COLUMBIA VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Flatiron Said Disputed Concrete Mix Cost Millions on Large Caltrans Project

June 22, 2026 — Elaine Silver & Richard Korman - Engineering News-Record
For awhile in 2023, part of the California Dept. of Transportation's (Caltrans) Fix 50 HOV lane and resurfacing project in Sacramento itself needed to be fixed. Reprinted courtesy of Elaine Silver, Engineering News-Record and Richard Korman, Engineering News-Record Mr. Korman may be contacted at kormanr@enr.com Read the full story...

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The Best Lawyers in America® - Ball Janik Attorneys Earn Multiple Recognitions

September 01, 2026 — Ball Janik LLP
Orlando, FL, August 20, 2026 – Ball Janik LLP is pleased to announce that 24 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. The 33rd Best Lawyers edition recognitions are based on peer review and highlight attorneys across a range of practice areas. This recognition underscores the broad experience Ball Janik's attorneys bring to the firm's construction defect practice. "We're proud to be recognized by Best Lawyers again this year," said James C. Prichard, Managing Partner of Ball Janik LLP. "These honors reflect the expertise and depth of our team, our continued growth across Florida, and our commitment to providing strong counsel to clients in complex construction, insurance recovery, and litigation matters." Ball Janik attorneys recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® include: Keegan A. Berry — Construction Law Brian T. Crevasse — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Todd Demetriades — Litigation - Construction Joseph R. Fitos — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Megan A. Picataggio — Construction Law Jon E. Lemole — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Salvatore G. Scro — Construction Law Nicholas B. Vargo — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Kelly M. Corcoran — Construction Law Gabriel Z. Coelho — Construction Law Evan J. Small — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Franchesco Soto — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Phillip E. Joseph — Litigation - Construction; Real Estate Law James C. Prichard — Construction Law Ball Janik attorneys recognized in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America include: Nicholas Passantino — Litigation - Construction Amanda L. Gonzalez — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Morgan N. Lester — Litigation - Construction Chris S. Tribbey — Construction Law Kyle Bugden — Construction Law; Litigation - Construction Brian Tannenbaum — Construction Law Kayla Mosquera — Insurance Law Natasha L. Biela — Commercial Litigation Elijah C. Waring, Jr. — Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Greg K. Demers — Construction Law About Ball Janik LLP Ball Janik LLP is a Florida-based law firm offering construction defect, construction law, insurance recovery, and commercial litigation counsel, to its local and national clients. The firm was founded in 1982 and has expanded its capabilities, professionals, and geographic footprint. What started as a small firm focused on real property, land use, and litigation (known then as Ball Janik & Novack) has grown to a team of 70-plus attorneys and paralegals in five offices in Florida, with centuries of combined experience and capabilities. The firm has been recognized by Chambers USA, including for its construction law capabilities in Florida, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, The Best Lawyers in America©, Super Lawyers, and Corporate International. Read more at www.balljanik.com.

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$356 Million Judgement Against Developer for Defective Construction of DC Condominium

August 16, 2026 — Nicholas D. Cowie - Cowie Law Group
On July 31, 2026, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia entered a $356,085,513.00 judgment against developers JBG Smith for defective construction and renovation of the Wardman Tower Residential Condominium in Washington, D.C. The case is Wardman Tower Residential Condominium Unit Owners Association v. JBG Smith Properties, et al., No. 2020 CA 004807 B (D.C. Super. Ct.). In a 148-page Trial Order, the D.C. Superior Court awarded $118,695,171.00 in damages in favor of the condominium association and against the condominium developers, including JBG Smith. The Court trebled those damages pursuant to the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act (“CPPA”) to reach an ultimate judgment of $356,085,513.00. See Cowie Law Group: DC Condominium Construction Defects: Recovering Attorney’s Fees, Litigation Expenses & Treble Damages Under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Cowie Law Group, P.C. filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Association in 2020. The firm represented the Association throughout years of pretrial discovery and ultimately served as trial counsel with Williams & Connolly LLP during a lengthy bench trial before the Honorable Yvonne Williams. The Cowie Law Group team included attorneys, George A. Bealefeld, III, Albert G. McCarraher, Stanford L. Kimmel, III and Nicholas D. Cowie. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Nicholas D. Cowie, Cowie Law Group
Mr. Cowie may be contacted at ndc@cowielawgroup.com

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Insufficient Notice of Commencement and Construction Lien Rights

August 03, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
When a party is preserving their construction lien rights, the party will look to the recorded Notice of Commencement. This is the recorded document that provides the lienor with the information for purposes of preserving construction lien rights. A Notice to Owner company will typically rely on the Notice of Commencement to serve Notices to Owners from lower tiers not in contract with the owner. However, when it comes to preparing the lien, a lienor should look beyond just the Notice of Commencement and also look to the property appraiser’s website as a backstop. In a recent case, a window company had the homeowner sign the Notice of Commencement and then filled in the information. The company naturally did this for the convenience of the homeowner that probably was unfamiliar with the Notice of Commencement process. Regardless, information in the Notice of Commencement was inaccurate. It failed to include all the real property owners. Thus, when a payment dispute arose and a construction lien was prepared, it did not identify all of the real property owners. All of the real property owners were added later during the pendency of a lien foreclosure lawsuit. The trial court denied the lien because of the defective / insufficient Notice of Commencement — the lienor assumed the risk of error by filling out the information in the Notice of Commencement. The trial court further denied the lien holding that because the work did not commence within 90 days of the Notice of Commencement, the Notice of Commencement is void. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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What Prevents Innovation in Construction from Taking Off

September 15, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
In construction, we have the knowledge, technology, and innovative people to radically improve our performance, yet we’re still stuck in old ways. Why is that? I attended an annual gathering for real estate and construction professionals at Rakennustieto Oy, Finland’s leading building information provider. The day before, a half-day seminar was held at the same venue. During both events, we discussed the need for change in the construction sector. Everyone agreed that we need to radically improve how we produce and share information. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business

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Alexander Hopkins Authors Law360 Article on Wisconsin Supreme Court Coverage Decision

October 06, 2026 — Alexander G. Hopkins - SDV Fenchurch
Alexander Hopkins recently authored an Expert Analysis for Law360 examining a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision addressing coverage for water damage arising from alleged construction defects. In “Wis. Coverage Ruling Rejects Strict Ensuing Loss Test,” Alex explores the relationship between construction defect exclusions and ensuing loss provisions, and what the decision means for policyholders seeking coverage when an excluded condition contributes to subsequent damage. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Alexander G. Hopkins, SDV Fenchurch
Mr. Hopkins may be contacted at alexander.hopkins@sdvfenchurch.us

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Limitations of Liability Provisions in Construction Contracts: A Means to Manage Risk and Limit Financial Exposure

June 23, 2026 — Ellen Chapelle, Richard Reizen, Hannah Batsche - Construction Executive
Taking a cue from architects and engineers, construction contractors have started inserting limitation of liability clauses in their construction contracts to manage
New York Labor Laws and Action Over Exclusions

The Comcast Project is Not Likely to Be Shut Down Too Long

Congratulations 2024 DE, MA, MD, NJ, NY, and PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Arguing Cardinal Change is Different than Proving Cardinal Change

Sixth Circuit Finds No Coverage for Faulty Workmanship Under Kentucky Law

An Insurance Policy Isn’t Ambiguous Just Because You Want It to Be

NYC Billionaires’ Row Tower Could Need $160M Fix Amid Cracking

Cliff White Expands Insurance Litigation Team at Payne & Fears

Factor the Factor in Factoring

Consider The Limited Warranty from Your Homebuilder

Specific Performance: Equitable Remedy to Enforce Affirmative Obligation

Latosha Ellis Joins The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40

The Business of Engineering: An Interview with Matthew Loos

Insurer’s Federal Suit Dismissed in Favor of Insured’s State Suit

ASCE Statement on Senate Passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024

Is Your Design Professional Construction Contract too Friendly? (Law Note)

Patti Santelle Honored by Rutgers School of Law with Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award

Nordics Are Europe’s Next Data Center Hub

Quick Note: Aim to Avoid a Stay to your Miller Act Payment Bond Claim

Washington State Updates the Contractor Registration Statute

Fire Fears After Grenfell Disaster Set Back Wood Building in UK

ABA’s False Claims in Construction Contracts, 2nd Edition

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (3/6/24) – Steep Drop in Commercial Real Estate Investment, Autonomous Robots Being Developed for Construction Projects, and Treas
Address 'Your Work' Exposure Within CPrL Policies With Faulty Workmanship Coverage

Safe Commercial Asbestos-Removal Practices

Four Families Now Live in the Season Six Rock the Block Homes in Grantsville, Utah

Specific Performance: Equitable Remedy to Enforce Affirmative Obligation

The Anatomy of a Construction Dispute- The Claim

Irvine Partner Cinnamon J. Carr and Associate Brittney H. Aquino Prevail on Summary Judgment

Traub Lieberman Attorneys Recognized as 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars

UConn’s Law-School Library Construction Case Settled for Millions

Are “Green” Building Designations and Certifications Truly Necessary?

No Coverage For Construction Defects Under Alabama Law

What is a Subordination Agreement?

City of Birmingham Countersues Contractor for Incomplete Work

Insurer Not Bound by Decision in Underlying Case Where No Collateral Estoppel

Colorado Homes Approved Despite being Too Close Together

Policy's Limitation Period for Seeking Replacement Costs Not Enforced Where Unreasonable

Antidiscrimination Clause Required in Public Works and Goods and Services Contracts­ –Effective January 1, 2024

South Carolina Supreme Court Requires Transparency by Rejecting an Insurer’s “Cut-and-Paste” Reservation of Rights

Travelers Insurance Sues Chicago for $26M in Damages to Willis Tower

Personal Guarantor Cannot Escape a Personal Guarantee By…

Advice to Georgia Homeowners with Construction Defects

Generic Complaint Alleging Bad Faith is Insufficient

Reservation of Rights Letter Merely Citing Policy Provisions Inadequate

Resilience: Transforming the Energy Sector – Navigating Land Issues in Solar and Storage Projects | Episode 3 (11.14.24)

If Passed, New Bill AB 2320 Will Mandate Cyber Insurance For State Government Contractors

The Real Cost of ‘Dirt Cheap’ Walmart & Amazon Tiny Homes: 10 Things Consumers Should Know

Specified Or Designated Operations Endorsement – Limitation of Insurance Coverage

Proximity Trace Used to Monitor, Maintain Social Distancing on $1.9-Billion KCI Airport Project

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (7/17/24) – Housing Inflation to Remain High, Proptech Investment to Fall and Office Vacancy Rates to Reach Peak in 2025

Arizona Court Determines Statute of Limitations Applicable to a Claim for Reformation of a Deed of Trust (and a Related Claim for Declaratory Judgment)

Preparing For and Avoiding Residential Construction Disputes: For Homeowners and Contractors

Kahana Feld Attorney Andrea Vosough Named to 2026 Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Phenoms Under 40 List

One Building, Six Owners, One Defective Stucco System: How Do You Coordinate Repairs?

Safer Schools Rendered Unsafe Due to Construction Defects

Safeguarding History: Fire Risks in Renovating Historic Buildings

Tennessee Looks to Define Improvements to Real Property

Sellers of South Florida Mansion Failed to Disclose Construction Defects

More Details Emerge in Fatal Charlotte, NC, Scaffold Collapse

Back Posting with Thoughts on Lien Waivers

Know What’s Under Ground and Make Smarter Planning Decisions

Ohio Supreme Court Rules That Wrongful Death Claims Are Subject to the Four-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Claims

Buy American Under President Trump: What to Know and Where We’re Heading

Want More Transit (and Federal Funding)? Build Housing That Supports It

Federal District Court Addresses Anti-concurrent Cause Language in Property Policy

Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Options for Wastewater Discharge Permits

Stadium Intended for the 2010 World Cup Still Not Ready

KONE is Shaking Up the Industry with BIM

Governor Ducey Vetoes Water and Development Bills

Greg Dillion & Newmeyer Dillion Named 2019 Good Scout Award Recipient

Licensing Mistakes That Can Continue to Haunt You

NLRB Broadens the Joint Employer Standard