ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

GRSM Team Obtains Defense Verdict for Homeowners’ Association in Orange County Superior Court

August 11, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
A Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani multi-state team, including Partners Christine Barker, Sean Ferron, and Keith Cramer, obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a homeowners’ association (HOA) in an Orange County Superior Court bench trial spanning two months. The case began in 2022 when a homeowner sued after the Architectural Review Committee and HOA Board of Directors declined his teardown-and-rebuild plans due to view and aesthetic concerns. After a motion for summary judgment ruling in which the court found that the existing covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) did not protect views, the HOA held a special election to add explicit view protections to the CC&Rs. At the February 2025 trial call, the plaintiff sought leave to file a third amended complaint challenging the validity of that vote, drastically reframing the case from CC&R enforcement to one of election validity. A second plaintiff then filed a parallel action toward the end of the limitations period, and the two cases were consolidated. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Project Labor Agreements: A New Bid Protest Forum Split

May 14, 2026 — Dirk D. Haire, David P.J. Timm and Michael J. Brewer - ConsensusDocs
Advertisements often include a disclaimer: “individual results may vary.” Similarly, lawyers are notorious for saying “it depends.” The mandatory Project Labor Agreement (“PLA”) regulations have recently placed into context this adage as it applies to federal contract bid protests, with very different results depending on which forum – the Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) versus the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) – different contractors have selected to bring PLA bid protests. Over the last two years, over 30 protesters have successfully achieved removal of mandatory PLAs from large-scale federal construction contracts based on two landmark bid protest decisions issued by the COFC. Similar challenges to PLAs at the GAO, however, have not been successful in removing PLAs, highlighting an emerging trend that the COFC is often a more effective relief forum than GAO for government construction contractors. Reprinted courtesy of Dirk D. Haire, Burr & Forman LLP, David P.J. Timm, Burr & Forman LLP and Michael J. Brewer, Burr & Forman LLP Mr. Haire may be contacted at dhaire@burr.com Mr. Timm may be contacted at dtimm@burr.com Mr. Brewer may be contacted at mbrewer@burr.com Read the full story...

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Agent Not Liable for Loss Given Insured’s Vague Instructions for Coverage

April 08, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The Illinois Appellate Court affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment to the insured’s agent because there was no breach of duty. Jon Van Order v. Hauk, et al., 2025 Ill. App. Unpub. LEXIS 2378 (Ill. Ct. App. Dec. 23, 2025). The insured began renovating a vacant home in October 2018. He met with agent Joseph Hauk and explained the property was vacant and would be going through renovations for the next several months. Hauk then procured a policy through Shelter Insurance Company insuring the vacant property against several specified perils. The policy provided coverage for water damage if “[t]he exterior of the building sustained a covered loss” and “that loss created an opening through which the water entered.” Damage caused by escaping water from within a plumbing system was excluded if: (1) the damage was caused by a “continuous or repeated leakage over a period of fourteen days or more” or (2) the insured premises had been vacant for 30 consecutive days immediately preceding the loss. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

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Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (3/18/25) – Data Center Frenzy, China’s Expanding REIT Market and Tariff-Affected Construction Costs

March 31, 2026 — Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
In our latest roundup, relistings reached highest total in a decade, Florida State Legislature passes bill to increase the state’s housing supply, data center construction adapts to changes and more!

• The data center construction frenzy and a new, potentially larger highway bill were top of mind for builders during the latest round of contractor earnings calls and financial reports. (Joe Bousquin, Construction Dive)
• Tariffs and associated policy uncertainty have increased construction costs and delayed leasing and investment choices. (J.P. Morgan)
• Relistings hit the highest January figure since Redfin began tracking this metric a decade ago. (Diana Olick, CNBC).

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team

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Sixth Circuit Revives Builder’s Risk Coverage, Refusing to Let Insurer Escape on a Technicality

July 27, 2026 — Kevin V. Small & Adriana A. Perez - Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog
In 3371 Reading, LLC v. Liberty Mutual Group, the Sixth Circuit did something courts do not always do in coverage disputes: it refused to let an insurer avoid liability based on a technical policy condition that could never actually be satisfied. The decision is a straightforward reminder of two core principles. First, policies must be interpreted from the standpoint of a reasonably prudent insured. Second, hyper-technical conditions cannot be used to deny coverage where compliance is never possible. Reprinted courtesy of Kevin V. Small, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and Adriana A. Perez, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP Mr. Small may be contacted at ksmall@hunton.com Ms. Perez may be contacted at pereza@hunton.com Read the full story...

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Legal 500 US Ranks Hunton’s Insurance Coverage Team Among Top Policyholder Practices in 2026 Guide

July 06, 2026 — Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog
Hunton’s insurance coverage practice was once again recognized among the nation’s top policyholder insurance practices, receiving a Band 2 national ranking in the 2026 United States Edition of The Legal 500 for Insurance: Advice to Policyholders. The Legal 500 recognizes firms solely based on merit through numerous factors including client feedback and peer input. Bolstering the team’s national recognition, several coverage lawyers received individual accolades: special counsel Lorelie “Lorie” S. Masters was named to The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame; team head Syed S. Ahmad and partner Michael S. Levine were named Leading Lawyers; and partners Andrea DeField and Latosha M. Ellis were named Next Generation Partners. In addition, partners Walter J. Andrews, Lawrence J. Bracken II, and Koorosh “KT” Talieh were recognized as Key Lawyers on the team. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

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Preventing Common and Costly Water Intrusion Events in Construction

July 13, 2026 — Andrew Swift - Construction Executive
Water leaking into a building is a leading cause of damage and loss in the construction industry. On one jobsite, heavy rains flooded a sub-basement, damaging a new electrical transformer—all because a roof drain was not property connected. On another jobsite, a drinking-fountain supply line broke in a multistory building that was undergoing renovation, causing water to run—undetected—for an entire weekend, resulting in water damage to all lower floors, where construction had been finished. Those loss scenarios could have been prevented with a comprehensive and effective water damage prevention plan (WDPP). This includes routine site inspections to identify uncontrolled
Client Alert: California’s Unfair Competition Law (B&P §17200) Preempted by Federal Workplace Safety Law

Implied Warranties for Infrastructure in Florida Construction Defect Claims

Colorado Supreme Court Reverses Course on Public Project Liens: Key Takeaways From Wadsworth v. Regional Rail Partners

Comparing Contracts: A Review of the AIA 201 and ConsensusDocs - Part II

Fatal Boston Garage Demolition Leaves Long Road to Recovery

Are We Headed for a Work Shortage?

Wildfire Threats Make Utilities Uninsurable in US West

Named Insured’s Liability Found Irrelevant to Additional Insured’s Coverage Under a Landlords and Lessors Additional Insured Endorsement

Public Policy Prevails: Homebuilders and Homebuyers Cannot Agree to Disclaim Implied Warranty of Habitability in Arizona

Design Professionals Owe a Duty of Care to Homeowners

Construction Down in Twin Cities Area

Traub Lieberman Partner Jonathan Harwood Wins Motion for Summary Judgment in Favor of Insurer

While Construction Permits Slowly Rise, Construction Starts and Completions in California Are Stagnant

No Occurrence Where Contract Provides for Delays

When Coronavirus Cases Spike at Construction Jobsites

Hurricane Claim Cannot Survive Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause

Randy Maniloff Recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® as a "Lawyer of the Year"

Kahana Feld Partner Noelle Natoli Named President of Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

From ‘Cuckoo’s Egg’ to Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape

Death, Taxes and Attorneys’ Fees in Construction Disputes

Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Standard of Repose in Fruit Warehouse Case

Year and a Half Old Las Vegas VA Emergency Room Gets Rebuilt

7 Ways Technology is Changing Construction (guest post)

Antitrust Walker Process Claims Not Covered Under Personal Injury Coverage for Malicious Prosecution

Ornate Las Vegas Palace Rented by Michael Jackson for Sale

"On Second Thought"

Federal Government Sues Four States Over Climate Superfund Laws and Climate Change Litigation

New Nafta Could Settle Canada-U.S. Lumber War, Resolute CEO Says

From Shale to Salt: Texas Supreme Court Applies Uniform Rule for Ownership of Subsurface Caverns

Samuel Alhadeff Represents LGI Homes in Acquisition and Re-Entitlement of Maravilla Estates

Despite Feds' Raised Bar, 2.8B Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project Presses On

Justin Clark Joins Newmeyer & Dillion’s Walnut Creek Branch as its Newest Associate

Motions to Dismiss, Limitations of Liability, and More

Bad Faith Claim for Investigation Fails

Subsequent Purchaser Can Assert Claims for Construction Defects

Public-Employee Union Fees, Water Wars Are Key in High Court Rulings

California Supreme Court Approves of Annual Civility Oath for Attorneys, Rejects Incivility As Basis for Disciplinary Measures

How Machine Learning Can Help with Urban Development

Denver Passed the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance

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

Well-Insulated: Predict the Unpredictable Construction Costs

Michigan Civil Engineers Give the State's Infrastructure a "C-" Grade, Improving from "D+" Grade in 2018

Construction Defect Litigation at San Diego’s Alicante Condominiums?

School District Settles Construction Lawsuit with Additional Million

Contractors Battle Bitter Winters at $11.8B Site C Hydro Project in Canada

Senate Bill 15-091 Passes Out of the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee

OSHA Investigating Bridge Accident Resulting in Construction Worker Fatality

Record-Setting Construction in Fargo

World Green Building Council Calls for Net-Zero Embodied Carbon in Buildings by 2050

Illinois Court Addresses Level of Evidence Necessary to Prevent Summary Judgment in Hail Damage Claim
">Connecticut Federal District Court Again Finds "Collapse" Provisions Ambiguous

Homeowner Has No Grounds to Avoid Mechanics Lien

L.A.’s Modest Solution to the ‘Missing Middle’ Housing Problem

Shea Homes CEO Receives Hearthstone Builder Humanitarian Award

How Wildfires Upended California’s Insurance Market

Workers Compensation Immunity and the Intentional Tort Exception

Federal Court Opinion Has Huge Impact on the Construction Industry

Protecting and Perfecting Your Mechanics Lien when the Property Owner Files Bankruptcy

Retaining Wall Contractor Not Responsible for Building Damage

Insurance Law Client Alert: California Appeals Court Refuses to Apply Professional Services Exclusion to Products-Completed Operations Loss

California’s Labor Enforcement Task Force Continues to Set Fire to the Underground Economy