JEFFERSON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

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

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2026 Southern California Super Lawyers Recognizes 14 Snell & Wilmer Attorneys

March 03, 2026 — Snell & Wilmer
LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys in its Los Angeles and Orange County offices have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers publication. Of those 15, six were recognized as 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. The final published list represents no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

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CARB Issues Proposed Climate Disclosure Regulations

January 13, 2026 — Michael S. McDonough, Ashleigh Myers & Karen Eskander - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
On December 9, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued proposed regulations and a staff report for California’s comprehensive climate disclosure laws, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261). These proposed regulations come less than a month after the Ninth Circuit issued an injunction temporarily halting enforcement of SB 261, at least until a January 9, 2026, hearing on the plaintiffs’ requested longer-term injunction through the remainder of the First Amendment challenge to the laws. The draft regulations would adopt some, but not all, of the provisions proposed by CARB in its public workshops on the laws to date, and notably would scale back applicability to those companies above a threshold level of sales in the state. The proposed regulations also define key terms, establish the program fee structures, explain fee enforcement and set initial reporting timelines. The written comment period begins on December 26, 2025, and ends on February 9, 2026. CARB will hold a public hearing on the proposed regulations on February 26, 2026 at 9 a.m. PST. Reprinted courtesy of Michael S. McDonough, Pillsbury, Ashleigh Myers, Pillsbury and Karen Eskander, Pillsbury Mr. McDonough may be contacted at michael.mcdonough@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Eskander may be contacted at karen.eskander@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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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

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New California Law Requires Real Estate Agents and Brokers to Disclose AI Alterations in Listings

January 21, 2026 — Brian Slome - Lewis Brisbois
San Diego, Calif. (December 19, 2025) - Artificial intelligence and digital marketing have become ubiquitous in real estate advertising. The widespread use of AI creates risk for consumers who don’t know whether images shown online or on the multiple listing services are real. A new California law that goes into effect in January 2026 tries to draw a clear line: innovation is welcome but deception is not. The state’s new law requires licensed real estate brokers and salespersons to disclose when images used in advertisement and promotional materials have been digitally altered and to provide access to the original, unaltered images. The law is intended to enhance transparency in real estate advertising and to reduce the risk of consumer deception arising from image editing, virtual staging, or other digital modifications. Who Is Covered The law applies to real estate agents, brokers, developers, and marketing staff involved in property advertising. It encompasses advertisements including those in print and online. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brian Slome, Lewis Brisbois
Mr. Slome may be contacted at Brian.Slome@lewisbrisbois.com

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When Your Scheduler Hallucinates: Managing AI Risk on the Job Site

March 03, 2026 — Jason Loring - ConsensusDocs
Artificial intelligence has moved from the conference room to the construction site. Contractors are using AI-powered tools to predict schedule delays, monitor safety through drone footage, optimize equipment maintenance and flag potential hazards in real time. These tools deliver genuine efficiency gains, but they also introduce risks that most construction contracts do not anticipate and many project teams aren’t yet equipped to manage. The problem is that AI tools are probabilistic and not determinative, meaning that they can “hallucinate”: generating confident, but completely wrong, information. Your AI scheduling software might therefore predict a delay that never materializes, causing unnecessary resource mobilization. Your drone monitoring might flag a nonexistent safety hazard, stopping work and costing productivity. Or worse, it might miss a real hazard entirely. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Jason Loring, Jones Walker LLP
Mr. Loring may be contacted at jloring@joneswalker.com

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Cross-Office Team Secures Litigation Stay and Order of Arbitration on Behalf of Hotel Developer

February 17, 2026 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
New York Partner Minyao Wang, Chicago Partner Bryan Sugar, and Denver/Washingt
BIOHM Seeks to Turn Plastic Waste into Insulation Material with Mushrooms

Amendments to California Insurance Code to Require Enhanced Claims Handling Requirements for Claims Arising Out Of Catastrophic Events

Missouri Legislature Passes Bill to Drastically Change Missouri’s “Consent Judgment” Statute

Partners Leigh Katz and Darnisha Lewis-Bonilla Join Kahana Feld’s General Liability Practice Group in New York

Decline in Home Construction Brings Down Homebuilder Stocks

July 1, 2015 Statutory Changes Affecting Virginia Contractors and Subcontractors

Is Your Business Insured for the Coronavirus?

Developer Boymelgreen Forced to Hand Over Financial Records for 15 Broad Street

President Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Requires a Viable Statutory Framework (PPP Statutes)[i]

Extreme Heat, Smoke Should Get US Disaster Label, Groups Say

White House Seeks $310M To Fix Critical San Diego Wastewater Plant

New EPA Regulation for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

Will They Blow It Up?

ARUP, Rethinking Green Infrastructure

Business Risk Exclusions Bar Faulty Workmanship Claim

Court Rules That ERISA Preemption Bars Recovery of Union Benefit Fund Payments Pursuant to New York’s Wage Theft Statute from a General Contractor Where a Subcontractor Failed to Fund Payments

Employee Exclusion Bars Coverage for Wrongful Death of Subcontractor's Employee

NYC Airports Get $500,000 Makeover Contest From Cuomo

Creating a Custom Home Feature in the Great Outdoors

Policyholder Fails to Build Adequate Record to Support Bad Faith Claim

Just a House That Uses 90 Percent Less Energy Than Yours, That's All

Navigating the Executive Order Ending Affirmative Action and DEI for Federal Contractors: Essential Steps for Compliance

Some Insurers Dismissed, Others Are Not in Claims for Faulty Workmanship

Construction Litigation Roundup: “Sudden Death”

Did the Court of Appeals Just Raise the Bar for California Contractors to Self-Report Construction-Related Judgments?

Anatomy of a Construction Dispute- An Alternative

NY Attorney General to Propose Bill Requiring Climate Adaptation for Utilities

OSHA Reinforces COVID Guidelines for the Workplace

Economic Damages Cannot be Based On Speculation

Build, Baby, Build. But Not Like This, Britain.

Case Alert Update: SDV Case Tabbed as One of New York’s Top Three Cases to Watch

Florida Adopts Daubert Standard for Expert Testimony

Home Buyers will Pay More for Solar

The Comcast Project is Not Likely to Be Shut Down Too Long

Deadlines Count for Construction Defects in Florida

Major Changes in Commercial Construction Since 2009

Brenda Radmacher to Speak at Construction Super Conference 2024

Repairs to Water Infrastructure Underway After Hurricane Helene

Homebuilder Confidence Takes a Beating

Failure to Meet Code Case Remanded to Lower Court for Attorney Fees

Courthouse Reporter Series: Nebraska Court of Appeals Vacates Arbitration Award for Misconduct

2023 West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar

Four Dead After Crane Collapses at Google’s Seattle Campus

Gordon & Rees Ranked #4 of Top 50 Construction Law Firms in the Nation by Construction Executive Magazine

The Secret to an OSHA Inspection

Unlicensed Contractors Caught in a Sting Operation

Seabold Construction Ties Demise to Dispute with Real Estate Developer

It Was a Wild Week for Just About Everyone. Ok, Make that Everyone.

Virginia Chinese Drywall and pollution exclusion

Corvette museum likely to keep part of sinkhole
Build. But Not Like This, Britain.

What Cal/OSHA’s “Permanent” COVID Standards Mean for Employers

Hurricane Damage Not Covered for Home Owner Not Named in Policy

First Suit to Enforce Business-Interruption Coverage Filed

Lay Testimony Sufficient to Prove Diminution in Value

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

The Cheapest Place to Buy a House in the Hamptons

Claims for Bad Faith and Punitive Damages Survive Insurer's Motion for Summary Judgment

Bank Window Lawsuit Settles Quietly

Deck Built, Towers Stalled: $1B Fenway Center Air-Rights Project Hits Turbulence

Construction Workers Face Dangers on the Job

Rebuilding in Fire-Damaged Los Angeles One Year Later

Vancouver’s George Massey Tunnel Replacement May Now be a Tunnel Instead of a Bridge

Another Reminder that Contracts are Powerful in Virginia

Georgia Court of Appeals Holds Lay Witness Can Provide Opinion Testimony on the Value of a Property If the Witness Had an Opportunity to Form a Reasoned Opinion

Environmental Due Diligence - What's The Hold Up?

ENR 2024 Water Report: Managers Look to Potable Water Reuse

“Other Insurance” and Indemnity Provisions Determine Which Insurer Must Cover

Common Flood Insurance Myths and how Agents can Debunk Them

Home insurance perks for green-friendly design (guest post)

The Riskiest Housing Markets in the U.S.