ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Only A Contractor Can Appeal a Contracting Officer’s Final Decision

April 20, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
A recent decision from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals confirms that “only a ‘contractor’ may file an appeal of a contracting officer’s final decision.” Wattiker v. General Services Administration, 2026 WL 846001 (CBCA 2026) (citation omitted). The term “contractor is not an ambiguous term. A ‘contractor’ refers to a party to a federal government contract. Wattiker (citing the Contract Disputes Act). This is why the Contract Disputes Act does not apply to parties that are NOT in contract with the federal government. Id. In Wattiker, an appellant (appealing party) challenged the dismissal of a co-appellant. The co-appellant was dismissed because he was not a contractor, i.e., a party in contract with the federal government. In other words, the co-appellant had no privity of contract with the federal government. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Construction and Design Contracts—They Are More Important Than You Might Think! (Law Note)

January 26, 2026 — Melissa Dewey Brumback - Construction Law in North Carolina
As regular readers of this Blog know, contracts are extremely important for all parties involved in a construction project. While verbal contracts can be enforced, a written contract, which is finely-tuned to your specific project, can save you a lot of time and money later on if the proverbial poo hits the fan. I recently read AIA’s take on contracts, in their Construction Risk Brief (which you should subscribe to [free] if you have not already). Their featured article is on “Best Practices for Construction Contracts”. In the piece, they discuss 7 key points to address in each contract. I concur for the most part, although want to point out that some of them (such as the regular monitoring and documentation bullet point) are deserving of their own post, as there is a *lot* that can and does go wrong during the construction administration phase. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Melissa Dewey Brumback, Ragsdale Liggett PLLC
Ms. Brumback may be contacted at mbrumback@rl-law.com

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Applying Jury Verdict Method in Quantifying Damages Due to Defective Specifications

March 31, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
An older case deals with three important considerations: (1) defective specifications; (2) whether the defective specifications were misleading or misrepresentative; and (3) applying the jury verdict method in quantifying damages. In Metric Construction Co., Inc. v. U.S., 80 Fed. Cl. 178 (Fed. Cl. 2008), a contractor was contracted by the federal government to construct a warehouse. There were defects in the structural steel design specifications underlying the standing seam metal roof installed by the contractor and, as a result, the roof system leaked causing damage. The contractor incurred significant costs in repairing the damage, and pursued recovery of these costs against the government. The contractor claimed the structural steel design serving as the framework for the metal roof was defective and misleading and caused the leaks. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Buffalo, NY Stadium Work Resumes After Suspects ID'ed in $150K Graffiti Vandalism

March 17, 2026 — Emell D. Adolphus - Engineering News-Record
Construction work is back on track at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., after police identifed, but did not arrest two suspects in connection with $150,000 in property damage that paused work for nearly one week at the $2.1 billion stadium project, said the Gilbane Building Cos. and Turner Construction joint venture building it for the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Emell D. Adolphus, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Adolphus may be contacted at adolphuse@enr.com

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Why the Renovation of Federal Reserve Headquarters Costs $2.5 Billion

January 21, 2026 — Kriston Capps - Bloomberg
For months, the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington has been a subject of friction between the White House and the central bank. On Jan. 11, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Justice Department had issued subpoenas in advance of a possible criminal indictment related to the ongoing work. The cost of the work has ballooned to $2.5 billion, and allies of President Donald Trump have previously pressed for an investigation. Powell described the DOJ inquiry as a pressure campaign led by the White House. Any evidence of mismanagement or fraud, as Trump administration officials have suggested, could prove a useful pretext for removing Powell, who the president has repeatedly lambasted for interest rates higher than he’d like. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Kriston Capps, Bloomberg

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Kahana Feld Earns Recognition in Five Practice Areas in 2026 Best Law Firms® Rankings

December 15, 2025 — Eva Paulson - Kahana Feld
IRVINE, CA – Nov. 6, 2025 – Kahana Feld is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized across five practice areas in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms®. Now in its 16th year, Best Law Firms provides a comprehensive guide to the top-performing firms across 127 practice areas and 188 local jurisdictions. A listing of Kahana Feld’s 2026 rankings follows: Orange County

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (Metropolitan Tier 2)
• Litigation – Real Estate (Metropolitan Tier 3)
• Real Estate Law (Metropolitan Tier 3)

New York City

• Litigation – Insurance (Metropolitan Tier 3)

Houston

• Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Metropolitan Tier 3)

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Eva Paulson, Kahana Feld
Ms. Paulson may be contacted at epaulson@kahanafeld.com

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CARB Issues Proposed Climate Disclosure Regulations

January 13, 2026 — Michael S. McDonough, Ashleigh Myers & Karen Eskander - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
On December 9, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued proposed regulations and a staff report for California’s comprehensive climate disclosure laws, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261). These proposed regulations come less than a month after the Ninth Circuit issued an injunction temporarily halting enforcement of SB 261, at least until a January 9, 2026, hearing on the plaintiffs’ requested longer-term injunction through the remainder of the First Amendment challenge to the laws. The draft regulations would adopt some, but not all, of the provisions proposed by CARB in its public workshops on the laws to date, and notably would scale back applicability to those companies above a threshold level of sales in the state. The proposed regulations also define key terms, establish the program fee structures, explain fee enforcement and set initial reporting timelines. The written comment period begins on December 26, 2025, and ends on February 9, 2026. CARB will hold a public hearing on the proposed regulations on February 26, 2026 at 9 a.m. PST. Reprinted courtesy of Michael S. McDonough, Pillsbury, Ashleigh Myers, Pillsbury and Karen Eskander, Pillsbury Mr. McDonough may be contacted at michael.mcdonough@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Eskander may be contacted at karen.eskander@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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Construction Seyt Named a Top Construction Blog by FeedSpot

March 31, 2026 — Seyfarth Shaw LLP - The Construction Seyt
Since 2019, we have strived to bring our readers practical, useful insights on recent trends shaping our industry. Whether you are a contractor, designer, developer, attorney, or industry professional, our goal is to equip you with the knowledge to navigate your business with that much more confidence. We are honored that “The Construction Seyt” has been named by FeedSpot as a “Best Construction Blog” to follow for 2026. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Seyfarth Shaw LLP

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