DAWSON NORTH DAKOTA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

'Drywall Isn't Light': Peter Lupo on Safety Management at Standard Drywall

May 26, 2026 — Elaine Silver - Engineering News-Record
Peter Lupo has been safety director since 2019 at San Diego-based Standard Drywall Inc., a major wall and ceiling contractor. He draws on over two decades of safety experience across a wide range of commercial construction work, having previously served as safety director for general contractor T.B. Penick & Sons. He has also previously operated Peter Lupo Consulting, where he reviewed legal cases and provided expert testimony, and blogged on safety for ENR.com. Lupo recently spoke to ENR Correspondent Elaine Silver about the weight of drywall, heat hazard control, bilingual crews and how he supports safety creativity and learning on the Standard Drywall staff. The conversation has been edited. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Elaine Silver, Engineering News-Record
ENR may be contacted at enr@enr.com

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Lienor Dealing With “Show Cause” Summons by Condominium Unit Owner

September 01, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
One of the statutory vehicles to shorten a construction lienor’s statute of limitations to foreclose on a construction lien is through a “show cause” summons that essentially requires the lienor to foreclose on the lien within 20 days from receipt of the “show cause” summons. This is a statutory procedure under Florida’s Lien Law in Fla. Stat. s. 713.21(4). If a lienor receives a “show cause” summons and lawsuit, the lienor should, without delay, counterclaim or file a separate lien foreclosure lawsuit within the 20-day period without exception. This is provided the lienor wants to move forward with its lien. If a lienor does not, the lien will be discharged of record. If you are a lienor and receive a “show cause” summons, please immediately consult with construction counsel that can best advise you and perfect your lien rights. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Inaccurate Representations Can Lead to Differing Site Conditions Claim

May 26, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
In the prior posting, I discussed a case dealing with a differing site condition. In that case, the owner did not have an affirmative duty to make a representation and there was no inaccurate representation made by the owner that misled the contractor. Well, what about when there is an inaccurate misrepresentation regarding the site? This was the circumstance in an older Florida case where a dredging contractor had a successful differing site conditions claim. See Jacksonville Port Authority v. Parkhill-Goodloe, Co., Inc., 362 So.2d 1009 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978). The government provided inaccurate information as to the lack of rock that would be encountered during the dredging that was relied on by the dredging contractor. But the government had “superior knowledge” that there was rock in an adjacent location based on a prior claim from a contractor, yet the government did not disclose the possibility that rock could be encountered. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

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Congratulations to Gianna Liddy on Her Promotion to Partner

September 21, 2026 — Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP
Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP is proud to announce that Gianna Liddy has been promoted to partner. Gianna’s dedication, leadership, and exceptional contributions to the firm have earned her this well-deserved recognition. Please join us in congratulating her on this exciting achievement! Meet Gianna Liddy! Gianna has been with BWB&O since 2019 and has been practicing law since 2017. Her practice focuses on complex civil defense litigation, including high-exposure personal injury, premises liability, transportation, construction defect, habitability, and general liability matters. As a Supervising Attorney in the firm’s Encinitas office, she oversees a team of attorneys, collaborates closely with clients and insurance professionals, and develops litigation strategy in complex matters. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP

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Southwest Super Lawyers Recognizes 50 Snell & Wilmer Attorneys in 2026 Rankings

June 15, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
PHOENIX (April 22, 2026) – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that 50 attorneys in the Phoenix and Tucson offices have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Southwest Super Lawyers publication. Of those 50, four were recognized for the first time and 24 were recognized as Southwest Rising Stars. Super Lawyers is a listing of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers was first published in 1991 by Law & Politics and was acquired by Thomson Reuters, Legal in February 2010. Thomson Reuters is a leading source of information for businesses and professionals. The below Snell & Wilmer attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Southwest Super Lawyers rankings. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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Wilke Fleury Attorneys Recognized by 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars!

July 20, 2026 — Wilke Fleury
Wilke Fleury is pleased to announce that 18 of the firm’s attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. The annual Super Lawyers and Rising Stars selections recognize attorneys across a wide range of practice areas. This year’s honorees reflect the depth of Wilke Fleury’s litigation, business, healthcare, employment, bankruptcy, appellate, real estate, construction, and estate planning practices. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Wilke Fleury

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GRSM Ranked Among Texas’ 50 Largest Law Firms by Texas Lawyer

August 03, 2026 — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has been recognized byTexas Lawyer in its 2026 Texas 100 ranking, earning the No. 49 spot among the state’s largest law firms by attorney headcount. The annual report spotlights the continued strength of Texas’ legal market, with firms across the state collectively increasing lawyer headcount by 2% in 2025. “Texas continues to be one of the country’s most thriving legal and business markets, and we are proud to be recognized among the state’s largest law firms,” said Laura De Santos, Regional Oversight Partner for Texas. “Our continued growth shows the confidence our clients place in us, the exceptional talent of our attorneys, and our commitment to delivering seamless, high-quality legal services throughout Texas and across our 50-state platform.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Arizona Supreme Court Clarifies Parties’ Post-Default Conduct Cannot Validate Void Default Orders

August 24, 2026 — Joseph Kanefield, Ryan P. Hogan & Lilly M. Geiler - Snell & Wilmer
After filing a lawsuit, the first step is always serving process on the opposing party. While that preliminary step sounds basic enough, in McMahan v. Grasshopper, the Arizona Supreme Court recently provided a helpful refresher on the nuances of the service requirement and its importance in litigation for plaintiffs and defendants alike.1 Background McMahan arose from a hit-and-run where a tractor-trailer collided with safety barricades and injured a construction worker. The construction worker sued the tractor-trailer company, and he attempted to serve the company by leaving a copy of the complaint with the assistant to the company’s statutory agent who forwarded the complaint to the company. The assistant, however, was not authorized to accept service on the company’s behalf. Before the company appeared in the action, the construction worker successfully obtained an entry of default. Reprinted courtesy of Joseph Kanefield, Snell & Wilmer, Ryan P. Hogan, Snell & Wilmer and Lilly M. Geiler, Snell & Wilmer Mr. Kanefield may be contacted at jkanefield@swlaw.com Mr. Hogan may be contacted at rhogan@swlaw.com Ms. Geiler may be contacted at lgeiler@swlaw.com Read the full story...

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