Global Insights Center: Monthly Newsletter
June 15, 2026 —
Global Insights Center Staff - The HartfordMay in Review
Last month, inflation moved higher, with Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rising to 3.8% year over year, up from 3.3% the prior month. The increase was driven primarily by energy prices, particularly gasoline, reflecting ongoing disruptions tied to the Middle East conflict.
Labor market data were broadly stable. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%, wage growth increased modestly to 3.6%, while job growth continued to be geographically concentrated in the Southern states, particularly cities in Texas. On an occupational basis, healthcare once again led job gains, especially in home health services, a trend we have consistently highlighted. Business formations increased during the month, with notable strength in e commerce and digital services firms. Manufacturing activity also improved, particularly in semiconductors, IT equipment, and natural gas–related energy infrastructure.
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Global Insights Center Staff, The Hartford
That’s a Wrap! Pennsylvania Court Holds Arbitration Clause in Online Agreement Unenforceable
May 14, 2026 —
Gus Sara - The Subrogation StrategistIn Duffy v. Tatum, 2026 Pa. Super. LEXIS 112, 2026 PA Super 41, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania (Superior Court) considered whether an arbitration provision contained in the online Terms of Service on the defendant’s website were enforceable. The plaintiff, Daniel Duffy (Duffy), visited the website of defendant, Dolly, Inc. (Dolly), to purchase moving services. Duffy selected the number of movers, items to be moved and the type of vehicle needed. To complete the booking, the website required Duffy to checkmark a box labeled “By checking this box I accept the Dolly Terms of Service.” Duffy did not have to open the link or scroll to the bottom of the agreement before being able to click on the checkmark box. The Terms of Service included an arbitration provision requiring that any dispute related to the moving services to be resolved by arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association. The Terms of Service did not include any statement that the user was waiving the right to a jury trial. The Superior Court found the internet Terms of Service unenforceable.
During the moving process, an accident occurred and injured Duffy. In May 2024, Duffy and his wife sued Dolly and other related entities alleging negligence and loss of consortium. Dolly filed preliminary objections alleging that the parties agreed to alternative dispute resolution. The lower court overruled the preliminary objections, finding that Dolly’s website did not provide reasonably obvious notice of its Terms of Service to Duffy and, as such, Duffy never agreed to waive his constructional right to a jury trial. Dolly filed an appeal to the Superior Court.
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Gus Sara, White and Williams LLPMr. Sara may be contacted at
sarag@whiteandwilliams.com
Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (7/15/26) – The World Cup’s Effect on Commercial Real Estate, Megadeals Lift CRE Sales and Algorithmic Pricing Lawsuits Continue
July 27, 2026 —
Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law BlogIn our latest roundup, DOT earmarks $1.73B in BUILD grants, federal housing bill becomes law, data center surge cools off, and more!
- Data center planning cooled off month over month from “extraordinary levels” to start the summer, while other areas of construction finally picked up a little steam. (Sebastian Obando, Construction Dive)
- The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $1.73 billion in 2026 BUILD grants covering 127 projects across 50 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Guam and Puerto Rico. (Joe Bousquin, Construction Dive)
- As algorithmic pricing lawsuits continue to play out around the country, more apartment owners and managers have settled. (Julie Strupp, Multifamily Dive)
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team
A Win for Clarity: What a Recent Federal Court Decision Means for Davis-Bacon Compliance
July 13, 2026 —
Stephen E. Irving - Peckar & Abramson, P.C.Following the
Department of Labor’s 2023 Davis-Bacon rule changes, federal construction contractors faced a pressing question: not whether paying prevailing wages is required, but how far those obligations could extend. Could they reach off-site material suppliers? Delivery drivers? Contracts that omitted Davis-Bacon clauses entirely? A recent federal court decision in AGC of America v. US Department of Labor answers these questions in important ways, vacating several disputed provisions and giving contractors greater certainty when pricing, bidding, and administering federal construction projects.
The ruling addresses three aspects of the 2023 regulations that sought to extend Davis-Bacon obligations beyond their traditional scope. By vacating those provisions, the decision creates a more predictable compliance environment and reinforces an important principle: Davis-Bacon enforcement works best when contractors, workers, and regulators operate under clear, objective rules.
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Stephen E. Irving, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.Mr. Irving may be contacted at
sirving@pecklaw.com
Segal McCambridge Recognized in 2026 Chambers USA Rankings
June 15, 2026 —
Segal McCambridgeLos Angeles, CA, June 8, 2026 -
Segal McCambridge is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized as a leader by Chambers USA in California. The firm is listed in the Chambers-ranked department, receiving a
Band 5 ranking for construction in California. The ranking further reinforces the firm's commitment to supporting California's construction market, from owners to developers and contractors, in high-stakes disputes statewide.
"Chambers' research-driven process and independence make this acknowledgment especially meaningful. We're proud of this ranking and grateful to our clients and colleagues whose consistent trust and collaboration make our work possible," said Jason P. Eckerly, Managing Shareholder of Segal McCambridge.
Chambers and Partners is widely regarded as one of the legal industry's most respected and independent ranking organizations. Operating across 200 jurisdictions and relied on in more than 70 countries, Chambers has, since 1990, conducted rigorous research to identify leading lawyers and law firms through a methodology that combines analysis of firm capability, achievement, and market presence through interviews and assessment of recent matters across more than 1,400 U.S. ranking tables, covering all 50 states, Washington, DC, and nationwide.
About Segal McCambridge
Segal McCambridge has built a reputation as a national law firm of accomplished trial attorneys for almost four decades. Founded in 1986, the firm has grown from a four-lawyer shop in Chicago to a firm with more than 20 offices nationwide. The firm routinely counsels and defends clients, including Fortune 500 companies, corporations, and individuals, across the United States in complex litigation matters, including, but not limited to: asbestos, class action, construction, employment, environmental, food and beverage, insurance coverage and bad faith, life sciences, product liability, professional liability, technology and cyber risk, transportation, and warranty. For more information, visit: www.segalmccambridge.com.
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 LLPBWB&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.
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Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP
Greg Katz Quoted in Insurance Journal Article About How Big Data & AI Are Driving Up Verdicts, Settlements
October 06, 2026 —
Lewis BrisboisNational Managing Partner Greg Katz was recently quoted in an Insurance Journal article about how plaintiff's lawyers are harnessing big data and artificial intelligence to attempt to drive up jury awards and settlement demands.
The article, titled "The Big Data/AI ‘Revolution’ Is Driving Up Verdicts, Settlements as Plaintiffs Buy In," points out that a growing number of personal injury and claims law firms, some of which are working with an influx of cash from investors and litigation funders, are using a multitude of high-tech tools to try to gain an advantage in litigation. They are using large online mock juries to test legal theories, big data to find sympathetic jurors and venues in which to try cases, and AI programs to analyze their own arguments and those of opponents.
“They’re taking instincts and intuition out of the equation,” Mr. Katz told Insurance Journal. “They think they’ve come up with a different way to ring the bell and, in their words, add zeroes to awards.”
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WildfireReview the Terms and Conditions of Purchase Orders- They Could be Important!Enforcement Of Contractual Terms (E.G., Flow-Down, Field Verification, Shop Drawing Approval, And No-Damage-For-Delay Provisions)Hoboken Mayor Admits Defeat as Voters Reject $241 Million SchoolWhy You Make A Better Wall Than A Window: Why Policyholders Can Rest Assured That Insurers Should Pay Legal Bills for Claims with Potential CoverageGRSM Ranked Among Top 5 Construction Law Firms by Construction ExecutiveColorado House Bill 19-1170: Undefined Levels of Mold or Dampness Can Make a Leased Residential Premises Uninhabitable John Aho: Engineer Pushed for Seismic Safety in Alaska Ahead of 2018 EarthquakeReal Estate & Construction News Roundup (4/10/24) – Hotels Integrate AI, Baby-Boomers Stay Put, and Insurance Affects Housing MarketColorado Nearly Triples Damages Caps for Cases Filed in 2025, Allows Siblings to File Wrongful Death ClaimsDelays in Filing Lead to Dismissal in Moisture Intrusion LawsuitDuke Energy Appeals N.C. Order to Excavate Nine Coal Ash PitsWhen Do You Call Your Lawyer?Lump Sum Subcontract? Perhaps Not.A Contract Is a Contract: Releases and Change Orders / Bilateral Modifications Are Construed as ContractsASBCA Validates New Type of Claim Related to Unfavorable CPARS Review [i]Traub Lieberman Attorneys Recognized as 2025 New York – Metro Super Lawyers® and Rising StarsAmazon’s Fatal Warehouse Collapse Is Being Investigated by OSHABetter Building Rules Would Help U.K.'s Flooding Woes, CEP SaysBoston Nonprofit Wants to Put Grown-Ups in DormsPennsylvania Supreme Court’s Ruling On Certificates Of Merit And “Gist Of Action” May Make It More Difficult For An Architect Or Engineer To Seek An Early DismissalRepair Cost Exceeding Actual Cash Value Does Not Establish “Total Loss” Under Fire Insurance PolicyMGM Begins Dismantling of the Las Vegas Harmon TowerNewmeyer & Dillion Attorneys Listed in the Best Lawyers in America© 2017From ‘Cuckoo’s Egg’ to Today’s Cyber Threat LandscapeJohn Palmeri and Peter Siachos Named to 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in AmericaThere is No Claims File Privilege in Florida, Despite What Insurers Want You to ThinkU.S. Supreme Court Decision May Negate State Law Requirement to File a Certificate of Merit with the Complaint in a Federal Action Against a Design ProfessionalArctic Roads and Runways Face the Prospect of Rapid DeclineMassachusetts Couple Seek to Recuse Judge in Construction Defect CaseContractor Removed from Site for Lack of InsuranceFour Kahana Feld Attorneys Selected to 2027 Southern California Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars ListsCharges in Kansas Water Park DeathReal Estate & Construction News Round-Up (08/17/22) – Glass Ceilings, Floating Homes and the Inflation Reduction ActWhen “Substantially Similar” Means “Fundamentally Identical”: Delaware Court Enforces Related Claim Provision to Deny D&O Coverage for Securities Class ActionConstruction Litigation Roundup: “Too Soon?”DOI Finalizes Long-Awaited Modernization of Type A Natural Resource Damage Assessment RegulationsCourt of Appeals Affirms Dismissal of Owner’s Claims Based on Contractual One-Year Claims Limitations PeriodThe Oregon Tort Claims Act (“OTCA”) Applies When a Duty Arises from Statute or Common Law and is Independent from The Terms of a Specific Contract. (OR)Backpacks, Broadway, and Building Restrictions: A Legal ReminderBe Mindful Accepting Payment When Amounts Owed Are In DisputeFailure to Strictly Adhere to Limitations for Flood Claim Leads to DenialExtreme Rainfall Is Becoming More Frequent and DeadlyWisconsin High Court Rejects Insurer’s Misuse of “Other Insurance” Provision“Five for Five”: Newark Trial Team Achieves Another Favorable Result in Fifth 2025 Case to Proceed to Jury SelectionNew Orleans Is Auctioning Off Vacant Lots OnlineThe Final Nail: Ongoing Repairs Do Not Toll the Statute of Repose"Your Work" Exclusion Bars Coverage for Contractor's Faulty WorkmanshipAI in AEC 2026: Doing AI Right and Rethinking Your Business ModelNo Coverage for Contractor's Faulty WorkmanshipCalifornia Ranks As Leading State for Green Building in 2022Surveys: Hundreds of Design Professionals See Big COVID-19 Business ImpactsThank You for 17 Years of Legal Elite in Construction LawThree Construction Workers Injured at Former GM PlantSIG Earnings Advance 21% as U.K. Construction StrengthensWhat Are The Most Commonly Claimed Issues In Construction Defect Litigation?Louisiana Enacts Important Tort Reform LegislationBrookfield Wins Disputed Bid to Manage Manhattan MarinaCandis Jones Named “On the Rise” by Daily Report's Georgia Law Awards#8 CDJ Topic: The Las Vegas HOA Fraud Case Concludes but Controversy Continues 
