Marc Alan Fong | JAMS There is a moment in mediation that seasoned neutrals recognize almost instinctively. It does not arrive with fanfare. It surfaces quietly, often within the first half hour, when counsel begin to frame the dispute. One attorney presents a coherent narrative, grounded in the facts and anchored in a realistic understanding… Continue reading The Well-Prepared Attorney: Setting the Course for Mediation Success
Washington Upholds the Construction Statute of Repose’s Applicability to Asbestos Claims
Justin Meyer | Baker Sterchi Cowden ABSTRACT: Washington Supreme Court holds that installation of asbestos-containing insulation constituted construction of an improvement on real property, and insulation was integral to the refinery’s intended function. Claims arising from that construction are barred by Washington’s construction statute of repose under RCW 4.16.300-.310. On April 30, 2026, the Washington… Continue reading Washington Upholds the Construction Statute of Repose’s Applicability to Asbestos Claims
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
Garret Murai | California Construction Law Blog California 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… Continue reading 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
California Contractor Licensing: Where the Line Blurs on Equipment Installation
Laurence Phillips | Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch For companies that manufacture, supply, or install complex equipment on California construction projects, a recent appellate decision raises the stakes around contractor licensing. Whether a license is required in these situations often turns on detailed, project-specific facts and may not be resolved early in a case. This… Continue reading California Contractor Licensing: Where the Line Blurs on Equipment Installation
Collapse Coverage in First-Party Property Cases
Keegan Lathan | Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig What is considered a covered “collapse” under a homeowner’s policy? One Florida appeals court recently addressed this question in Escobar v. Citizens Prop. Ins. Corp., No. 3D24-1234, 2026 WL 817362 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. Mar. 15, 2026). Specifically, the Third District Court of Appeal held that: (1) drywall is… Continue reading Collapse Coverage in First-Party Property Cases