Cal Unity Bar Names Angela Zanin as Statewide President
August 11, 2026 —
Lewis BrisboisThe California Unity Bar has named Los Angeles Partner Angela Zanin as its statewide president for the 2026-2027 term. This appointment follows Ms. Zanin's extensive involvement in the organization, including as the founding co-chair of the Los Angeles County Unity Bar in 2024 and as its chair for the 2024-2025 term. Ms. Zanin also has served as a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the California Unity Bar since 2025.
In her inaugural message as president, which the Cal Unity Bar published in its newsletter of July 2026, Ms. Zanin stated that she vowed to continue the organization’s “commitment to promoting equal opportunities and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the State of California.” She also noted that as she assumed the role of president, she thought of “the famous words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”’ Ms. Zanin closed her message by observing, “At a time when the rule of law faces challenges, our alliance stands strong, built on trust and confidence in each other.”
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Lewis Brisbois
Lienor Dealing With “Show Cause” Summons by Condominium Unit Owner
September 01, 2026 —
David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal UpdatesOne 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 NorrisMr. Adelstein may be contacted at
dma@kirwinnorris.com
The Grenfell & Champlain Towers: Risk Management Considerations in the Wake of Catastrophic Loss — A UK/US Comparison
June 02, 2026 —
Eric M. Clarkson - Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.1. Introduction
As part of the multinational collaborative relationship between Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. and Fenchurch Law, we continually find ourselves in conversations about the sometimes subtle but sometimes drastic differences between risk management and coverage considerations from one country to the next. These differences are often highlighted by the fallout from large catastrophic losses that are widely publicized and illuminate sometimes widespread risks and perils that many others may be facing in the coming years.
The response of governments and their subdivisions to the needs of victims and/or commercial parties, and insurance markets’ evaluation of and reactions to catastrophic losses vary widely from country to country and jurisdiction. In this article, we discuss these responses and reactions in the cases of the Grenfell Tower Fire in London, England, and the Champlain Tower collapse in Surfside, Florida, within the United States. These two widely publicized losses involved different risk management and insurance considerations based on where they occurred. They also saw substantially different government responses and raised varied questions about what the next steps are for their respective commercial and insurance markets.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Eric M. Clarkson, Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.Mr. Clarkson may be contacted at
EClarkson@sdvlaw.com
“The Superintendent Told Us to Do It:” Why Verbal Approval May Not Be Enough
June 02, 2026 —
Andrew Lintner - Colorado Construction Litigation BlogIn construction defect litigation, one scenario appears repeatedly: a subcontractor installs work in a manner that differs from the plans, specifications, manufacturer instructions, or industry standards after being verbally directed to do so by the general contractor, superintendent, architect, or owner’s representative.
At the time, the decision may seem minor. The project is moving quickly, the field team wants to maintain progress, and nobody wants to stop working over what appears to be a small issue. The subcontractor may trust the superintendent or project manager and assume the conversation will be remembered later if questions arise.
Years later, however, when the project experiences problems, the people involved may deny the conversation occurred, remember it differently, or simply no longer remember the project. Without written documentation, the subcontractor can find itself defending claims for defective work, even though it performed the installation exactly as directed.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Andrew Lintner, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLCMr. Lintner may be contacted at
alintner@hhmrlaw.com
The Deadline to File Suit on a Public Works Payment Payment Bond is Triggered by a Claimant’s Work on a Project Not by a Claimant’s Work Under a Contract
June 02, 2026 —
Garret D. Murai - California Construction Law BlogCalifornia law requires that prime contractors furnish a payment bond – providing for payment to lower-tiered subcontractors and suppliers – on state and local public works projects with a value in excess of $25,000. There are three conditions that must be satisfied when a claimant makes a claim against a payment bond on a public works project in California:
- First, generally, the claimant must have served a preliminary notice, unless the claimant is a first-tier subcontractor or supplier;
- The claimant must have “ceased to provide work” on the project; and
- The claimant must file suit against the payment bond no later than six (6) months after the period in which a stop payment notice must be given or, in other words, the earlier of 270 days after completion of the public works project or 210 days after a notice of completion or cessation was recorded on a public works project.
In
Tarlton & Sons, Inc. v. Great American Insurance Company, 111 Cal.App.5th 376 (2025), the 2nd District Court of Appeal examined whether a subcontractor timely filed a claim against a payment bond when a prime contractor was terminated and replaced by another prime contractor who the subcontractor continued to perform work for.
Read the full story...Reprinted courtesy of
Garret D. Murai, Nomos LLPMr. Murai may be contacted at
gmurai@nomosllp.com
A Permitting Base Checklist for Data Centers and Power Plants
June 02, 2026 —
Michael S. McDonough, Stephen J. Humes & Stacey C. Wright - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law BlogThere is a lot of talk these days about “license to operate” for data centers, meaning management of the relationships with stakeholders and broader communities concerning both the benefits and adverse consequences of locating a facility in a particular locale. Here, we are speaking of “license to operate” more literally—namely, the legal and regulatory permitting and approval requirements for a privately owned data center whether by itself or colocated with a power generating plant.
Our Base Checklist includes generally and potentially applicable permitting requirements for development and operation, using California as an example. (Taking legal authority Frank Sinatra out of context, “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”) The actual requirements for a given facility would depend, in part, on local law, including planning and zoning laws and plans, and the environment of the site. Just as examples, additional permitting and mitigation requirements might apply if sensitive receptors are located nearby (e.g., noise mitigation for residential dwellings), if sensitive and protected biological resources (e.g., jurisdictional waters and/or protected species) would be impacted, or if the present or former land uses require additional measures (e.g., hazardous materials remediation, mitigation for conversion of prime farmland, or protection of cultural resources). The scope of permit requirements would ultimately be determined by the applicable regulatory agencies and by the lead and responsible agencies under the applicable state environmental land use regime—in our reference case here, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Reprinted courtesy of
Michael S. McDonough, Pillsbury,
Stephen J. Hum
Court Throws Wet Blanket On Prime Contractor's Attorneys' Fees Request In Prompt Payment CaseModified Plan Unveiled for Chicago's Sixth-Tallest TowerOIRA Best Practices for Administrative Enforcement and Adjudicative ActionsWhy Being Climate ‘Positive’ Is the Buzzy New Goal of Green BuildingRetroactive Application of a Construction Subcontract Containing a Merger Clause? Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal Answers in the AffirmativeLicensing Reciprocity Comes to VirginiaAngela Cooner Named "Top Lawyer" by Phoenix Magazine in Inaugural PublicationHow to Defend Stucco AllegationsHOA Has No Claim to Extend Statute of Limitations in Construction Defect CaseConstruction Defect Leads to Death of WorkerUniversity of California Earthquake Report Provides List of Old Concrete Buildings in LACongratulations to Karen Baytosh and August Hotchkin on Their Recognition as 2021 Nevada Legal Elites!As the Term Winds Down, Several Important Regulatory Cases Await the U.S. Supreme CourtThe Firm Turns 16!Chambers USA 2020 Ranks White and Williams as a Leading Law FirmWhat is a Personal Injury?No Bad Faith Despite Insurer’s Appraisal Award Exceeding Initial PaymentKB Homes Sues Condo Buyers over Alleged Cybersquatting and HackingTests Find Pollution From N.C. Coal Ash Site Hit by Florence Within Acceptable LevelsInsurers in New Jersey Secure a Victory on Water Damage Claims, But How Big a Victory Likely Remains to be SeenBoilerplate Contract Language on Permits could cause Problems for ContractorsAvoid Delay or Get Ready to Pay: The Risks of “Time-Is-of-The-Essence” ClausesSaxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. Expands with New Office in Foxborough, MassachusettsPunchlist: The News We Didn’t Quite Get To – May 2016The Construction Industry's Health KickBad Welds Doom Art Installation at Central ParkTodd Ehrenreich Joins International Academy of Trial LawyersTexas Supreme Court Holds that Invoking Appraisal Provision and Paying Appraisal Amount Does Not Insulate an Insurer from Damages Under the Texas Prompt Payment of Claims ActBlue-Sky Floods Take a Rising Toll for BusinessesHouse of the
Indiana Court Enforces Contract Provisions rather than Construction Drawing Markings
Alexis Crump Receives 2020 Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award
Fall 2024 Legislative Update:
Chinese Brooklyn-to-Los Angeles Plans Surge: Real Estate
South Carolina School District Investigated by IRS and FBI
LA Lakers Partially Survive Motion to Dismiss COVID-19 Claims
Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal Suggests Negligent Repairs to Real Property Are Not Subject to the Statute of Repose
The Moment of Truth
New York Public Library’s “Most Comprehensive Renovation” In Its History
The Murky Waters Between "Good Faith" and "Bad Faith"
Nonparty Discovery in California Arbitration: How to Get What You Want
Construction Defect Lawsuit Came too Late in Minnesota
Heavy Rains Cause Flooding, Mudslides in Japan
Predicting Our Future with Andrew Weinreich
Defeating the Ten-Year Statute of Repose For Latent Construction Defects
How to Survive the Insurance Claim Process Before It Starts –Five Tips to Keep Your Insurance Healthy
Common Law Indemnity Claim Affirmed on Justifiable Beliefs
California Fears El Nino's Dark Side Will Bring More Trouble
Amos Rex – A Museum for the Digital Age
No Cherry Picking: Direct Benefits Estoppel and Binding Non-Parties to Arbitration
UK Construction Defect Suit Lost over One Word
Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (02/08/23) – The Build America, Buy America Act, ESG Feasibility, and University Partnerships
California Indemnity and Defense Construction Law Changes for 2013
Short on Labor, Israeli Builders Seek to Vaccinate Palestinians
Nuclear Energy Gets a Much-Needed Boost
Microsoft Urges the Construction Industry to Deliver Lifecycle Value
Slump in U.S. Housing Starts Led by Multifamily: Economy
Construction of $3B Data Center in North Dakota Spurs Annexation Battle
New York Court Narrowly Interprets “Expected or Intended Injury” Exclusion in Win for Policyholder
Court’s Ruling on SB800 “Surprising to Some”
Nine ACS Lawyers Recognized as Super Lawyers
New York’s Lawsky Proposes Changes to Reduce Home Foreclosures
Contractors: Beware the Subordination Clause
Colorado Drillers Show Sensitive Side to Woo Fracking Foes
Manhattan Site for Supertall Condo Finds New Owner at Auction
General Liability Alert: ADA Requirements Pertaining to Wall Space Adjacent to Interior Doors Clarified
Traub Lieberman Attorneys Recognized as 2021 Top Lawyers by Hudson Valley Magazine
South Adams County Water and Sanitation District Takes Proactive Step to Treat PFAS, Safeguard Water Supplies
Can Businesses Resolve Construction Disputes Outside of Court?
Water Seepage, Ensuing Mold Damage Covered by Homeowner's Policy
When is Mediation Appropriate for Your Construction Case?
Court Retained Jurisdiction to Enforce Settlement Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 664.6 Despite Dismissal of Complaint
David M. McLain, Esq. to Speak at the 2014 CLM Claims College
Not All Work is Covered Under the Federal Miller Act
Without Reservations: Fourth Circuit Affirms That Vague Reservation of Rights Waived Insurers’ Coverage Arguments
Don’t Be Lazy with Your Tenders
No Coverage Under Installation Policy When Read Together with Insurance Application
New Jersey Supreme Court Ruled Condo Association Can’t Reset Clock on Construction Defect Claim
California Statutes Authorizing Public-Private Partnership Contracting
It Has Started: Supply-Chain, Warehouse and Retail Workers of Essential Businesses Are Filing Suit
