HOLLISTER CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Ball Janik LLP Strengthens Miami Construction Defect Team with Litigator Nicolas Aixala

October 26, 2026 — Ball Janik LLP
MIAMI, FL, October 22, 2026 — Ball Janik LLP has added Nicolas Aixala to its Construction Defect Practice Group as an associate in the firm's Miami office. Aixala brings experience in construction and civil litigation, along with a perspective many litigators don't have: a view from the public side of development, gained researching land use and zoning matters for the City of Miami. "Construction disputes in South Florida rarely stay inside the four walls of a building. Zoning, permitting, and local regulation are often part of the story," said James C. Prichard, Managing Partner of Ball Janik LLP. "Nicolas has seen that landscape from the city's side of the table, and he pairs it with solid litigation training. That combination helps us quickly size up the development and regulatory issues our clients face. We're glad to have him on our Miami team." Before joining Ball Janik, Aixala clerked at Miami-area law firms, supporting attorneys in construction litigation and a range of civil matters through legal research, motion practice, discovery, deposition preparation, and trial preparation. He also interned with the City of Miami, assisting with legal research and opinions on land use and zoning matters, including the City of Miami Zoning Code, known as Miami 21. That work gave him a close look at how local policy shapes development, and how it affects the neighborhoods and property owners who live with the results. "A building is one of the biggest investments a property owner will ever make, and when construction goes wrong, they need advocates who understand both the courtroom and the local landscape," said Aixala. "Ball Janik handles complex construction litigation with a practical, client-focused approach. I'm excited to bring my litigation experience and local knowledge to this team and to the property owners it serves across South Florida." Aixala earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was a member of the Yvette Ostolaza Mock Trial Team and the Cuban American Bar Association. He received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, with a minor in Legal Studies and a certificate in Entrepreneurship. About Ball Janik LLP Ball Janik LLP is a Florida-based law firm offering construction defect, construction law, insurance recovery, and commercial litigation counsel, to its local and national clients. The firm was founded in 1982 and has expanded its capabilities, professionals, and geographic footprint. What started as a small firm focused on real property, land use, and litigation (known then as Ball Janik & Novack) has grown to a team of 70-plus attorneys and paralegals in five offices in Florida, with centuries of combined experience and capabilities. The firm has been recognized by Chambers USA, including for its construction law capabilities in Florida, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, The Best Lawyers in America©, Super Lawyers, and Corporate International. Read more at www.balljanik.com.

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New York Climate Superfund Rulings Put Vermont Law in Focus

October 20, 2026 — Amanda G. Halter, Ashleigh K. Myers, Jillian Marullo & Marcus Manca - Pillsbury
A second federal judge has struck down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act and barred its enforcement. On September 23, 2026, Judge P. Kevin Castel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a decision granting summary judgment to the United States and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), declaring the Act unconstitutional, and permanently enjoining New York officials from enforcing it in United States v. New York, No. 1:25-cv-03656 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 23, 2026). Judge Castel’s decision closely tracks the Northern District of New York’s August 31 decision in West Virginia v. James, Case No. 1:25-cv-00168 (N.D.N.Y. Aug. 31, 2026). Both courts held that the Clean Air Act (CAA) preempts New York’s effort to impose strict liability through a climate attribution and cost recovery framework based on interstate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Both also held that the foreign affairs doctrine preempts the Act as applied to fossil fuel activity outside the United States. On September 24, the Northern District entered Rule 54(b) judgment implementing its August 31 decision, enjoining Attorney General Letitia James and DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton from implementing or enforcing the Act and permitting an immediate appeal of the preemption claims. Reprinted courtesy of Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury, Ashleigh K. Myers, Pillsbury, Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury and Marcus Manca, Pillsbury Ms. Halter may be contacted at amanda.halter@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com Mr. Manca may be contacted at marcus.manca@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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New Survey Reveals Overwhelmingly Optimistic Results on the Use of AI in Construction

May 14, 2026 — Construction Executive
On December 5, 2025, CMiC and Dodge released a survey asking over 6,000 companies across various sectors of the construction industry their stance on artificial intelligence—whether they use it or not; whether they like it or not; whether they have or are planning to implement it or not; and so on. Considering its reputation for skepticism and reluctance when it comes to adopting new forms of technology, the construction industry pleasantly surprised CMiC and Dodge with its answers to these questions, with 87% of contractors believing AI will have a meaningful impact on construction. “The research indicates the construction industry is nearing a tipping point for AI adoption,” says Steve Jones, senior director of industry insights at Dodge Construction Network, who sat down with Construction Executive to delve further into the survey questions and answers and what the industry’s current position on them means for AI’s future role in construction. Reprinted courtesy of Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

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Fraud Allegations Stymie Additional Insured’s Request for a Defense

May 14, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The Federal District Court granted the insurer’s motion to dismiss the insured’s complaint seeking a defense of the underlying case alleging fraud. Renovation Realty, Inc. v. Colony Ins. Co., 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21409 (S.D. Cal. Jan. 30, 2026). Mara Fortin sued Renovation Realty and others (“Fortin litigation”) from the fraudulent sale of a residence. The underlying complaint alleged Renovation “deliberately misrepresented of the residence as ‘completely remodeled’ and ‘meticulously maintained’.” The defendants, however, including Renovation, “knew from sources including a pre-renovation termite report documenting fungus and dry rot . . . that the Property harbored pre-existing material defects.” 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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Arizona Court of Appeals Clarifies Homeowners Association Open Meeting Requirements

June 29, 2026 — Jill Casson Owen, Benjamin J. Hawkins & Stephen Wright - Snell & Wilmer
A Z N H Revocable Trust v. Sunland Springs Village Homeowners Association, No. 1 CA-CV 25-0424 (Ariz. Ct. App. Apr. 28, 2026) OVERVIEW The Arizona Court of Appeals issued an opinion clarifying how homeowners associations must conduct meetings under A.R.S. § 33-1804. The decision reinforces the legislative policy favoring transparency in association governance, bringing association meeting requirements more in line with the open meeting standards applicable to public bodies under A.R.S. § 38-431 et seq. (Arizona’s Open Meeting Law). KEY HOLDINGS 1. All Voting and Formal Actions Must Occur in Open Meetings The Court affirmed that association boards cannot vote or take formal action during closed (executive) sessions. Under A.R.S. § 33-1804(A), associations may close portions of meetings only for “consideration” of certain enumerated topics, such as legal advice, pending litigation, or personal/financial information about individual members. The Court interpreted “consideration” to mean discussion and deliberation, not voting. The Court noted that dictionaries define “consider” as “spending time thinking about a possibility” and “formulating an opinion,” which are processes that precede formal action. This interpretation mirrors how Arizona’s Open Meeting Law (A.R.S. § 38-431.03(D)) prohibits public bodies from voting in executive session. Reprinted courtesy of Jill Casson Owen, Snell & Wilmer, Benjamin J. Hawkins, Snell & Wilmer and Stephen Wright, Snell & Wilmer Ms. Owen may be contacted at jowen@swlaw.com Mr. Hawkins may be contacted at bhawkins@swlaw.com Mr. Wright may be contacted at swright@swlaw.com Read the full story...

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Amazon’s Latest Response to AI Data Center Backlash: $1 Billion

October 20, 2026 — Matt Day – Bloomberg
Amazon.com Inc.’s latest attempt to address the intensifying blowback to an unprecedented buildout of computing infrastructure: a commitment to spend more than $1 billion over the next five years on initiatives for the communities near its server farms. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Matt Day, Bloomberg

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Construction Robotics Works Where Variation Ends

August 11, 2026 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
BuiltWorlds published its 2026 Robotics Top 50 this summer, and the list is genuinely wide. Fifty solutions across nine categories, from 3D printing and prefabricated component manufacturing to earthmoving, demolition, material transport, layout, installation, inspection, and drilling. The honorees come from sixteen countries. It looks like robotics has finally spread across the whole project lifecycle. However, having vendors in nine categories does not mean that contractors are robotizing their work en masse. Zacua Ventures, in its 2026 construction robotics report, estimates that on-site robotics accounted for less than 0.03% of global construction spending in 2025. Zacua says: “That is not a failed market. It is a market at the beginning of an adoption S-curve”, while warning that its estimates rest on private vendor data and may be high if vendors overstate how widely their machines are deployed. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi

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Congratulations to Reno Partner Karen Baytosh for Securing a Complete Dismissal via a Motion for Summary Judgment

July 13, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP
BWB&O is proud to announce that Reno Partner Karen Baytosh received a significant victory on behalf of the firm’s Developer Client in a high-exposure personal injury matter. Plaintiff, a teenager, was struck by an intoxicated driver while walking her dog at night, sustaining catastrophic injuries requiring 24-hour critical care for the remainder of her life. Plaintiff’s Guardian brought suit against the drunk driver and her husband, the City, and BWB&O’s Developer Clients, alleging that the City and Developers failed to improve street lighting and install a sidewalk that would have prevented the accident. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP

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