ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight leads in recognized Construction Litigation Attorneys

September 01, 2026 — Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC
Ahlers Cressman & Sleight is pleased to announce its leading recognition in the 2026 Washington Super Lawyers magazine. With ten members named, ACS has more recognized Construction Litigation attorneys than any other firm on the 2026 Washington Super Lawyers list, compared to three at the next closest firm. Two ACS members were also recognized on the 2026 Washington Rising Stars list. Super Lawyers selects these recognized lawyers by using a patented multiphase selection process. First, lawyers enter the candidate pool by being nominated by their peers or by being identified by managing partner surveys, third-party feedback, or the Super Lawyersresearch team. Next, Super Lawyersconducts an independently researched evaluation using twelve indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition: verdicts/settlements, transactions, representative clients, experience, honors/awards, special licenses/certifications, position within a law firm, bar and/or professional activity, pro bono and community service, scholarly lectures/writings, education/employment background, and other outstanding achievements. Then, candidates with the highest point totals serve on a Blue Ribbon panel, evaluating other candidates within their primary practice area. Finally, only 5% of attorneys are selected for the Super Lawyers list, and 2.5% of attorneys are selected for the Rising Stars list. More information about the Super Lawyers Selection Process can be found here. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC

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GRSM Partner Debra Ellwood Meppen Recognized as 2026 Legal Visionary by Los Angeles Times

June 02, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani proudly congratulates Partner Debra Ellwood Meppen on being named a 2026 Legal Visionary by the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times Studios 2026 Legal Visionaries List recognizes lawyers in Southern California who “exemplify a forward-thinking approach to the law, elevating both their profession and the people who depend on it.” Meppen is recognized for helping shape the future of the legal profession through her leadership, professionalism, and integrity. Published as part of the May 2026 issue highlighting Southern California’s leading law firms and attorneys, the Legal Visionaries section honors attorneys making a significant impact on the legal industry and the broader business community. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Micromobility in Smart Cities: Keeping the Wheels in Motion

May 26, 2026 — James P. Bobotek - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Mobility is the lifeblood of any city. How people are able to travel in, out and within a metropolitan area is vital to its citizens, businesses, supply chains and social services. And as U.S. cities have expanded in size and population density, the strategies for addressing mobility have evolved. Many have taken different approaches to public transit, and each city boasts a dense tapestry of roadways, walking paths and various parking options. But as cities continue to reexamine infrastructure strategies through smart city technology, a new field of transportation has emerged—micromobility. Designed for short-distance travel using lightweight vehicles (bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.), the industry’s global net worth has grown exponentially in recent years to the tune of hundreds of billions, with one forecast predicting it could reach $340 billion by 2030. Micromobility also finds itself at the forefront of various smart city technological improvements. Geofencing has been implemented in U.S. cities to determine where micromobility vehicles can operate, control speed limits, and park utilizing the vehicles’ GPS location. Internet of Things (IoT) technologies (satellite-based location receivers, cloud communication, internet links, etc.) have improved vehicle lifespans by keeping track of when vehicles require service and prevent vandalism and theft. Data collected from vehicles’ location tracking is routinely used for urban planning and smart city development. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of James P. Bobotek, Pillsbury
Mr. Bobotek may be contacted at james.bobotek@pillsburylaw.com

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2026 Top Business Risks for Construction and Engineering Companies

May 26, 2026 — Darren Tasker - Construction Executive
The 2026 Allianz Risk Barometer revealed some surprising findings for construction and engineering businesses. Now in its fifteenth year, this annual business risk ranking by corporate insurer Allianz Commercial incorporates the views of 3,338 global risk management professionals on the main perils on their radar for the year. Survey respondents included construction and engineering risk experts who identified the threats keeping them up at night. Here is how they ranked the top industry risks for 2026: Natural Catastrophes Natural catastrophe risk retains the top spot, with 38% of construction and engineering respondents citing this risk as their leading concern for 2026. From the insurance perspective, economic and insured losses remained high, albeit lower than the 10-year average. The evolving nature of natural catastrophes continues to pose significant challenges to businesses and the (re)insurance industry. Insured losses from natural catastrophes are set to reach $107 billion for 2025, according to Swiss Re—the sixth year in a row they have exceeded $100 billion, while economic losses are well in excess of $200 billion. Reprinted courtesy of Darren Tasker, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

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Four HHMR Attorneys Recognized in the 2027 Editions of Best Lawyers®

September 21, 2026 — Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC - Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC is proud to announce that Best Lawyers® has recognized four HHMR attorneys in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for their work in construction law and construction litigation. David M. McLain, Lisa Bondy Dunn, and Steven L. Heisdorffer earned recognition in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Ricky L. Nolen, Jr. earned recognition in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. For a firm that has deliberately focused its practice on construction law and construction litigation for nearly 25 years, we take particular pride in seeing that focus reflected in the recognition of lawyers across different generations of HHMR. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC

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Data Center Construction: Contractors Must Step Up

May 26, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
I attended the Datacenter Forum 2026 in Helsinki last week. Over 400 people packed the room. Walking out, I had one overriding thought: Is construction operating in a different century from the technology it is being asked to house? Is Our Industry on Par? Ciarán Forde, Senior Vice President at CTS Nordics, opened the forum with a statement that set the tone for everything that followed: data centers are no longer just a technical challenge; they are a national strategy. Before AI, Ciarán had worked in telecoms, where data centers were already complex. But now, he said flatly, everything has changed, and the industry must rethink everything. The numbers behind the claim are staggering. Current AI data center racks run at 40 to 100 kW. In three years, 800 kW per rack is on the roadmap. And the development cycle for a new chip is roughly one year, which means deployments begin aging out almost as soon as they are commissioned. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

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Hidden Risks Behind Today’s Stadium Construction Boom

July 20, 2026 — Thomas Strong, Andrew Canning & Marc Gnesin - Construction Executive
After a decade-plus lull, professional sports leagues, universities and municipalities are once again spending heavily on new stadiums and major renovations. In the NFL alone, multiple marquee projects are underway or planned, representing more than $10 billion in facilities and mixed-use entertainment districts, rivaling or exceeding the scale of development during the last stadium-build cycle of the early 2000s. Beneath the excitement of architectural ambition and civic pride lies a risk landscape that has fundamentally changed since the last wave of stadium construction. Teams, cities and contractors that rely on outdated assumptions may find themselves exposed to cost overruns, schedule delays and liabilities that are far more difficult to unwind once construction is underway. Reprinted courtesy of Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reser
Unjust Enrichment and Express Contract Don’t Mix

Older Homes for Sale in California Now Come With Wildfire Warnings

Under Privette Doctrine, A Landowner Delegates All Responsibility For Workplace Safety to its Independent Contractor, and therefore Owes No Duty to Remedy or Adopt Measures to Protect Against Known Hazards

Buy America/Buy American, a Primer For Contractors

Biden's Next 100 Days: Major Impacts Expected for the Construction Industry

Balancing Tradition and Technology in Bringing AI to AEC

Settlement Agreements and Contracts Require a Meeting of the Minds

An Obligation to Provide Notice and an Opportunity to Cure May not End after Termination, and Why an Early Offer of Settlement Should Be Considered on Public Works Contracts

Who Decides Who Can Arbitrate? The Court . . . Sometimes

Tenants Who Negligently Cause Fires in Florida Beware: You May Be Liable to the Landlord’s Insurer

Residential Building Sector: Peaking or Soaring?

Tidal Lagoon Plans Marine Project to Power Every Home in Wales

Navigating Construction Defect Claims and Statutes of L
AB 3018: Amendments to the Skilled and Trained Workforce Requirements on California Public Projects

Business Risk Exclusions Bar Coverage for Construction Defect Claims

California Court of Appeals Says, “We Like Eich(leay)!”

Senate’s Fannie Mae Wind-Down Plan Faces High Hurdles

How to Properly Fill Out and Use the Conditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment Form Used in California Construction

Certificates Of Merit For NC Lawsuits Against Engineers And Architects? (Still No)(Law Note)

Why Death Follows Faulty Edge Fall Protection–And How to Fix It

Missouri Construction Company Sues Carpenter Union for Threatening Behavior

Ohio Does Not Permit Retroactive Application of Statute of Repose

ConsensusDOCS Hits the Cloud

Insurance Law Alert: California Supreme Court Limits Advertising Injury Coverage for Disparagement

Arizona Court Cites California Courts to Determine Construction Defect Coverage is Time Barred

Fannie Overseer Moves to Rescue Housing With Lower Risk to Lenders

Balfour in Talks With Carillion About $5 Billion Merger

Mexico City Metro Collapse Kills 24 After Neighbors’ Warnings

How to Defend Stucco Allegations

Construction Resumes after Defects

Eleventh Circuit Asks Georgia Supreme Court if Construction Defects Are Caused by an "Occurrence"

Another Las Vegas Tower at the Center of Construction Defect Claims

Insurance Measures Passed by 2015 Hawaii Legislature

Action Needed: HB24-1230 Spells Trouble for Colorado Construction Industry and its Insurers

10 Year Anniversary – Congratulations Greg Podolak

States Sue Trump Admin Over Wind Energy Permitting Pause

Appellate Court of Maryland Construes Notice Conditions of A312 Performance Bond in Favor of Surety

Texas Federal District Court Dismisses COVID-19 Claim

Stair Collapse Points to Need for Structural Inspections

Sales of Existing Homes in U.S. Fall to Lowest Since 2012

American Council of Engineering Companies of California Selects New Director

AGC’s 2024 Construction Outlook. Infrastructure is Bright but Office-Geddon is Not

Insured’s Bad Faith Claim Survives Summary Judgment

In the Eye of the Beholder: Court of Appeal Finds Duty of Care Owed by Owner and Contractors for Death of Minors Caused by Independent Truck Driver

A Win for Policyholders: California Court of Appeals Applies Vertical Exhaustion for Continuous Injury Claims

How Your Disgruntled Client Can Turn Into Your Very Own Car Crash! (and How to Avoid It) (Law Tips)

That’s a Wrap! Pennsylvania Court Holds Arbitration Clause in Online Agreement Unenforceable

Why Do Construction Companies Fail?

Taking the Stairs to Human Wellness and Greener Buildings

Thanks to All for the 2024 Super Lawyers Nod!

Solicitor General’s Views to Supreme Court on Two Circuit Court Rulings that Groundwater Can be Considered “Waters of the United States”

Construction Jobs Expected to Rise in Post-Hurricane Rebuilding

Condo Developers Buy in Washington despite Construction Defect Litigation

Oklahoma Limits Claims for Construction Cases

In Supreme Court Showdown, California Appeals Courts Choose Sides Regarding Whether Right to Repair Act is Exclusive Remedy for Homeowners

Breaking with Tradition, The Current NLRB is on a Rulemaking Tear: Election Procedures, Recognition Bar, and 9(a) Collective Bargaining Relationships

Policyholder Fails to Build Adequate Record to Support Bad Faith Claim

PA Superior Court Provides Clarification on Definition of CGL “Occurrence” When Property Damage Is Caused by Faulty Building Conditions

Damage to Plaintiffs' Home Caused By Unmoored Boats Survives Surface Water Exclusion

Green Buildings Could Lead to Liabilities

Corps Spells Out Billions in Infrastructure Act Allocations

How the Election Could Affect the Housing Industry: Steven Cvitanovic Authors Construction Today Article

Disrupt a Broken Industry—The Industrial Construction Sandbox