ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Under Construction – November 2025

January 06, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
Letter From the Editor Welcome to the fall edition of Snell & Wilmer’s Under Construction Newsletter. As brisk autumn air sets in, it’s an ideal moment to shore up the basics — both in your projects and in your grasp of the continually shifting field of construction law. In this newsletter, we explore a variety of topics related to current construction trends and legal news that may be relevant and helpful to you and your business. We have assembled a selection of articles that include discussions of state-specific issues including how Idaho’s Contractor Registration Act bars unregistering contractors from enforcing contracts or filing liens, though the state Supreme Court allows remedies for post-registration work if severable. This edition discusses how contractors can maximize cash flow and profits by substituting security for retainage on public projects. We also highlight the California Court of Appeals discussion and latest decision relating to subcontractor substitution protections under Public Contract Code §4107. We round out our newsletter summarizing how the Colorado Supreme Court clarified that the economic loss rule bars tort claims for purely economic harm arising from contracts — even when alleging willful and wanton misconduct. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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ACEC Supports BUILD America 250 Act as Important First Step on Surface Reauthorization

May 26, 2026 — The American Council of Engineering Companies
WASHINGTON -- The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering and design services industry released the following statement on the BUILD America 250 Act: "Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen have taken an important bipartisan step toward reauthorizing the federal surface transportation programs that are critical to economic growth in every state. The BUILD America 250 Act provides five years of stability in funding road and transit projects, raises new revenues to address the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, and includes meaningful provisions to strengthen project delivery, advance digital infrastructure, and improve the contracting framework that engineering firms rely on every day. ACEC will continue to advocate for investment levels that keep pace with the country's growing infrastructure needs, and we urge the Committee to keep this process moving forward." The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of America’s engineering industry, representing more than 5,500 independent engineering firms and more than 650,000 professionals throughout the United States engaged in the development of America’s transportation, water, and energy infrastructure, along with environmental, industrial, and other public and private facilities. Founded in 1906 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.

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Thank You All for 10 Years Straight of VA Super Lawyers

May 05, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
It is with humility and a sense of accomplishment that I announce that I have been selected for the tenth straight year to the Virginia Super Lawyers in the Construction Litigation category for 2026. Add this to my recent election to the Virginia Legal Elite in Construction and I’ve had a pretty good year. As always, I am thrilled to be included on these peer-elected lists. Your confidence in my work is very gratifying. So without further ado, thank you to my peers and those on the panel at Virginia Super Lawyers for the great honor. I feel quite proud to be part of the 5% of Virginia attorneys that made this list for 2026. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

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Parking Garage Partially Collapses in Dearborn, Mich., Trapping One

March 31, 2026 — Annemarie Mannion - Engineering News-Record
A multi-level parking garage that partially collapsed in Dearborn, Mich., is fenced off and the city has started the legal process allowed under state law to demolish the privately-owned structure due to alleged dangerous conditions. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Annemarie Mannion, Engineering News-Record
Ms. Mannion may be contacted at manniona@enr.com

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Can Foreclosure Sale Be Overturned Because Sale Price Is Grossly Inadequate?

January 26, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
Foreclosure actions are equity actions. See Verzura Construction, Inc. v. Hotel La Petitite Muse, LLC, 50 Fla.L.Weekly D2500a (Fla. 3d DCA 2025). Can a sale price at a foreclosure auction sale be set aside because the foreclosed party believes the sale price is grossly inadequate? A recent case discusses this question and, as you will see, the argument that the sale price is grossly inadequate is not enough to overturn a sale. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Reminder: You Can’t Make Others Indemnify You for Your Own Actions

January 13, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
I have spoken about Virginia Code 11-4.1 and the prohibition on forcing others to indemnify for the actions of the indemnitees on a few occasions here at Construction Law Musings (See Uniwest Posts). The Western District of Virginia gave its take on indemnification clauses and why they need to be carefully drafted in a December 2024 case, Sauer Construction, LLC v. MC3 Solutions, LLC et al. In Sauer, the Court looked at, among other things, an indemnification provision between MC3, a subcontractor to Sauer, and MC3s sub-subcontractor, Bonitz Flooring Group. This was the relatively typical construction dispute where a general contractor sues a subcontractor and then that subcontractor sues its supplier and sub-subcontractors for indemnity pursuant to its contract. When faced with the indemnification claim, Bonitz argued that the indemnification provision violated the Va. Code 11-4.1 because it required Bonitz to indemnify MC3 for MC3’s actions. The provision follows the break. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

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Snell & Wilmer Phoenix Partner Jody Pokorski Named Winner of Connect CRE’s 2025 Lawyers in Real Estate Awards

January 21, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
Phoenix – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that Phoenix Partner Jody K. Pokorski has been named a winner of Connect CRE’s Lawyers in Real Estate Awards for the Phoenix and Southwest region. This recognition highlights commercial real estate lawyers throughout various regions of the U.S., who have significantly impacted commercial real estate through their contributions to the industry and community. Pokorski’s practice is concentrated in real estate transactions, finance and regulatory matters, including work relating to commercial purchase and sale transactions, real estate financing, master planned communities, subdivision matters, and leasing. She advises large and small corporate clients in real estate matters throughout the United States. Pokorski represents developers, owners, lenders, and contractors and has significant experience handling real estate matters for institutes of higher learning and other educational entities. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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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

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