Anaheim California Construction Expert Witness Directory

What Everyone Needs to Know About Schedule Float

August 18, 2025 — Andrew G. Vicknair - The Dispute Resolver
Scheduling for a contractor is essential and helps contractors organize work, manage subcontractors, and avoid costly delays. An accurate schedule helps a contractor to keep a project on track, meet deadlines and assist in preventing conflicts between different subcontractors working on a project. In short, construction scheduling is a key tool for completing projects efficiently and successfully. There are different types of schedules including bar charts (Gantt charts), critical path method (CPM) schedules, look-ahead schedules, and linear scheduling for repetitive tasks. Each type serves a different purpose, from providing high-level overviews to detailed task sequencing and daily or weekly planning. CPM schedules are very common and often considered the best type of schedule because they not only illustrate the sequence of activities but also identify the critical path, helping contractors prioritize tasks, manage delays, and keep the project on time. A CPM schedule also highlights where there is flexibility or potential risk. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Andrew G. Vicknair, D'Arcy Vicknair, LLC
Mr. Vicknair may be contacted at agv@darcyvicknair.com

Lender Seeks Millions From Lendlease for LA 'Graffiti Building' Suit Costs

October 06, 2025 — Richard Korman - Engineering News-Record
Six years after a bankrupt developer stranded its partly finished residential-retail complex in Los Angeles, construction manager Lendlease faces a possible state court order this month to pay more than $20 million for attorneys' fees and court costs sought by the project's main lender. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Richard Korman, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Korman may be contacted at kormanr@enr.com

New Law Limits Withheld Retention on Qualified Private Works Projects to 5% Effective 2026

September 23, 2025 — Garret M. Mandel - Porter Law Group

Your inbox has likely been full of messages in the past few weeks informing you that California Senate Bill 61 (Cortese) was recently signed into law by the Governor of California on July 14, 2025, which limits the amount of retention that can be withheld on private works of improvement to five percent (5%). You also have likely read that this is a significant change in the California law affecting many contractors doing business in this State. However, none of these communications likely explain the specific changes that are taking place, the specific types of private works projects to which the new requirement applies, or how the new changes can be addressed once the law takes effect as of January 1, 2026. Background: California Senate Bill 61, signed into law on July 14, 2025, introduces changes to the California Civil Code by adding section 8811 to cap retention payments on private works projects at five (5%) for contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026. More specifically, the new Civil Code 8811 will state as follows: 8811.

(a) This section is applicable to a contract relating to a private work of improvement entered into on or after January 1, 2026.

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Garret M. Mandel, Porter Law Group
Mr. Mandel may be contacted at gmandel@porterlaw.com

Insurer Disposes of Bad Faith Claim on Summary Judgment

October 13, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The magistrate judge recommended that the insurer's motion for summary judgment regarding the insured's bad faith claims be granted. Thornton v. HJB State Farm Lloyds, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151342 (W.D. Texas Aug. 5, 2025). The insureds claimed their home was damaged in a wind and hail storm. A claim was submitted and State Farm inspected a couple of days later. The inspection report indicated neither wind nor hail damage to the roof's shingles, but instead noted wear and tear and general deterioration. The report did note "small dents'" on a single vent which was consistent with hail damage. State Farm did not inspect the interior the insureds' home. The insureds verbally described water damage in the kitchen and master bedroom. State Farm denied the claim. The only covered losses were the dents to the single roof vent and the water damage to the kitchen and bedroom State Farm estimated the replacement cost value (RCV) for these losses was $2,541.81, less that the insureds' deductible. State Farm further stated that the remaining damage resulted from rot and deterioration, neither of which were covered losses under the policy. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

Paola Perkins Secures Summary Judgment for Client in Slip and Fall Lawsuit

October 21, 2025 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
San Diego, Calif. (September 22, 2025) - San Diego Associate Paola Perkins recently obtained summary judgment for the firm's client in a slip and fall lawsuit involving a public sidewalk adjacent to the client's property. After months of requesting plaintiff's counsel to dismiss our client from the lawsuit, San Diego Superior Court Judge Cynthia Freeland granted our client’s motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff’s counsel believed he would obtain a $1 million verdict against our client. After reviewing all the evidence, including the plaintiff’s deposition and discovery from all parties, it was clear the plaintiff had zero evidence against our client. There was no genuine dispute as to any material fact and Judge Freeland held that our client was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

GRSM Women Attorneys Named Finalists in Three Categories at 2025 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards

September 15, 2025 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani is proud to announce that three of its attorneys have been named finalists for the 2025 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards, presented by ALM’s Corporate Counsel magazine. These prestigious awards honor law firms and in-house women leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in the legal profession. Winners in each category will be announced at an awards dinner on October 7, during the Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference in Washington, D.C. In the Law Firm Collaborative Leadership category, New York Founding Partner Mercedes Colwin has been recognized for her remarkable litigation record, winning more than 90% of the trials and arbitrations she has conducted, along with her leadership within the firm and the legal community, as well as her dedication to mentorship. Litigation Partner and National Employment Law Chair Debra Ellwood Meppen has been named a finalist for Law Firm Ally of the Year. In addition to leading the firm’s Women’s Initiative, Meppen is widely respected for her discretion and effectiveness in high-profile entertainment matters, earning the trust of Hollywood’s top producers, directors, and executives to resolve sensitive, high-stakes disputes. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

You Can Pay Me Now, or . . .

August 06, 2025 — Daniel Lund III - JD Supra
The Utah Court of Appeals delivered a significant ruling - including its length, approximately 12,500 words - underscoring the critical importance of adhering to contract provisions, particularly regarding payment terms in construction contracts. At the heart of the dispute was a contract between a general contractor and chiropractor, the latter having engaged the contractor to construct an office building for a chiropractic clinic. The contract specified a payment structure through monthly progress payments, which the owner was obligated to pay within 30 days of receiving the GC’s payment application. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Daniel Lund III, Phelps
Mr. Lund may be contacted at daniel.lund@phelps.com

Seller's Silence on Unfinished Repairs Sinks Summary Judgment in Real Estate Dispute

July 01, 2025 — Wood Smith Henning & Berman
A homebuyer's claims of fraudulent concealment and misrepresentation against the seller of a custom-built residence in Washington State were revived after the Court of Appeals reversed a trial court's summary judgment. At the center of the dispute was whether the seller failed to disclose a known and serious structural issue that was identified years earlier by engineers, but never corrected. The appellate court found sufficient evidence that the seller misled the buyer about the home's stability; despite having been warned that without further remediation, the property could face future foundation failure. Background Facts In 2001, Camille Evans hired a contractor to build a custom home. She moved in the following year, but by 2003 began noticing significant foundation cracks and voids inconsistent with normal settling. Evans retained Forsgren Associates to investigate. The engineers found fill material beneath the home and evidence of water movement through the soil, including cattails growing on adjacent property, suggesting the presence of water. Forsgren concluded the foundation required stabilization through two measures: (1) installing helical piers to lift and support the settled portion, which was completed in 2003; and (2) constructing a subsurface pile wall to prevent future sliding of the unstable fill. A declaration in Evans' 2004 lawsuit against the contractor emphasized that without slope stabilization, the piers could buckle, jeopardizing the structure. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Wood Smith Henning & Berman

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES