GRSM New York Founding Partner Mercedes Colwin Honored with 2025 Excellence in Diversity Award by PLUS Foundation
November 09, 2025 —
Gordon Rees Scully MansukhaniThe Excellence in Diversity Award is presented annually to a member of the insurance industry who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the profession. Honorees are recognized for creating meaningful change through mentoring, advocacy, thought leadership, and the development of inclusive policies and initiatives that broaden opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Colwin was selected for her longstanding dedication to fostering inclusive workplace cultures, her active mentorship of diverse attorneys and professionals, and her visible role as a thought leader on the natio
Why Travelers Fought a Fire Claim for Invisible Smoke Damage
February 23, 2026 —
Elaine Silver - Engineering News-RecordJust 40 minutes after midnight on Sept. 27, 2018, the sky lit up over Birmingham, Ala. A fire engulfed an apartment building under construction—the last-to-be completed section of a wood-framed complex called the Metropolitan. It fueled one of the largest recorded blazes in the city’s history.
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Elaine Silver, Engineering News-RecordENR may be contacted at
enr@enr.com
Massachusetts Construction Industry Continues to Wait While Prompt Payment Law Is Put to the Test
March 31, 2026 —
Catherine Maronski - Construction Law ZoneEarlier this month, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) heard argument in J.C. Cannistraro, LLC v. Columbia Construction Co. et al., a dispute concerning the state’s Prompt Payment Act (PPA). Although a decision has yet to be issued, it could potentially pose widespread implications for high-value private construction projects moving forward – and perhaps backwards.
The PPA, G. L. c. 149, § 29E, enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2010, has become a keystone in the construction industry. It was enacted to address, in part, downstream cash flow issues that tend to pervade construction projects by mandating a series of strict guidelines for submitting, and responding to, payment applications for private projects valued over $3,000,000. Amongst these requirements are set timeframes to respond to an application, as well as what must be contained in an application rejection. Critically, if an owner or upper-tier contractor fails to fully comply with all the statutory requirements in response to a proper payment application, the application is automatically “deemed to be approved” and payable. Significantly, however, this is not always the end of the line.
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Catherine Maronski, Robinson ColeMs. Maronski may be contacted at
cmaronski@rc.com
Can Anyone Save Gary, Indiana?
November 18, 2025 —
Zach Mortice - BloombergOn either side of the impeccably refined and classically domed City Hall and courthouse buildings that make up the largely vacant civic core of Gary, Indiana, are two stark white modernist buildings. Both were designed by Black architect
Wendell Campbell, a founder of the National Organization of Minority Architects, and built in the 1980s, a time when the industrial city was reeling from job and population losses and desperate to rescue a downtown in full collapse.
One of them is a sports and fitness center that’s still in use, but the 83,000-square-foot Genesis Convention Center, built in 1981, has been empty since 2020. The city is currently
weighing redevelopment or demolition; one idea has been to use the building’s blank white facade as a canvas for murals and public art. But in a city with at least 7,000
abandoned buildings, there’s no lack of alternative wall spaces.
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Zach Mortice, Bloomberg
Texas Granted Primacy Over Class VI Carbon Storage Wells
December 15, 2025 —
Ashleigh Myers, Robert A. James, Michael S. McDonough & Jillian Marullo - Gravel2GavelOn November 12, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Texas’s request for primacy over Class VI underground injection control (UIC) wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act, authorizing the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) to issue and oversee permits for carbon capture and storage (CCS) injection projects. The final rule makes Texas the sixth state to secure primacy over Class VI wells—following North Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, Arizona and West Virginia—and marks EPA’s third such approval in the last several months.
By securing primacy, effective December 15, 2025, Texas gains direct regulatory control over the siting, construction, operation and closure of CO₂ injection wells intended for long-term geological sequestration. This authority enables the state to establish permitting criteria, environmental review procedures and monitoring standards tailored to Texas’s unique geologic formations and existing oil and gas infrastructure.
Reprinted courtesy of
Ashleigh Myers, Pillsbury,
Robert A. James, Pillsbury,
Michael S. McDonough, Pillsbury and
Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury
Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com
Mr. James may be contacted at rob.james@pillsburylaw.com
Mr. McDonough may be contacted at michael.mcdonough@pillsburylaw.com
Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com
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GRSM Attorneys Selected to 2025 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
January 06, 2026 —
Gordon Rees Scully MansukhaniSuper Lawyers® has released its 2025 attorney lists across various regions of the United States. This year, 189 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani attorneys have been selected, with 60 named to Super Lawyers and 129 named to Rising Stars.
*For attorneys licensed to practice in New Jersey: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Please visit the Super Lawyers Selection Process for a detailed description of the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars selection methodology.
GRSM Super Lawyers 2025
Northern California
Michael D. Bruno
David C. Capell
Lisa M. Cappelluti
Dion N. Cominos
Matthew S. Foy
Natalie Fujikawa
Marie Trimble Holvick
Michael A. Laurenson
Michael J. Pietrykowski
Andrew I. Port
Gina Stassi Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Insured’s Breach of Contract Claim Survives Motion to Dismiss, but Bad Faith Claim Does Not
November 21, 2025 —
Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law HawaiiThe court denied the insurer’s motion to dismiss the insured’s breach of contract claim, but granted the motion to dismiss without prejudice the bad faith claim. Terrazas v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173920 (D. Colo. Sept 5, 2025).
The plaintiff, Alejandro Garcia-Terrazas, had a policy issued by State Farm. The policy covered the abrupt and accidental discharge or overflow of water.
Terrazas noticed a water discharge or overflow in the kitchen. The water caused damage to the floors, cabinets, and other items in the kitchen. A claim was filed with State Farm. State Farm investigated but refused to pay the full value of the claim.
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Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak HastertMr. Eyerly may be contacted at
te@hawaiilawyer.com
How a $1,400 Humanoid Hints at Construction’s Robotic Future
November 21, 2025 —
Aarni Heiskanen - AEC BusinessChinese startup Noetix launched Bumi, a bipedal robot that challenges mobile robots at a much heftier price. Is this just a whim or a breakthrough that could make robots a viable tool for even small construction companies?
The
Noetix Bumi robot is a humanoid robot designed primarily for educational and family use. It stands 94 cm (about 3 feet) tall, weighs 12 kg (26 pounds), and can run for 1 to 2 hours per charge.
Bumi walks on two legs with stable steps and performs flexible, complex movements, including dancing, enabled by proprietary motion-control algorithms that combine imitation and reinforcement learning.
Bumi has a front-facing camera that detects objects and faces, and it is also equipped with microphones for capturing spoken words, which it can process into actions such as following commands.
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Aarni Heiskanen, AEC BusinessMr. Heiskanen may be contacted at
aec-business@aepartners.f
Are Millennials Finally Moving Out On Their Own?UPDATE: Texas Federal Court Permanently Enjoins U.S. Department of Labor “Persuader Rule” Requiring Law Firms and Other Consultants to Disclose Work Performed for Employers on Union Organization EffortsExisting U.S. Home Sales Rise to Second-Highest Since 2007Cuba: Construction Boom Potential for U.S. Construction Companies and Equipment Manufacturers?NYC Billionaires’ Row Tower Could Need $160M Fix Amid CrackingPennsylvania’s Supreme Court Clarifies Pennsylvania’s Strict Liability StandardMontana Federal Court Upholds Application of Anti-Concurrent Causation ClauseOverruling Henkel, California Supreme Court Validates Assignment of PoliciesArchitect Sues School DistrictCalifornia Supreme Court Allows Claim Under Unfair Competition Statute To ProceedCommon Construction Contract Provisions: Indemnity ProvisionsFlorida Decides Against Adopting DaubertInsured's Failure to Challenge Trial Court's Application of Exclusion Makes Appeal FutileCalifornia Supreme Court Shifts Gears on “Reverse CEQA”BWB&O ranks as a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®Inspired by Filipino Design, an Apartment Building Looks HomewardInsured's Jury Verdict Reversed After Improper Trial TacticsNew Jersey Construction Company Owner and Employees Arrested for FraudNo Coverage Under Property Policy With Other Insurance and Loss Payment Provisions“Bound by the Bond”Contractor Sues Supplier over Defective ProductsDefending OSHA and a Call to Action Against Funding CutsThe Families First Coronavirus Response Act: What Every Employer Should KnowHousing Agency Claims It Is Not a Party in Construction Defect CaseReport: Construction Firms Could Better Protect Workers From Noise HazardsFaulty Workmanship may be an Occurrence in Indiana CGL PoliciesInsurer's Daubert Challenge to Insured's Expert Partially SuccessfulBoots on the Ground- A Great Way to Learn and Help Construction ClientsCongratulations to Las Vegas Team on Their Successful Motion for Summary Judgment! Summarizing Changes to NEPA in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (P.L. 118-5)Preliminary Notice Is More Important Than Ever During COVID-19Megaproject Savings OpportunitiesFactual Issues Prevent Summary Judgment Determination on Coverage for Additional InsuredMassachusetts Appellate Court Confirms Construction Defects are Not Covered Under Commercial General Liability PoliciesDesigning, Constructing and Converting Data Centers and Crypto MinesTraub Lieberman Partner Bradley T. Guldalian Wins Summary JudgmentSTV and Tutor Perini/Parsons Arbitrate Unusual Dispute Over Seven $1M DeductiblesCongratulations to Partner Alex Giannetto for Being Named to San Diego Business Journal’s Top 100 Leaders in Law ListHomebuyers Get Break as Loan Rates Defy Fed Tapering: MortgagesPollution Exclusion Found AmbiguousU.S. Homebuilder Confidence Rises Most in Almost a YearDeveloper Transition – Washington DC CondominiumsWhat Sustainable Building Materials Will the Construction Industry Rely on in 2020?Canada Housing Surprises Again With July Starts IncreaseMeet the Forum's In-House Counsel: J. PAUL ALLENDeveloper Africa Israel Wins a Round in New York Condominium BattleS&P Suspended and Fined $80 Million in SEC, State Mortgage Bond CasesMediating is Eye OpeningEPA Looks to Reduce Embodied Carbon in Materials With $160M in GrantsBankruptcy on a Construction Project: Coronavirus Editioni
Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (6/4/24) – New CRE Litmus Tests, Tech Integration in Real Estate and a Jump in Investor Home PurchasesClient Alert: Court Settles Conflict between CCP and Rules of Court Regarding Demurrer Deadline Following Amended ComplaintIt’s Not Just the Millennium Tower That’s Sinking in San FranciscoDisappointment on an Olympian Scale After Rio 2016 Summer Games
