Anaheim California Construction Expert Witness Directory

Why Construction Tendering Needs Specialized Intelligence

March 31, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
The construction industry has never lacked data; it lacks usable intelligence at the moments that matter most. In the high-stakes phases of tendering and pre-construction, the industry still relies on manual “Control-F” searches through thousands of pages of unstructured documents. I recently spoke with Herman Smith, a civil engineer and former Chief Digital Officer at Multiconsult, who left the corporate world to solve this specific bottleneck. His startup, Volve, isn’t just another AI wrapper; it is a specialized “drill” designed to penetrate the complexity of construction documentation. The Paradox of Digitalization without a Productivity Boost For years, the AEC industry has faced a frustrating paradox: we have more digital tools than ever, yet productivity has not improved. Herman observed this from the inside, managing hundreds of unique software licenses while seeing companies struggle to adapt to new workflows. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

2026 Southern California Super Lawyers Recognizes 14 Snell & Wilmer Attorneys

March 03, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys in its Los Angeles and Orange County offices have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers publication. Of those 15, six were recognized as Rising Stars. Super Lawyers is a listing of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. The final published list represents no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

Bridging the Information Gap of Alternative Delivery Methods on Public Projects

January 21, 2026 — Michael S. Blackwell - The Dispute Resolver
In almost all corners of the country, municipalities, counties, and states alike have historically employed a design-bid-build approach to public projects. While the delivery method lends itself easily to selecting the lowest bidder for both the design and construction phases of projects, it also excludes other, alternative methods that may be better suited for projects that require contractor involvement during the design phase, a phased approach to completion, or partnership between the public entity and private investment. But implementation of new delivery methods has posed a problem in some areas due to a lack of familiarity. This blog post proposes a simple solution. As early as the mid-late 1990s, changes in federal procurement laws allowed for the adoption of design-build, one option for alternative delivery, for public projects. Since that time, states, municipalities, and other public entities have followed suit. Today, you can find the use of design-build, progressive design-build, A + B, CM/GC, CMAR, and P3 just to name a few of the delivery methods that have been adopted in various states. These alternatives help provide options to public entities to find the right fit for their project. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Michael S. Blackwell, Riess LeMieux, LLC
Mr. Blackwell may be contacted at mblackwell@rllaw.com

Recognize: A Construction Safety Week Technical Bulletin

February 23, 2026 — Construction Safety Week - Construction Executive
Construction Safety Week has long been a powerful show of force, a catalyst for bringing the industry together and putting a spotlight on the critical importance of safety. It represents a shared commitment across an expansive and impactful Industry. The construction industry is a major employer and significant contributor to the U.S. economy, creating nearly $2.1 trillion worth of structures each year—and with that scale comes immense responsibility— and opportunity. Over the last decade, we’ve made meaningful strides: advancing best practices, transitioning from hard hats to helmets, shedding light on vital issues that affect safety, like mental health, fostering a culture of care and accountability, and creating partnerships and initiatives for improving jobsite safety. Reprinted courtesy of Construction Safety Week, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

Application of Ordinance and Law Coverage in Property Insurance Policy and Twenty-Five Percent Rule

December 08, 2025 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
A recent case involved a homeowner’s all-risk property insurance policy with ordinance and law coverage. This ordinance and law coverage required the carrier “to cover costs that the [insureds] incur as a result of any ordinance that requires them to replace ‘the portion of the undamaged part of a covered building or other structure necessary to complete the remodeling, repair or replacement of that part of the covered building or other structure damaged by a Peril Insured Against.” Weston v. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co., 50 Fla.L.Weekly D2307a (Fla. 2d DCA 2025). The property insurance policy required the insurer to pay the actual cash value of the loss, minus any deductible, and “any remaining amounts necessary to perform such repairs as work is performed and expenses are incurred.” Id. Here, the insureds sustained roof damage from a storm. The insureds had an expert that opined, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the entire roof needed to be replaced because “[t]here was damage to more than twenty-five percent of the roof, and the Florida Building Code provided that if more than twenty-five percent of the roof was damaged, then the entire roof should be replaced.” Weston, supra. The insureds also had an expert that testified to an estimate- the replacement cost of the damage as well as the actual cash value of that damage. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

Insured’s Motion to Compel Production of Underwriting Materials Granted

November 04, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The Supreme Court of New York granted the insured’s motion to compel the production of underwriting materials related to identifying additional insureds. Church of St. Andrew v. Western World Ins. Co., 2025 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 7018 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 5, 2025). The Church of St. Andrew (“church”) retained GC Solutions to perform roofing work at its premises. The church required GC Solutions to name it as an additional insured under its general liability policy. GC Solutions provided a Certificate of Insurance naming the church as an additional insured under the policy issued by Western World. While working on the roof, an employee of GC Solutions fell to his death. A wrongful death action was commenced by the decedent’s estate against the church. The church tendered its defense and indemnification to Western World. Western World disclaimed coverage, asserting that the church did not qualify as an additional insured under the policy. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

Labor Shortages in Construction: Managing Legal and Operational Risks

April 14, 2026 — Meghan Douris - Construction Executive
Labor shortages in the construction industry have become more than a scheduling headache—they are a legal and financial risk multiplier. As contractors scramble to meet deadlines with limited manpower, shortcuts in compliance, safety and subcontractor oversight become more likely. These gaps can expose companies to regulatory penalties, contractual disputes and reputational damage. Understanding how workforce constraints intersect with labor laws and contractual obligations is critical to mitigating the risks and navigating these challenges without compromising compliance or project integrity. The construction industry has faced persistent workforce challenges for years, but recent trends have intensified the problem. Factors such as an aging workforce, reduced immigration and post-pandemic recovery pressures have left contractors struggling to find skilled labor. According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction workforce shortage surpassed half a million workers in 2024; in the same year, Associated General Contractors reported 88% of construction companies had difficulty finding qualified workers. Reprinted courtesy of Meghan Douris, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

Substantiating Termination for Convenience Costs

November 09, 2025 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
A termination for convenience clause is an important provision in construction contracts, particularly for the owner. An owner needs the contractual right to terminate a contractor for convenience. This means the owner does NOT need a reason to exercise a termination. This is night-and-day different from a termination for cause (or default) wherein an owner must have a material basis to exercise that right. Sometimes, the relationship is not where it should be, or not what was expected, or performance does not rise up to the level you require but does not rise up to a material breach. The termination for convenience clause gives the owner the discretion to just end the relationship. As a contractor, you need to understand the types of damages (costs) you are entitled if an owner exercises the termination for convenience. Don’t overlook this, because if an owner exercises the termination for convenience, you want to make sure you feel like you are protected. This could include a termination for convenience fee. There are a number of ways this can be accomplished, but you need to be sure you are entitled to costs incurred through the date of termination with reasonable overhead and profit, demobilization costs, early return fees, and costs incurred due to the termination. Regardless, keep in mind that it is your burden, as the contractor, to prove these costs with a reasonable degree of certainty. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES