Anaheim California Construction Expert Witness Directory

Construction of $3B Data Center in North Dakota Spurs Annexation Battle

January 13, 2026 — Annemarie Mannion - Engineering News-Record
Construction of a $3-billion data center on a 320-acre site in southeastern North Dakota has sparked an annexation dispute between the small city where it is being built and its much larger neighbor, Fargo. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Annemarie Mannion, Engineering News-Record
Ms. Mannion may be contacted at manniona@enr.com

Compass, Zillow Take Feud Over Home Listings Into NYC Court

December 15, 2025 — Chris Dolmetsch & Paulina Cachero - Bloomberg
Two heavyweights in the US residential real estate market, Compass Inc. and Zillow Inc., are facing off in a New York courtroom in a legal battle that could reshape the future of how homes are marketed and sold in the country. Compass, the largest residential brokerage, sued Zillow in June claiming the real estate site acts anticompetitively by banning listings that were publicly marketed elsewhere first. A four-day hearing began Tuesday before a federal judge who will decide whether to temporarily block Zillow’s policy while the lawsuit proceeds. The dispute is the latest in a long-running fight over who controls the most valuable asset in real estate: information. Compass has built a private listings network allowing sellers to quietly market homes with its own agents before posting on public multiple listing services (MLS). It argues the strategy lets sellers test demand and pricing without leaving a record on the MLS that could hurt future sales. Reprinted courtesy of Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg and Paulina Cachero, Bloomberg Read the full story...

Quick Note: If You Want to Recover Attorney’s Fees In a Contractual Dispute, Include a Prevailing Party Attorney’s Fees Provision

January 21, 2026 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
If you want the ability to recover attorney’s fees in the event of a contractual dispute, include a prevailing party attorney’s fees. Negotiate this point on the front end. Not doing so will hinder your ability to make the argument that you should be entitled to attorney’s fees due to a breach of the contract. In a recent case, the prevailing party relied on an indemnification provision to create the argument for attorney’s fees even though the action had NOTHING to do with indemnity. This was shot down on appeal as a party can’t use an indemnification provision to create that attorney’s fees argument UNLESS the provision is expressly clear on this point. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes Sheppard Practices and Attorneys

March 03, 2026 — Sheppard
Sheppard has been recognized by Chambers Global 2026 in the following practice areas:

Privacy & Data Security in the United States
Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional in the United States
Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy in the United States

Additionally, the following Sheppard partners have been recognized by Chambers Global 2026:

Justin Boose (Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy – USA)
Will Chen (Intellectual Property: International Firms – South Korea)
David Chun (Intellectual Property – South Korea)

Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Sheppard

Fire Protection You Can Trust Starts With the Right Testing

December 22, 2025 — Fernanda Gregati - Construction Executive
Steel’s strength and flexibility enable bold architectural design, fast project delivery and enduring structures. Despite its many advantages, steel has one critical vulnerability: It fails in fire of certain temperatures. According to the American Institute of Steel Construction, steel can lose roughly half its load-bearing strength at 1,100°F (593°C). The organization also reports that in real-world building fires, fueled by everyday office contents such as wood, paper and furniture, temperatures can exceed this threshold in minutes. That’s why many building codes mandate passive fire protection systems on exposed structural steel. Among the most effective prove thin-film intumescent coatings that expand under heat to form a charred insulating layer. These coatings delay heat transfer, allowing steel to maintain its integrity long enough to allow more time for evacuation and emergency response. Reprinted courtesy of Fernanda Gregati, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

“Number nine, Number nine…”: Newark Trial Team Obtains “No Cause” Verdict in Ninth Trial of Year

December 15, 2025 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
Newark, N.J. (October 21, 2025) - Starting their ninth trial of the year – eight juries, one bench – the trial team of Newark Partner Afsha Noran and Managing Partner Colin P. Hackett recently obtained a “No Cause” verdict for a national owner, developer, builder, and operator of real estate. While the trial was relatively short, totaling four days and eight witnesses, the “No Cause” verdict was nonetheless gratifying for the client and the New Jersey trial team. As in any slip/trip/fall action, the plaintiff alleged the firm client failed to properly maintain their retail space, which led to the plaintiff slipping, falling and fracturing a femoral condyle bone. This resulted in the plaintiff undergoing surgery and being wheelchair bound for over three months, as well as needing home modifications consisting of an exterior home ramp and commode. The plaintiff’s expert opined that the plaintiff was, is, and will continue to be in pain for the rest of her life, and will require pain management treatment and a future knee replacement. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

How Mobile Tools Are Capturing Safety Data on Jobsites

April 08, 2026 — Michael Bruns - Construction Executive
Traditionally, construction safety management is “reactive compliance”—reporting on an incident, filling out a form on paper or electronically, taking a picture and filing it away for compliance purposes. Safety management is shifting from reactive to proactive. Forward-thinking companies are using data and leading indicators to identify risks before incidents happen, not just document injuries after the fact. Mobile tools have completely changed the way safety operations work on construction sites, enabling that transition to proactive safety management. Reprinted courtesy of Michael Bruns, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

Midwest Team Secures Resolution of Matter for Homeowners’ Association Client, Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees

February 10, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
Kansas City/Wichita Partner Alan L. Rupe and Kansas City Associate Delaney McCoy recently achieved a victory on behalf of their client, a homeowners’ association that was sued after denying a solar panel application. The plaintiff homeowners challenged the association’s decision in court, and after extensive—and costly—litigation, the court ultimately determined that the dispute was not yet ripe for judicial review. With that threshold issue resolved, the parties were able to work collaboratively to address the solar panel matter itself. But one significant question remained: whether the association was entitled to recover its legal fees under the declaration, despite the American Rule, which generally requires each party to bear its own costs. The client felt understandably taken advantage of because this issue could—and should—have been resolved without litigation. Considerable time and resources were diverted from the community for the advantage of a single household, so the Lewis Brisbois team continued to advocate for the association’s contractual right to recover fees. After oral argument, the Court agreed, enforcing the fee‑shifting provisions in the governing documents and ruling in favor of the homeowners’ association. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES