Anaheim California Expert Witness Engineer Directory

How to Fireproof a Neighborhood

March 17, 2026 — Linda Poon - Bloomberg
As builders in fire-prone areas like California race to reimagine homes for a more fiery future, one developer is zooming out to build entire fire-resilient neighborhoods. KB Home’s developments tackle an issue that’s hard for any individual homeowner to overcome: “You can do your home perfectly, but if your neighbor didn’t, you still have a fire risk,” said Roy Wright, chief executive officer of the research nonprofit Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. In other words, to slow the spread of urban fires it takes a village. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Linda Poon, Bloomberg

How to Properly Fill Out and Use the Unconditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment Form Used in California Construction

December 22, 2025 — William L. Porter - Porter Law Group
This is the Second article in a series of four articles discussing how to properly fill out the four California construction releases described in California Civil Code 8132 – 8138. Let me start by noting that in addition to practicing construction law for more than 35 years, I chaired the committee of California construction attorneys who revised those sections of the California Civil Code dealing with this release form and many other construction forms as part of Senate Bill 189 in 2010. I also wrote the first version of this release form and made it free to the public well before the new law took effect in 2012. With this background, let me note a few things about the Unconditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment form to help you avoid mistakes that might prevent you from achieving the intended effect of the form or releasing claim rights to a greater extent than you intend. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of William L. Porter, Porter Law Group
Mr. Porter may be contacted at bporter@porterlaw.com

Insured Successfully Moves to Dismiss Insurer’s Suit to Eliminate Duty to Defend

January 06, 2026 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The court found that the insurer had a duty to defend and dismissed the insurer’s motion for summary judgment. Travelers Indem. Co. of Conn. v. I.C. Refrigeration Services Inc., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 221768 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 10, 2025). Flory Construction, Inc. sued the project owner, Highbridge, asserting claims for (1) foreclosure on mechanics liens; (2) breach of contract; and other cliams. Flory agreed to furnish labor, materials and equipment for improvements to Highbridge’s properties. Flory alleges Highbridge failed to provide payment despite Flory completing “all requested contract work . . . except to the extent prevented by Highbridge.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

Federal Court Upholds Uninsured Contractor Endorsement; Finds Duty to Defend Anyway

November 04, 2025 — Craig Rokuson - Traub Lieberman
In the recent case of LM Ins. Corp. v. James River Ins. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 189320 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 25, 2025), the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York had occasion to interpret an Uninsured Contractor Endorsement in the context of an additional insured tender. After a construction accident, the owner and general contractor tendered to a subcontractor, DATO, who had hired plaintiff's employer, Star. Investigations later revealed that DATO did not have a written contract with Star for the work at issue. DATO's insurer, Arch, denied any obligation to provide coverage to all parties seeking coverage, including additional insureds, based on DATO's failure to comply with the "New York Limitation Endorsement," which requires that "you," defined to be Arch's named insured, obtain certain pass through protections from subcontractors for New York projects, including a written contract. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Craig Rokuson, Traub Lieberman
Mr. Rokuson may be contacted at crokuson@tlsslaw.com

Climate Superfund Litigation: Courts Split on Venue and Intervention in New York and Vermont Cases

October 27, 2025 — Amanda G. Halter, Ashleigh Myers & Jillian Marullo - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Coalitions of Republican-led states, industry associations led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and, most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice are testing “climate superfund” laws that aim to recover billions from carbon majors for climate adaptation costs. Recent rulings in lawsuits challenging the New York and Vermont statutes have split cases across courts and reached opposite outcomes on intervention: In New York, cases are being split between the Northern and Southern Districts and intervention efforts by nonprofits have been blocked, while in Vermont, the district court has allowed environmental organizations to join the defense of the statutes in two cases. Southern District of New York Splits the Cases On September 8, Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ordered transfer of the Chamber of Commerce’s suit - joined by the American Petroleum Institute, the National Mining Association, and the Business Council of New York State - to the Northern District. The court found the case “substantially similar” to West Virginia v. James, the coalition suit brought by 22 states and four industry groups, and concluded that efficiency and consistency favored transfer under both 28 U.S.C. 1404(a) and the first-filed rule. Reprinted courtesy of Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury, Ashleigh Myers, Pillsbury and Jillian Marullo, Pillsbury Ms. Halter may be contacted at amanda.halter@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Myers may be contacted at ashleigh.myers@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Marullo may be contacted at jillian.marullo@pillsburylaw.com Read the full story...

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...

Four Payne & Fears Attorneys Named 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars

March 17, 2026 — Payne & Fears
We congratulate our four Payne & Fears attorneys who have been named 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars. This recognition highlights the next generation of legal talent, honoring attorneys who have made a strong impact in their practice areas early in their careers. Employment & Labor Taylor Brown Bree Oswald Employment Litigation: Defense Tyler Runge Business Litigation Brian Shaw Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Payne & Fears

Why the Total Recordable Incident Rate Doesn’t Tell the Whole Safety Story

November 09, 2025 — David Tibbetts - Construction Executive
TRIR - total recordable incident rate - has long served as the standard metric for tracking workplace injuries. However, events with the potential to result in a serious injury and fatality - or SIF-potential - demand more attention than standard metrics provide. While TRIR has long been used as a benchmark for safety performance, it doesn’t reflect the presence of high-risk exposures that could lead to life-altering or fatal outcomes. TRIR remains a key safety metric, but recognizing and responding to SIF-potential events is essential for organizations committed to true safety excellence. A Tale of Two Projects For example, look at how an overreliance on TRIR can impact two separate jobsites. Both projects have worked 150,000 hours with a significant amount of high-risk activities including site work, steel erection, precast concrete and curtain wall installation. Reprinted courtesy of David Tibbetts, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES