Anaheim California Construction Expert Witness Directory

Backpacks, Broadway, and Building Restrictions: A Legal Reminder

September 15, 2025 — Matthew DeVries - Best Practices Construction Law
A few weeks ago, I took two of my girls to New York City for a quick overnight trip to see two Broadway shows. My rule for packing was simple: one backpack each. No rolling bags, no extras. We were walking the city, checking into a hotel, and going straight to the shows. The plain meaning of my instructions were clear: one bag per person. That’s exactly how the Tennessee Court of Appeals handled a recent case, Killen v. Boardman (Aug. 2025). A landowner tried to build a second house after subdividing her lot. But the subdivision restrictions, recorded in 1971, said: "Not more than one residence shall be erected on one tract." The court enforced the restriction as written. One tract meant one residence. Splitting the lot didn’t erase the covenant or the developer’s plan for the subdivision. What made the analysis significant was the court’s reliance on the general plan doctrine, which holds that that when developer sells land with restrictions designed to implement a general plan of development, he “impliedly represents to the purchasers that the rest of the land included in the plan is, or will be, similarly restricted.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Matthew DeVries, Buchalter
Mr. DeVries may be contacted at mdevries@buchalter.com

Dispositive Motions in AAA Construction Arbitration: Why You Should Think Twice

September 30, 2025 — Lisa Colon - The Dispute Resolver
When involved in a construction arbitration under the AAA rules, the urge to file a dispositive motion can be strong. After all, wouldn't it be beneficial to eliminate your opponent's case early and save the time and expense of a full hearing? However, before drafting that motion to dismiss or motion for summary judgment, take a moment to consider if it's truly the best strategic choice. The AAA's Measured Approach to Dispositive Motions The AAA Construction Industry Arbitration Rules adopt a notably cautious stance toward dispositive motions. Rule R-34 states that arbitrators may allow such motions "upon prior written application," but only after evaluating "the time and cost associated with the briefing of a dispositive motion." The rule explicitly mandates that arbitrators consider whether permitting the motion aligns with "the goal of achieving an efficient and economical resolution of the dispute." Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lisa Colon, Saul Ewing LLP
Ms. Colon may be contacted at lisa.colon@saul.com

Executive Order 14275: Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement

October 13, 2025 — Gravel2Gavel Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Under the President’s Executive Order 14275: Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, the government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the initiative aims to “return the FAR to its statutory roots,” regulate in plain language, and remove superfluous words and references. On August 27, the FAR Council released its revisions to FAR Part 33, which addresses Bid Protests, Contract Claims and Appeals of Contract Claims. We completed our deep dive into the Subpart 33.2 portion of the rewrite, which addresses claims and appeals. Construction companies that perform government contracts should welcome the changes rather than fear them. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury

Traub Lieberman Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®

September 03, 2025 — Traub Lieberman
Traub Lieberman is pleased to announce that five Partners have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In addition, seven attorneys have been included in the 2026 Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch list. These recognitions include attorneys from the firm’s Hawthorne, NY; Chicago, IL; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; and St. Petersburg, FL offices. 2026 Best Lawyers® Hawthorne, NY

Lisa L. Shrewsberry – Commercial Litigation

Chicago, IL

Brian C. Bassett – Insurance Law

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Rina Clemens – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

St. Petersburg, FL

Lauren S. Curtis – Insurance Law
Scot E. Samis – Appellate Practice

2026 “Ones to Watch” Chicago, IL

Anthony Hatzilabrou – Insurance Law
Adam P. Joffe – Insurance Law
Jessica N. Kull – Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law

St. Petersburg, FL

Heather Jones – Insurance Law
Ashley Kellgren – Appellate Practice, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Ryan S. Parker – Commercial Litigation
Nicole E. Shapiro – Insurance Law

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Traub Lieberman

Circuit Court Supports Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Protections in Connection with Internal Investigations

November 21, 2025 — Jason Spitalnick, Taryn J. Gallup & Kourtney George - Snell & Wilmer
On October 3, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reaffirmed that the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections cover documents and communications concerning corporate internal investigations - even when companies later use those documents or related findings to make business decisions.1 In doing so, the court vacated a district court order that would have required FirstEnergy Corporation to produce, in civil litigation, privileged and work-product-protected documents related to two internal investigations. FirstEnergy, a public utility company headquartered in Ohio, became embroiled in a high-profile public-corruption scheme involving substantial alleged payments to state officials in exchange for favorable legislative efforts. In response, FirstEnergy and an independent committee of its board retained separate outside counsel to conduct internal investigations. FirstEnergy then faced civil litigation related to the same underlying facts. Reprinted courtesy of Jason Spitalnick, Snell & Wilmer, Taryn J. Gallup, Snell & Wilmer and Kourtney George, Snell & Wilmer Mr. Spitalnick may be contacted at jspitalnick@swlaw.com Ms. Gallup may be contacted at tgallup@swlaw.com Ms. George may be contacted at kegeorge@swlaw.com Read the full story...

GRSM Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026

September 08, 2025 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani is pleased to announce that 172 of its attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 Edition, five of whom received “Lawyer of the Year” recognitions. Additionally, 69 GRSM attorneys were recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2026. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on peer-review evaluations. For the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, results were determined using millions of confidential attorney evaluations. Ones to Watch adopts this same peer-review methodology. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

Snell & Wilmer Receives Multiple National and Regional Top Tier Rankings in 2026 “Best Law Firms® Rankings” by Best Lawyers®

December 08, 2025 — Snell & Wilmer
PHOENIX – Snell & Wilmer is proud to announce it has once again been recognized by Best Law Firms®, earning 34 national and 199 regional rankings across 74 categories by Best Lawyers® in their annual Best Law Firms rankings. The firm received national Tier 1 rankings for its Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Construction Law, Corporate Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law, and Securities Regulation categories. The firm also earned national rankings in 24 other categories, and 15 of its offices earned regional rankings. The 2026 Best Law Firms rankings are based on the highest number of participating firms and the highest number of client ballots on record. The rankings are determined through a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information supporting a firm’s accomplishments. The following is the complete list of Snell & Wilmer practices ranked in the 2026 Best Law Firms: National Rankings Banking and Finance Law Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Commercial Litigation Communications Law Construction Law Corporate Law Employment Law – Management Energy Law Environmental Law Financial Services Regulation Law Health Care Law Labor Law – Management Litigation – Banking and Finance Litigation – Bankruptcy Litigation – Construction Litigation – Environmental Litigation – Intellectual Property Litigation – Labor and Employment Litigation – Real Estate Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) Litigation – Securities Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants Mergers and Acquisitions Law Mining Law Native American Law Natural Resources Law Patent Law Real Estate Law Securities / Capital Markets Law Securities Regulation Tax Law Trademark Law Trusts and Estates Venture Capital Law Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

Construction Robotics: The Sentiment-Implementation Gap

August 18, 2025 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
Construction professionals are increasingly optimistic about robotics in their companies, according to BuiltWorlds’ just-released 2025 Equipment & Robotics Benchmarking Report. But while the mood is upbeat, actual implementation still lags in some areas. This raises important questions about the path from experimentation to standard practice. A Stronger Appetite for Robotic Innovation BuiltWorlds surveyed a diverse group of construction firms, including general contractors, specialty trades, and subcontractors, with annual revenues ranging from $2 million to $5 billion. This year’s data reveals a significant shift in how companies perceive their internal robotics initiatives. Negative attitudes have dropped significantly. In fact, not a single respondent rated their company’s robotics strategy as “poor,” compared to over 7% last year. Meanwhile, positive evaluations have surged: 95% of respondents now describe their organization’s efforts as “good” or better, up from 74% in 2024. “Excellent” ratings alone increased by nearly 10 percentage points. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES