Five Snell & Wilmer Partners Named to Utah Business’ 2026 Legal Elite
September 29, 2026 —
Snell & WilmerSALT LAKE CITY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that five partners have been named to Utah Business’ 2026 “Legal Elite.” The annual recognition honors leading Utah attorneys who are making a meaningful impact in their respective areas of practice. Honorees are peer-nominated and selected by a panel of experienced legal and law enforcement professionals based on their legal knowledge, commitment to ethical standards, and professional achievements.
Wade R. Budge is a land use and real estate lawyer with significant experience advising developers and owners in all aspects of real estate development. He has negotiated entitlements for master planned communities, industrials projects, retail centers, office buildings, subdivisions, and mountain resorts throughout Utah. He also regularly represents clients in the use, acquisition, and disposition of real estate projects throughout the Western United States. Budge has advised developers in obtaining public incentives and using public finance tools, including tax increment financing, to facilitate new and redevelopment projects, and regularly advises clients with government relations matters involving state and local governments. Budge has negotiated public-private partnerships with dozens of local governments and with every one of the state’s development agencies, including the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, the Military Installation Development Authority, and the Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District.
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Snell & Wilmer
4th Department Narrowly Interprets Professional Services
August 11, 2026 —
Craig Rokuson - Traub LiebermanIn the recent case of Cty. of Erie v. Selective Ins. Co. of Am., 2026 NY Slip Op 04092 (App. Div. 4th Dept.), New York’s Appellate Division, Fourth Department held that a general liability carrier for a construction manager owed additional insured coverage to the County of Erie, notwithstanding an exclusion in the construction manager’s policy for injuries arising out of professional services.
The underlying case involved injuries sustained when the underlying plaintiff fell off of her bicycle at a park owned by the County when she transitioned from the pavement edge to grass.
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Craig Rokuson, Traub LiebermanMr. Rokuson may be contacted at
crokuson@tlsslaw.com
Achieving Sustainability Through Design Build Delivery: Part II – A Framework for Managing Sustainability Objectives on Private Commercial Construction
October 06, 2026 —
Jennifer Harris, Tiffany Harrod & Joshua Pruett - ConsensusDocsPart I of this series traced the history and development of sustainability in construction and explained why design-build (“DB”) contracting is particularly well suited to achieve sustainability objectives. But selecting DB contracting does not by itself ensure a sustainable outcome. The parties must define their sustainability objectives with precision, establish measurable performance criteria and identify who will measure compliance with the criteria, and also draft contract terms that clearly and fairly allocate the associated responsibilities and risks. Otherwise, the completed project may fall short of its sustainability objectives and expose the parties to claims, disputes, and litigation. Part II offers a non-exhaustive list of practical guidance for addressing these issues and reducing those risks.
This article references the ConsensusDocs 310 Green Building Addendum, in conjunction with an agreement between the Owner and the Design-Builder (e.g., ConsensusDocs 415)
[1],
[2] and AIA Document E204–2017 Sustainable Projects Exhibit,
[3] together with AIA A141,
[4] as its contractual baseline. The five-part framework that follows is a roadmap for allocating sustainability risk between private owners and design-builders: define the requirements, identify hidden performance guarantees, map out the sustainable objective, address third-party certification risk, and track performance against agreed benchmarks.
Reprinted courtesy of
Jennifer Harris, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.,
Tiffany Harrod, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and
Joshua Pruett, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Ms. Harris may be contacted at jharris@pecklaw.com
Ms. Harrod may be contacted at tharrod@pecklaw.com
Mr. Pruett may be contacted at jpruett@pecklaw.com
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Texas Adopts New Procedural Rules for Summary Judgment Motions: What You Need To Know
July 13, 2026 —
Conor G. Bateman & Marsha Cotton - Snell & WilmerOn March 1, 2026, sweeping amendments to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a took effect, fundamentally changing how Texas courts handle summary judgment motions — from filing and briefing through disposition. Whether representing a plaintiff or defendant, Texas litigants and attorneys must understand these new rules and their impact on case strategy and timelines. These procedural changes carry particular significance for construction litigants.
Background: The Prior Rule
Texas summary judgment practice has long diverged from the federal model. The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure recognize two types of summary judgment motions: (1) the traditional motion for summary judgment, and (2) the “no-evidence” motion for summary judgment. The no-evidence motion — unique to Texas — may be filed only after adequate time for discovery has passed. No bright-line rule governs that determination; it depends on the unique circumstances of each case.
Reprinted courtesy of
Conor G. Bateman, Snell & Wilmer and
Marsha Cotton, Snell & Wilmer
Mr. Bateman may be contacted at cbateman@swlaw.com
Ms. Cotton may be contacted at mcotton@swlaw.com
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EPA, Maryland Sue DC Water Over Massive Potomac River Sewage Spill
May 14, 2026 —
Jim Parsons - Engineering News-RecordThe state of Maryland and the federal government have filed separate lawsuits against the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water), both alleging that the agency’s failure to address longstanding deterioration in the Potomac Interceptor contributed to a
weeklong release of more than 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River this past January.
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Jim Parsons, Engineering News-RecordENR may be contacted at
enr@enr.com
Chambers USA Recognizes GRSM as 2026 Industry Leader
June 29, 2026 —
Gordon Rees Scully MansukhaniGordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has once again been recognized by Chambers USA, a prestigious directory of the country’s top law firms. In addition to the firm’s practice recognitions, eight partners, David Capell, Nancy Erfle, Matthew Foy, Ashlee Grant, Craig Heryford, Andrew Port, Todd Regan, and Angela Richie, were recognized among the nation’s top lawyers in their respective fields.
Chambers USA recognized the firm in the following eight categories:
USA – Nationwide – Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer, Band 4
The firm is widely sought after by national insurance sector clients facing a wide array of coverage disputes as well as bad faith claims. The firm has additional capabilities in class actions and appellate litigation. Its broad base of experience includes professional liability, construction, and bankruptcy-related issues. This is the third year the firm has received this recognition.
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Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Arbitration in Construction Disputes: Process and Best Practices
July 27, 2026 —
Construction ExecutiveArbitration in construction disputes is a private process where owners, contractors, subcontractors, designers or suppliers present claims to one or more neutral arbitrators instead of taking the dispute through court. The arbitrator reviews evidence, hears testimony and issues a decision that is usually binding.
Construction arbitration is common because project disputes are technical, document-heavy and time-sensitive. Claims may involve schedule delays, disputed change orders, defective work, differing site conditions, payment, termination, indemnity, surety issues or professional liability.
Arbitration can be faster and more specialized than litigation, but speed is not guaranteed. Poor contract language, broad discovery, weak records and unclear damages can make arbitration expensive.
Reprinted courtesy of
Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
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Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (6/24/26) – HUD to Fund AI Grants, Luxury Hotel Deal Investment Activity to Surge, ESPCs to Fund Energy and Infrastructure Improvements
July 06, 2026 —
Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law BlogIn our latest roundup, data centers are exposed to climate change, commercial tenant sues CoStar, cities see opportunities in emerging sports markets, and more!
- With deferred maintenance growing and capital dollars stretched thin, local governments are using ESPCs to fund energy and infrastructure improvements through future operational savings. (Vicky Uhland, Construction Dive)
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering up to $3 million in grants for local governments to deploy automated permitting and building code systems. (Ryan Kushner, Construction Dive)
- Luxury hotel deals are set to see a surge in investment activity due to strong fundamentals and strengthening capital markets. (Noor Adatia, Hotel Dive)
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Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team
