MARION COUNTY OHIO ROOFING EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

The Modern Nuclear Renaissance Reaches New England

April 14, 2026 — Stephen J. Humes - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
On March 31, 2026, the governors of all six New England states issued a joint, bipartisan statement committing the region to explore deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies while supporting the continued safe, affordable and reliable operation of New England’s existing nuclear generation facilities. This coordinated regional initiative follows a major policy announcement in June 2025 by New York Governor Kathy Hochul directing the New York Power Authority to pursue development of at least 1,000 MW of advanced nuclear generation to support statewide reliability needs and New York’s zero‑carbon mission. Less than one year after New York formally embraced a modern nuclear renaissance, that renaissance has now expanded across the New England states—signaling a broader Northeast regional pivot toward nuclear as a core element of long‑term reliability, affordability and decarbonization strategies. For utilities and power generators, this shift creates both opportunities and planning imperatives that warrant immediate attention. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Stephen J. Humes, Pillsbury
Mr. Humes may be contacted at stephen.humes@pillsburylaw.com

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GRSM Partner Debra Ellwood Meppen Recognized as 2026 Legal Visionary by Los Angeles Times

June 02, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani proudly congratulates Partner Debra Ellwood Meppen on being named a 2026 Legal Visionary by the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times Studios 2026 Legal Visionaries List recognizes lawyers in Southern California who “exemplify a forward-thinking approach to the law, elevating both their profession and the people who depend on it.” Meppen is recognized for helping shape the future of the legal profession through her leadership, professionalism, and integrity. Published as part of the May 2026 issue highlighting Southern California’s leading law firms and attorneys, the Legal Visionaries section honors attorneys making a significant impact on the legal industry and the broader business community. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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USDOT’s DBE Interim Final Rule: How It Affects Current and Out-to-Bid DOT and Airport Projects

June 15, 2026 — Zachary F. Jacobson - The Construction Seyt
In our April 16, 2026 post, we discussed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Interim Final Rule (IFR) concerning Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) certification, specifically as it concerns transportation and airport projects in California. This post addresses a broader question: What does the IFR mean for current and out-to-bid DOT projects operating under pre-existing DBE goals? The answer is that the IFR did more than change who qualifies as a DBE. It also changed how federally funded transportation and airport projects must be handled during the re-evaluation period. This affects active contracts, pending procurements, airport projects, design-build teams, and anyone relying on old assumptions about DBE goals and counting of DBE and ACDBE credit. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Zachary F. Jacobson, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Mr. Jacobson may be contacted at zjacobson@seyfarth.com

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Surety Liability Is Coextensive with Its Bond Principal

April 14, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
A recent Miller act payment bond case, U.S. f/u/b/o Whitetail General Constructors v. Northcon, Inc., 2026 WL 46671 (D.Mont. 2026), contains a short noteworthy discussion as to a surety’s liability being coextensive with that of its bond principal. If you are bonded, or you are pursuing a bond, you need to appreciate this, which is why this is a noteworthy discussion:

A “surety’s liability on a Miller Act bond must be at least coextensive with the obligations imposed by the Act if the bond is to have its intended effect.” “Therefore, ‘the liability of a surety and its principal on a Miller Act payment bond is coextensive with the contractual liability of the principal only to the extent that it is consistent with the rights and obligations created under the Miller Act.’” In other words, “[w]here a subcontract’s terms are consistent with the Miller Act’s provisions, the surety’s liability on the Miller Act bond is coextensive with the contractual liability of its princip[al].”

“The liability of a surety under the Miller Act is controlled by federal law, rather than state contract law[.]” The court may, however, “look to state law when interpreting contractual provisions” in a Miller Act case.

“[T]he measure of recovery under the Miller Act is generally determined by the terms of the subcontract [or underlying contract].”

Northcon, supra, at *4-5 (internal citations 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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Jonathan Aihie Named to The National Bar Association’s “Top 40 Under 40” List

August 03, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois
Fort Lauderdale Partner Jonathan Aihie was recently named to The National Bar Association (NBA) “Top 40 Under 40” list. The NBA “Top 40 Under 40” recognizes the nation's top lawyers under the age of 40 who demonstrate professional excellence, leadership, and commitment to the community. Recipients represent a broad cross-section of the legal profession, including private practice, government, academia, the judiciary, corporate counsel, and public service. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

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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 water damage exposures and basic maintenance to make sure drains are clean of debris and divert them to a catch basin or low point away from the building. An effective WDPP plan also incorporates technology such as backflow preventers on sewer connections and water sensing technology to monitor the most vulnerable exposures. Reprinted courtesy of Andrew Swift, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

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Differing Site Conditions Claim Requires a Misrepresentation

May 14, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
If you are entertaining a differing site conditions claim, consider this Third District Court of Appeals case from the mid-90s. In Hendry Corp. v. Metropolitan Dade County, 648 So.2d 140 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995), a contractor was hired by Dade County to demolish the old Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami. The original 1941 plans of the causeway were made available to contractors. The lowest bidding contractor that was awarded the project based its bid “on its conclusion that the pilings supporting the old bridge were made of concrete.” Hendry, supra at 141. The contractor based this conclusion on the original plans, its visual observation, and experience. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Sometimes a General Damages Assessment is Enough. . .

July 06, 2026 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
It has been a while since I last posted here at Construction Law Musings. Life, law practice, and “blogger’s block” have taken their toll on the posting schedule. Hopefully this will be one of several upcoming posts now that the litigation schedule has lightened a bit over the summer. Today’s post is about damages. Specifically damage to a homeowner’s roof and her legal damages therefor. That last is of course a sentence that only a construction attorney (or other litigator) could possibly craft and have it make sense. Now, on with the case. . .In Coverage for Construction Defect Barred by Contractual-Liability Exclusion

NIBS Consultative Council Issues Moving Forward Report on Healthy Buildings

PSA: New COVID Vaccine ETS Issued by OSHA

When is Mediation Appropriate for Your Construction Case?

Exception to Watercraft Exclusion Does Not Apply

Texas covered versus uncovered allocation and “legally obligated to pay.”

Policy Renewals: Has Your Insurer Been Naughty or Nice?

Narberth Mayor Urges Dubious Legal Action

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

No Subrogation, Contribution Rights for Carrier Defending Construction Defect Claim

Cost of Materials Holding Back Housing Industry

Residential Mortgage Lenders and Servicers Beware of Changes to Rule 3002.1

French President Vows to Rebuild Fire-Collapsed Notre Dame Roof and Iconic Sp
Resulting Loss From Faulty Workmanship Covered

U.S. Home Prices Climbed 0.1% in July as Gains Slowed

Review your Additional Insured Endorsement

White and Williams LLP Secures Trio of Cyber Coverage Wins

Woodbridge II and the Nuanced Meaning of “Adverse Use” in Hostile Property Rights Cases in Colorado

SNC-Lavalin’s Former Head of Construction Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Money Laundering

Repairs Could Destroy Evidence in Construction Defect Suit

Avoid Five Common Fraudulent Schemes Used in Construction

San Francisco Bucks U.S. Trend With Homeownership Gains

Don’t Just Document- Document Right!

The Vallagio HOA Appeals the Decision from the Colorado Court of Appeals

AI Systems and the Real Estate Industry

Seattle Developer Defaults on Renovated Office Buildings

Texas LGI Homes Goes After First-Time Homeowners

Liability Policy’s Arbitration Endorsement Applies to Third Party Beneficiaries, Including Additional Insureds

Haight Welcomes Elizabeth Lawley

David M. McLain to Speak at the CLM Claims College - School of Construction - Scholarships Available

Payne & Fears Recognized by Best Lawyers in 2025 Best Law Firms®

Let’s Give ‘Em Sutton to Talk About: Tennessee Court Enforces Sutton Doctrine

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court Limits The Scope Of A Builder’s Implied Warranty Of Habitability

The Supreme Court’s Administrative and Regulatory Law Rulings in the 2024 Term and Preview of Cases to Be Decided in Fall 2025

Labor Shortages In Construction

The Biggest Trials Coming to Courts Around the World in 2021

Federal Circuit Clarifies Limits of Design Liability in GSA Contract Dispute

Exclusion for Construction of Condominiums Includes Faulty Construction of Retaining Wall

Veolia Water Technologies, Inc. v. Antero Treatment LLC: Colorado Court of Appeals Addresses Fraud in Design-Build Contracts

Recent Federal Court Decision Favors Class Action Defendants

Turmoil Slows Rebuilding of Puerto Rico's Power Grid

An Overview of the New EPA HVAC Refrigerant Regulations and Its Implications for the Construction Industry

In Contracts, One Word Makes All the Difference

Construction Spending Had Strongest Increase in Four Years

What to Know Before Building a Guesthouse

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (11/12/25) – Banks Weather CRE Storm, Industrial Outdoor Storage Markets Soar, and Office Vacancy Decline

Lower Manhattan Condos Rival Midtown’s Luxury Skyscrapers

Nancy Conrad Recognized in Lehigh Valley Business 2024 Power in Law List

New Jersey Law regarding Prior Expert’s Testimony

Bay Area Counties Issue Less Restrictive “Shelter in Place” Orders, Including for Construction

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Will Not Address Trigger for DEP Environmental Cleanup Action at This Time

Here's Proof Homebuilders are Betting on a Pickup in the Housing Market

Suspend the Work, but Don’t Get Fired

Waiving Workers’ Compensation Immunity for Indemnity: Demystifying a Common and Scary-Looking Contract Term

Statutory Time Limits for Construction Defects in Massachusetts

Snell & Wilmer’s San Diego Office Recognized as One of the “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal

Constructive Notice Established as Obstacle to Relation Back Doctrine

Economic Damages Cannot be Based On Speculation

Decaying U.S. Roads Attract Funds From KKR to DoubleLine

One More Mechanic’s Lien Number- the Number 30

California Beach Hotel to Get $185 Million Luxury Rebuild

White House’s New Draft Guidance Limiting NEPA Review of Greenhouse Gas Impacts Is Not So New or Limiting

Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (10/29/25) – Office Market Bounces Back, Senate Passes ROAD to Housing Act, and CRE Embraces Blockchain