction Can Shake Up the Building Industry

A Funny Thing Happened to My Ground Lease in Bankruptcy Court

Vacant Building Negates Coverage for Broken Pipe

A Third of U.S. Homebuyers Are Bidding Sight Unseen

Ambush Elections are Here—Are You Ready?

Is an Initial Decision Maker, Project Neutral, or Dispute Resolution Board Right for You?

Flood-Threat Assessment Finds Danger Goes Far Beyond U.S. Homes

Construction Law Client Alert: California Is One Step Closer to Prohibiting Type I Indemnity Agreements In Private Commercial Projects

Hunton Insurance Lawyer, Jae Lynn Huckaba, Awarded Miami-Dade Bar Association Young Lawyer Section’s Rookie of the Year Award2024 Construction Law Update

Texas City Pulls Plug on Fossil Fuels With Shift to Solar

How U.S. Design and Architecture Firms Can Profit from the Chinese Market and Avoid Pitfalls

Know and Meet Your Notice Requirements or Lose Your Payment Bond Claims

Spain Risks €10.6 Billion Flood Damage Bill, Sanchez Says

Coverage for Construction Defect Barred by Contractual-Liability Exclusion

Skanska Will Work With Florida on Barge-Caused Damage to Pensacola Bay Bridge

Drones, Googleplexes and Hyperloops

Don’t Spoil Me: Oklahoma District Court Rules Against Spoliation Sanctions

Is Solar the Next Focus of Construction Defect Suits?

DOE Abruptly Cancels $13B Cleanup Award to BWXT-Fluor Team

Quick Note: Submitting Civil Remedy Notice

Alarm Cries Wolf in California Case Involving Privette Doctrine

SB800 CONFIRMED AS EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR CONSTRUCTION DEFECT CLAIMS

No Signature? Potentially No Problem for Sureties Enforcing a Bond’s Forum Selection Clause

Toll Brothers to Acquire Shapell for $1.6 Billion

Existing U.S. Home Sales Rise to Second-Highest Since 2007

Guardrail Maker Defrauded U.S. of $175 Million and Created Hazard, Jury Says

Illinois Court of Appeals Addresses What It Means to “Reside” in Property for Purposes of Coverage

Bribe Charges Take Toll on NY Contractor

Tutor Perini Damages Trial Is Set Over Costly Philadelphia Hotel Floor Slab Problems

Owner’s Slander of Title Claim Against Contractor Recording Four Separate Mechanics Liens Fails Under the Anti-SLAPP Statute

NYC Landlord Accused of Skirting Law With Rent-Free Months Offer

What Made the Savannah Harbor Upgrade So Complicated?

2026 Southern California Super Lawyers Recognizes 14 Snell & Wilmer Attorneys

BWBO Celebrating Attorney Award and Two New Partners

UCF Sues Architects and Contractors Over Stadium Construction Defects

Good Signs for Housing Market in 2013

Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Kept Climbing in January

Am I Still Covered Under the Title Insurance Policy?

No One to Go After for Construction Defects at Animal Shelter

Touchdown! – The Construction Industry’s Winning Audible to the COVID Blitz

Navigating Wind and Solar Development Opportunities on State and Private Lands During Uncertain Times for Renewable Energy

Reservation of Rights Letter Merely Citing Policy Provisions Inadequate

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks: The Spearin Doctrine and Design-Build Projects

When is Construction Put to Its “Intended Use”?

Florida Adopts Less Stringent Summary Judgment Standard

UPDATED: No Easy Fix for Potomac River Sewage Spill, Now Estimated at $20M

Equitable Lien Designed to Prevent Unjust Enrichment

Smart Home Products go Mainstream as Consumer Demand Increases

A New Vision for Safety: Construction Safety Week’s Five-Year Plan

Edison Utility Accused of Igniting LA Fire in Lawsuits

Civil Megaprojects: The Evolving Use of Dispute Prevention and Collaborative Delivery Methods in Public Contracting

Construction Problems May Delay Bay Bridge

Construction is the Fastest Growing Industry in California

Impaired Property Exclusion Bars Coverage When Loose Bolt Interferes with MRI Unit Operation

The Prompt Payment Rollercoaster

Coverage for Named Windstorm Removed by Insured, Terminating Such Coverage

Court Calls Lease-Leaseback Project What it is: A Design-Bid-Build Project

Pass-Through Subcontractor Claims, Liquidating Agreements, and Avoiding a Two-Front War
r />2018 Update to EPA’s “Superfund Task Force Report”

TxDOT: Flatiron/Dragados Faces Default Over Bridge Design Issues

From Singapore to Rio Green Buildings Keep Tropical Tenants Cool

Mediating Contract Claims and Disputes at the ASBCA

How Wildfires Upended California’s Insurance Market

Is Your Website Accessible And Are You Liable If It Isn't?

HHMR is pleased to announce that David McLain has been selected as a 2020 Super Lawyer

Kiewit Hired as EPC for Fire-Damaged Freeport Gas Terminal Fix

In Review: SCOTUS Environmental and Administrative Decisions in the 2020 Term

Illinois Court Addresses Level of Evidence Necessary to Prevent Summary Judgment in Hail Damage Claim

Don't Count On a Housing Slowdown to Improve Affordability