BENNINGTON COUNTY VERMONT CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Tracy Cowan Honored as “Icon” in Missouri Lawyers Media’s First-Ever “Illinois Legal Leaders” Awards

September 15, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
St. Louis Managing Partner Tracy Cowan has been named an “Icon” by Missouri Lawyers Media in its inaugural “Illinois Legal Leaders” awards program. Mr. Cowan was among 14 people who earned “Icon” status in the awards program. This category honors “senior leaders with 30 years or more of legal practice” and is one of three groups recognized. The other two include “Up & Coming Lawyers,” for attorneys with 10 or fewer years in legal practice, and “Leaders in the Law,” which recognizes members of the bar who have significantly contributed to the practice of law in the state, the local legal community, and the broader community. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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AI Data Centers Become City-Scale Infrastructure, Prompting New Industry Playbook

August 11, 2026 — Bryan Gottlieb - Engineering News-Record
AI data centers are no longer just buildings. They are increasingly reaching power-demand levels more commonly associated with municipalities, prompting industry groups to launch a new framework they say is needed to keep pace with rapidly changing power, cooling and reliability requirements. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bryan Gottlieb, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Gottlieb may be contacted at gottliebb@enr.com

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The GKN Aerospace Chemical Release and the Laws Designed to Address It

July 06, 2026 — Sean M. Sherlock - Snell & Wilmer
On May 21, 2026, a 34,000-gallon storage tank at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, California began leaking methyl methacrylate (MMA), a volatile and highly flammable industrial chemical used to manufacture high-strength acrylic plastics. GKN Aerospace makes advanced military and commercial transparencies, such as aircraft canopies, windshields, cabin windows, bullet-resistant glass, and spacecraft windows. In polymer chemistry lingo, MMA is known as a monomer. Monomers are like individual links to a chain. Under the right conditions they link up (react) with each other to form long-chained polymers, or plastics. MMA is an unstable monomer that requires controlled storage conditions to avoid setting off a polymerization (chain) reaction. According to early reports, the MMA tank at GKN Aerospace overheated. The cause of the overheating is not yet clear, but the overheating may have created conditions enabling the MMA to initiate polymerization, which in turn generated heat, which in turn generated pressure, activating the tank’s pressure-relief system and releasing MMA vapor into the atmosphere. Concerns about a runaway reaction, massive release, and explosion led the Orange County Fire Authority to order evacuation of approximately 40,000 residents and closure of thirteen schools. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Sean M. Sherlock, Snell & Wilmer
Mr. Sherlock may be contacted at ssherlock@swlaw.com

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Did You Know: Unique Legal Considerations for Animal Care Facilities

August 24, 2026 — Hannah Skidmore - Construction Executive
Animal care facilities are highly specialized environments that require expertise far beyond traditional commercial or even standard medical construction. Whether designing and building animal shelters, doggy daycares, veterinary clinics or full-service animal hospitals, these facilities operate under conditions that introduce unique challenges related to sanitation, durability, animal behavior and operational workflows. Because of these complexities, projects that fail to account for animal care requirements adequately often encounter costly issues—many of which result in litigation. Below are real-world examples drawn from expert witness work, followed by proactive best practices construction professionals should apply to future animal care projects. Reprinted courtesy of Hannah Skidmore, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

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Citadel’s Miami HQ Construction on Hold After Accident, Report Says

October 12, 2026 — Giulia Morpurgo – Bloomberg
Construction work on Citadel’s new headquarters in Miami has been paused following an accident on the site last week, the Wall Street Journal reported. The collapse of a rig on Monday prompted county authorities to issue a stop-work order pending an investigation, according to the newspaper, which cited a local building official. It’s unclear how long the stoppage will last or what caused the accident, the WSJ wrote on Sunday, adding that such probes can take up to six months. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Giulia Morpurgo, Bloomberg

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Drilling Rig Topples at Citadel Miami Headquarters Site, Injuring Four

October 12, 2026 — Bryan Gottlieb - Engineering News-Record
An 85-ft drilling rig working at the site of Citadel's planned global headquarters in Miami toppled into Brickell Bay Drive Sept. 14, striking vehicles and a construction container, sending three workers and a motorist to hospitals. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bryan Gottlieb, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Gottlieb may be contacted at gottliebb@enr.com

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Michael C. Zisa and Phillip Boldt Co-Author D.C. Chapter of “50-State Guide to Electronic Execution of the General Agreement of Indemnity”

October 06, 2026 — Michael C. Zisa & Phillip Boldt - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Michael C. Zisa, Co-Managing Partner of P&A’s Washington, D.C. office, Chair of the Surety and Construction Related Insurance Defense practice, and Co-Chair of the Crisis Management team, and Phillip Boldt, an Associate in P&A’s Washington, D.C. office, have co-authored the District of Columbia chapter of the American Bar Association (ABA) Fidelity and Surety Law Committee and The Surety & Fidelity Association of America’s (SFAA), “50-State Guide to Electronic Execution of the General Agreement of Indemnity.” Reprinted courtesy of Michael C. Zisa, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Phillip Boldt, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Mr. Zisa may be contacted at mzisa@pecklaw.com Mr. Boldt may be contacted at pboldt@pecklaw.com Read the full story...

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Finds Coverage Under Ensuing Loss Provisions

September 29, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
Reversing the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to the insurer, the Wisconsin Supreme Court determined that genuine issues of material fact existed on whether ensuing losses as defined in the policy were covered. Cincinnati Ins. Co. v. Ropicky, 2026 Wisc. LEXIS 302 (Wis. July 7, 2026). The insured suffered damage during a storm on May 11, 2018, when rainwater poured into the home. The insureds gave notice to their insurer, Cincinnati. Upon inspection, Cincinnati determined that water intrusion resulted from multiple construction defects in the home. In the front of the home, water entered through a gap in the stone veneer. The inspector also concluded that the damage from rainwater was not just from the May 11, 2018, storm, but damage had occurred from prior storm events. 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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