Anaheim California Construction Expert Witness Directory

Best Lawyers® Recognizes 40 White and Williams Lawyers

August 25, 2025 — White and Williams LLP
White and Williams LLP is pleased to congratulate our attorneys recognized in the Best Lawyers in America 2026 rankings. Best Lawyers has recognized three attorneys as "Lawyer of the Year” including: Robert G. Devine, in the area of Litigation - Insurance, who focuses his practice in the areas of catastrophic loss matters, construction litigation, employment law, commercial litigation, professional liability, products liability, premises liability, transportation law and dram shop liability in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania; Randy J. Maniloff, in the area of Insurance Law, who focuses his practice on the representation of insurers in coverage disputes over primary and excess obligations; and Patricia B. Santelle, in the area of Insurance Law & Litigation – Insurance, who focuses her practice on the representation of insurance company clients in matters involving asbestos, environmental, toxic tort and long-tail claims. Thirty-three White and Williams lawyers have been recognized as Best Lawyers in America 2026. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer-review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of quality legal services. In addition, seven lawyers were recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. This recognition is given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of White and Williams LLP

Fixed Price, Fluid Quantities: The Hidden Risks in Lump Sum Agreements with Variable Units

November 21, 2025 — Virginia Trunkes - Construction Law Zone
Lump sum construction agreements are the most basic of the different design-bid-build options: the contractor agrees to complete the entire scope of work for a fixed price, and assumes most of the quantity and cost risks. If the contractor’s actual costs exceed its estimates, the contractor absorbs the loss. Adding a clause into the construction agreement that allows unit quantities to increase or decrease based on actual job quantities creates a mechanism that can reduce the risk of estimating, but it is a clause that should be carefully drafted and closely guarded. There are times when it makes sense for parties to deviate from their lump sum agreement and allow for greater flexibility: when there are uncertainties in site conditions or scope, and/or to reduce disputes over changed conditions. The parties can introduce elements of unit-price contracts into the lump sum framework, either choosing to shift the risk entirely to one party or the other, or sharing the risk, e.g., by including an equitable adjustment clause that allows for a price adjustment if the variation exceeds a certain threshold. Even with that balance, incorporating opportunities for adjustments can favor more than just the contractor: it creates a disincentive for the contractor to inflate unit prices to hedge against quantity risks. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Virginia Trunkes, Robinson & Cole
Ms. Trunkes may be contacted at vtrunkes@rc.com

Snell & Wilmer’s San Diego Office Recognized as One of the “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal

November 18, 2025 — Snell & Wilmer
SAN DIEGO - Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that its San Diego office has been selected as one of the 2025 “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal, ranking 2nd among the companies on the list in the Large Business category. This recognition highlights outstanding companies in the San Diego region that are setting trends and redefining the employee experience. The list is compiled from top local employers that participated in a detailed survey conducted by Workforce Research Group and were evaluated on leadership, corporate culture, communications, and much more. “We are honored to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in San Diego and to rank second among the numerous companies in the region that fall into the Large Business category,” said Steffi Hafen, managing partner of Snell & Wilmer’s San Diego office. “This recognition reflects the culture of collaboration and opportunity we have cultivated in San Diego. I am incredibly proud of our team’s dedication to one another, to our clients, and to making a positive impact in the broader community.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Snell & Wilmer

To Settle or Not Settle: Factors to Weigh and Practical Considerations

January 13, 2026 — Gerard J. Onorata - ConsensusDocs
Deciding to settle a construction dispute is often wrought with difficulty, requiring the decision maker to evaluate a number of factors. Nevertheless, there are no hard and fast rules that apply when advising a party whether or not they should settle a dispute. Yet the vast majority of construction disputes do settle before going to trial or arbitration. In fact, recent statistics show that approximately 95% of all civil cases, including construction disputes, settle before trial[1]. However, whether settlement is always the best choice depends on several factors to be discussed here. Merits of Your Case First and foremost are the merits of your claims and defenses against any claims that are asserted against you. Construction disputes are inherently fact sensitive, and the merits of a case are driven by the facts of the dispute. Simple breach of contract actions for balances of unpaid funds for the work and materials that have been provided and installed on a project make weighing the merits of the affirmative claim relatively simple. However, these types of “collection cases” stand in stark contrast to complex construction delay claims for equitable adjustment where there exist competing and numerous causes of the delays. In addition, there are complicated legal principles applicable to whether there is entitlement to compensation for the delay or simply an extension of time. Construction defect claims where technical engineering issues are involved also present a heightened level of complexity that may make such cases difficult to prove on the merits. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Gerard J. Onorata, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Mr. Onorata may be contacted at gonorata@pecklaw.com

Todd Ehrenreich Inducted as Fellow of International Academy of Trial Lawyers

September 08, 2025 — Lewis Brisbois Newsroom
Miami, Fla. (August 1, 2025) – Miami Managing Partner Todd R. Ehrenreich was inducted as a Fellow into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers at the organization’s 2025 Mid-Year Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, July 23-27. The International Academy of Trial Lawyers (the Academy) is a fellowship of lawyers with a singular mission - to protect and promote the Rule of Law. Founded in 1954, the Academy consists of the best trial lawyers as measured by skill, experience, ethics and civility. It represents both sides of the trial bar: prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases; plaintiff and defense counsel in civil litigation. “It is an absolute honor and privilege to be inducted as a Fellow in the Academy,” said Mr. Ehrenreich. “This great international group of men and women, whose purpose and focus of upholding the rule of law is of great importance. I look forward to many years of contributing to this goal and working with my Fellows and Diplomates.” Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

EPA Grants Arizona Lead Over Underground Injection Control Program

October 27, 2025 — Patrick J. Paul & John Habib - Snell & Wilmer
On September 10, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule granting Arizona primacy to administer all classes of underground injection wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This decision transfers authority for permitting and oversight of the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program from EPA to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). UIC Program The UIC program safeguards underground drinking water sources by regulating six classes of wells, from hazardous waste disposal (Class I) to carbon capture and storage (Class VI). States may obtain primacy if they demonstrate their program meets federal requirements. EPA’s approval followed a detailed technical and legal review of Arizona’s application and determined that ADEQ has the resources and statutory authority to implement the program consistent with SDWA. Reprinted courtesy of Patrick J. Paul, Snell & Wilmer and John Habib, Snell & Wilmer Mr. Paul may be contacted at ppaul@swlaw.com Mr. Habib may be contacted at jhabib@swlaw.com Read the full story...

Mortgage Company Fails to Prove Loss or Entitlement to Damages, Eliminating Recovery

December 15, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The trial court’s dismissal of a declaratory judgment action after the mortgage company failed to prove the loss or entitlement to damages was affirmed. Erie Ins. Co. v. F St. Investments, LLC, 2025 Ohio App. LEXIS (Ohio Ct. App. Oct. 14, 2025). MR DLB Properties LLC was in the business of property restoration and renovation. MR DLB executed a mortgage on three properties as secuirty for payment on a note issued by mortgagee F Street. As a condition of the mortgage, MR DLB obtained commercial liability insurance coverage with Erie. The policy provided $908,100 in replacement/repair property coverage and listed F Street as first mortgagee. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

Court Resolves Carriers' Dispute Over Which Must Defend

September 15, 2025 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The court agreed with Travelers that Lloyd's had a duty to defend the underlying personal injury case. Travelers Indem. Co. v. Underwriters at Lloyd's, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 118445 (S.D. N. Y. June 23, 2025). Jerome Avenue owned a multi-tenant property in the Bronx, New York. Jerome Avenue leased one of the units to Pawnit Jerome Corp. (Pawnit). Both Jerome Avenue and Pawnit were sued by Randolph Calosso, who alleged that he tripped and fell on the public sidewalk in front of the leased premises, sustaining serious injuries. Travelers had issued a CGL policy to Jerome Avenue and provided a defense in the underlying case. The Travelers' policy included an "other insurance" provision, stating that coverage was "excess over any of the other insurance, whether primary excess, contingent or on any other basis, that is available to the insured when the insured is an additional insured . . ." Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION EXPERT WITNESS DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES