Richard McDonald, Cory Mickels and Jay Ross | Lathrop GPM Two new California statutes taking effect January 1, 2026, will significantly change the way private construction projects are contracted, administered and paid: Both laws require immediate updates to standard contract forms, internal workflows and project management practices. SB 61: The New 5% Retention Cap SB… Continue reading California Overhauls Private Sector Construction Payment Practices
Month: December 2025
California’s New Rules for Private Construction Contracts Take Effect Jan. 1, 2026
Sydne Levy, Joshua Rabinowitz and Michael Zehner | Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, new amendments to the California Civil Code will significantly affect most private construction projects (excluding certain smaller residential projects under four stories). Two statutes—Civil Code sections 8811 and 8850—impose non-waivable requirements and render noncompliant contract provisions unenforceable. Owners, contractors… Continue reading California’s New Rules for Private Construction Contracts Take Effect Jan. 1, 2026
New Cal/OSHA Standard for Confined Spaces in Construction Takes Effect on January 1, 2026
Robert Rodriguez and Karen Tynan | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart On November 4, 2025, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA Standards Board) filed its adopted revisions to regulations on construction safety orders for confined spaces. The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) recently approved the regulatory text at Title 8 CCR §§ 1951 through 1956, with… Continue reading New Cal/OSHA Standard for Confined Spaces in Construction Takes Effect on January 1, 2026
AI in Arbitration: Unleash It or Restrain It? What Practitioners Need to Know
American Arbitration Association Artificial intelligence has moved from the margins to the mainstream of legal practice. From document review and procedural summaries to drafting support and citation checks, AI is reshaping how disputes are prepared and managed. And as adoption accelerates, practitioners face a critical question: How can we leverage AI’s efficiency without compromising fairness,… Continue reading AI in Arbitration: Unleash It or Restrain It? What Practitioners Need to Know
Commercial Lightning Losses: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure
Jeff Dunsavage | The Triple-I Blog Lightning strikes costs homeowners more than $1 billion a year – but it’s unclear how much businesses lose through lightning-related damage. This is because many fires at commercial properties are recorded simply as “general fire damage”, making it hard to quantify lightning-specific losses or understand true commercial exposure. In… Continue reading Commercial Lightning Losses: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure