ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA ROOFING EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

A Couple of Mechanic’s Lien Bills in VA [UPDATED]

February 23, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
Well, its that time of year again, the Virginia General Assembly is in session and looking to make changes to all kinds of things here in the Commonwealth. While most of those changes are well outside of the subject of Construction Law Musings, changes to the mechanic’s lien statutes certainly are not. This year, the Virginia General Assembly is poised to make some big changes if certain legislation gets out of committee and passes the legislature, a description and some comments on these follow: HB752 – Mechanics’ liens; liens attaching to property; memorandum of lien. [Original Description] Removes the exclusion of the attachment of a mechanic’s lien to property improved or repaired when the lien is based on a claim for repairs or existing structures. The bill further removes (i) the ability of a lien claimant to file any number of memoranda of lien including the details relating to the lien and (ii) the provisions of the Code specifying that no memorandum filed shall include sums due for (a) labor or materials furnished more than 150 days prior to the last day labor was performed or (b) material furnished to the job preceding the filing of such memorandum. 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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Don’t Ignore Prejudgment Interest

February 02, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
When it comes to contracts, there may be a clause that provides that untimely payments shall bear interest at a particular rate. Or it may be the statutory rate. That clause will come into play when determining prejudgment interest. In ANY dispute, prejudgment interest can be an important damages component that accrues from the date of the loss. Don’t ignore prejudgment interest. The Fourth District of Florida, in a construction dispute, maintained:

“[I]f a plaintiff establishes that he sustained out-of-pocket loss, prejudgment interest must be awarded from the date of the loss. The trial court has no discretion regarding awarding prejudgment interest and must do so applying the statutory rate of interest in effect at the time the interest accrues.”

Bensusan v. Design Engineering Group, LLC, 2025 WL 3466367 (Fla. 4th DCA 2025) (citation omitted).

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Reckless Disregard is. . . Well. . .Reckless

December 30, 2025 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
Punitive damages are hard to come by in construction law cases. This is because almost all construction contract cases are exactly that: contract cases. Between the economic loss rule and the Virginia Courts’ almost (though not completely) impregnable wall between tort and contract, punitive damages may seem completely out of the picture. Depending on your perspective and position on the construction project food chain, this fact can be either frustrating or comforting. However, like all seemingly immutable laws, this one has an exception according to the Chesapeake County, Virginia Circuit Court. In Sawyer v. C.L. Pincus Jr. & Co. et. al. this Virginia court was faced with the following scenario. The defendants, a church and its contractor, were sued by Sawyer over a construction swale that was built partly on Sawyer’s property. According to the plaintiff, the only permission they gave to their neighbors at the church was to allow the church to build a drainage berm that did not encroach on their property. As stated above, the church and its contractor built a swale that encroached on the Sawyers’ property. 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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Top 10 Insurance Cases of 2025

January 26, 2026 — Jeffrey J. Vita, Michelle A. Grieco, Kiley Stackpole - Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
The insurance landscape continues to evolve, shaped by litigation that tests the limits of policy language, coverage obligations, and public policy considerations. In 2025, courts across the country issued several significant rulings that will influence how insurers and policyholders navigate claims and risks. Notable trends in 2025 include disputes over property coverage for wildfire and smoke damage, the treatment of interrelated claims under successive D&O policies, enforcement of arbitration clauses in international insurance contracts, and general liability coverage issues—such as construction exclusions for phased projects and limits on coverage for losses tied to the opioid crisis. This publication spotlights the top insurance cases of 2025, highlighting their legal reasoning, practical implications, and impact for policyholders—plus a look ahead at key cases to watch in 2026. Reprinted courtesy of Jeffrey J. Vita, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C., Michelle A. Grieco, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. and Kiley Stackpole, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. Mr. Vita may be contacted at JVita@sdvlaw.com Ms. Grieco may be contacted at MGrieco@sdvlaw.com Ms. Stackpole may be contacted at KStackpole@sdvlaw.com Read the full story...

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Florida’s Proposed HB 255: A Quiet Shift That Could Reshape Condo Defect Liability

January 21, 2026 — Matt Maranges - ConsensusDocs
In Florida, developers and contractors work under strict clocks. Section 95.11(3)(b), Florida Statutes, sets two firm deadlines for construction claims: a four-year statute of limitations and a seven-year statute of repose. Those timelines govern when an owner or condominium association may pursue claims for alleged defects. Once the repose period ends, the claim is barred regardless of when the problem surfaced. Condominium law complicates that scheme. Section 718.124 delays the start of the limitation and repose periods on association claims until control of the board shifts from the developer to the unit owners. The logic is simple: a developer-controlled board cannot be expected to sue the developer. The practical effect is more sweeping. If turnover occurs late in the life of a project, the repose period may remain tolled for years, extending exposure far beyond the seven years that apply everywhere else. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Matt Maranges, Jones Walker
Mr. Maranges may be contacted at mmaranges@joneswalker.com

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Exclusion Bars Coverage For Cosmetic Hail Damage to Roof

January 13, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The federal district court granted the insurer’s motion for summary judgment, finding there was no coverage for hail damage due to an exclusion for cosmetic hail damage. Cannon Falls Area Schools v Hanover Am. Ins. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 206792 (D. Minn. Oct. 21, 2025). On April 22, 2022, a hailstorm and high winds damaged the insured School’s buildings. The School’s buildings had metal roofs. The parties agreed that the hailstorm caused indentations to the roofs, but did not puncture the metal on the roofs. Since the storm, the roofs had not leaked. The School submitted a claim for property damage to its insurer, Hanover. A portion of the claim for damage to the HVAC equipment was paid. The remainder of the claim was denied based on the policy’s Cosmetic Damage Exclusion which excluded coverage for cosmetic damage to roof surfacing caused by wind or hail. 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 (11/12/25) – Banks Weather CRE Storm, Industrial Outdoor Storage Markets Soar, and Office Vacancy Decline

December 08, 2025 — Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
In our latest roundup, turnover rate for US homes drops to a 30-year low, global data center real estate funding struggles to keep pace, industrial real estate space surges, and more!

• U.S. regional banks’ commercial real estate loan books are proving broadly resilient despite worries sparked by a handful of soured loans, but the office sector continues to be a pain point. (Niket Nishant and Manya Saini, Reuters)
• The rapid buildout of AI and quantum infrastructure is sparking a boom in an often overlooked commercial real estate sector. (Diana Olick, CNBC)
• U.S. office vacancies showed their first year-over-year decline since the pandemic. (Joe Burns, Facilities Dive)

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

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Seven Kahana Feld Attorneys Selected to 2025 New York Metro Super Lawyers Lists

November 18, 2025 — Eva Paulson - Kahana Feld
NEW YORK - Oct. 30, 2025 - Kahana Feld is pleased to announce that Tim Capowski was included in the 2025 edition of New York Metro Super Lawyers and Sean Harriton, Brad Pitt’s Foundation Sues New Orleans Architect for Construction Defects

Latest Updates On The Coronavirus Pandemic

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (4/16/25) – Multifamily Construction Opportunities, a Tariff Timeout for Commercial Developers and Data Center-Driven Real Estate Boom

Chambers USA 2019 Ranks White and Williams as a Leading Law Firm

Does Arbitration Apply to Contemporaneously Executed Contracts (When One of the Contracts Does Not Have an Arbitration Provision)?

Edward Beitz and William Taylor Recognized by US News – Best Lawyers as a "Lawyer of the Year"

Contractor Covered for Voluntary Remediation Efforts in Completed Homes

A Court-Side Seat: Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species and Deliberative Process Privilege

Is Your Construction Business Feeling the Effects of the Final DBA Rule?

LAX Construction Defect Suit May Run into Statute of
Construction Firm Sues Town over Claims of Building Code Violations

Who Decides Who Can Arbitrate? The Court . . . Sometimes

Lennar Profit Tops Estimates as Home Prices Increase

CA Supreme Court: Right to Repair Act (SB 800) is the Exclusive Remedy for Residential Construction Defect Claims – So Now What?

Insurer Not Entitled to Summary Judgment Based Upon Vandalism Exclusion

Colorado Requires Builders to Accommodate High-Efficiency Devices in New Homes

No Global MDL for COVID Business Interruption Claims, but Panel Will Consider Separate Consolidated Proceedings for Lloyds, Cincinnati, Hartford, Society

Untangling Unique Legal Issues in Modern Modular Construction

Construction Litigation Roundup: “Ursinus is Cleared!”

How the California and Maui Wildfires Will Affect Future Construction Projects

Do Not Forfeit Coverage Under Your Property Insurance Policy

Narrow House Has Wide Opposition

Wisconsin Federal Court Addresses Scope Of Appraisal Provision In Rental Dwelling Policy

1 De Haro: A Case Study on Successful Cross-Laminated Timber Design and Construction in San Francisco

Float-In of MassDOT Span Sails, But Delay Dispute Lingers

Sweet News for Yum Yum Donuts: Lost Goodwill is Not an All or Nothing Proposition

Formal Opinion No. 2020-203: How A Lawyer Is to Handle Access to Client Confidential Information and Anticipation of Potential Security Issues

Commercial Development Nearly Quadruples in Jacksonville Area

California Case Is a Reminder That Not All Insurance Policies Are Alike Regarding COVID-19 Losses

Massachusetts Federal Court Rejects Adria Towers, Finds Construction Defects Not an “Occurrence”

Gene Witkin Celebrates First Anniversary as Member of Ross Hart’s Mediation Team

No Bad Faith in Insurer's Denial of Collapse Claim

A Court-Side Seat: Appeals and Agency Developments at the Close of 2020

Insurer Must Defend Claims of Negligence and Private Nuisance

Toddler Crashes through Window, Falls to his Death

Allegations Versus “True Facts”: Which Govern the Duty to Defend? Bonus! A Georgia Court Clears Up What the Meaning of “Is” Is

ABC, Via Construction Industry Safety Coalition, Comments on Silica Rule

New York Instructs Property Carriers to Advise Insureds on Business Interruption Coverage

Cape Town Seeks World Cup Stadium Construction Collusion Damages

Executive Order 14275: Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement

Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: The Refund Process Will Be Messy

South Carolina Supreme Court Finds that Consequential Damage Arise From "Occurrence"

Courthouse Reporter Series - How to Avoid Having Your COVID-19 Expert Stricken

Is Privity of Contract with the Owner a Requirement of a Valid Mechanic’s Lien? Not for GC’s

Smart Contracts Poised to Impact the Future of Construction

Home Sales Topping $100 Million Smash U.S. Price Records

The Case For Designers Shouldering More Legal Responsibility

Arizona Is Smart About Water. It Should Stay That Way.

Luxury Home Sales are on the Rise

Lack of Workers Holding Back Building

California Booms With FivePoint New Schools: Real Estate

Insurer's Appeal of Jury Verdict Rejected by Tenth Circuit

Justice Didn’t Ensure Mortgage Fraud Was Priority, IG Says

Governor Bob Ferguson’s Recent Executive Orders – A Positive Sign for Washington’s Construction Industry

Legislative Changes that Impact Construction 2017

Proposed California Legislation Would Eliminate Certain Obstacles to Coverage for Covid-19 Business Income Losses

Payne & Fears Secures $1.9 Million in Defense Costs for Homebuilder Client in Summary Judgment Win Against Insurer

Ninth Circuit Resolves Federal-State Court Split Regarding Whether 'Latent' Defects Discovered After Duration of Warranty Period are Actionable under California's Lemon Law Statute

Jarred Reed Named to the National Black Lawyers’ “Top 40 Under 40” List for Second Consecutive Year

It Was a Wild Week for Just About Everyone. Ok, Make that Everyone.