Report: Natural disasters and smart home risks on the rise, insurance coverage on the decline

For 26 years, West Coast Casualty has been hosting the biggest (and best) gathering of professionals in the construction defect litigation industry. The 2019 seminar was held in May at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, and once again, my colleagues and I from Xpera Group were on hand as sponsors. As I've done many times … Continue reading Report: Natural disasters and smart home risks on the rise, insurance coverage on the decline →

Canada: Crumbling & cracking concrete cladding causing concern

Vancouver, British Colombia played host for a couple decades to a dramatic uprising of concrete-clad condos that permanently altered the city's skyline. Developers rushing to sell units to (oftentimes foreign) investors and empty-nesters cut corners, leading to years of litigation followed by tougher standards and improved oversight — particularly regarding the building envelope. Despite the … Continue reading Canada: Crumbling & cracking concrete cladding causing concern →

How to manage the increasing complexity of today’s Construction Claims and Disputes

Last week I was honored to once again have the opportunity to write a guest post for Virginia construction lawyer and mediator Chris Hill's Construction Law Musings. The title of the post: Hard to Handle. The subject: How to manage the increasing complexity (and costs) of today's construction claims and disputes. While I certainly encourage … Continue reading How to manage the increasing complexity of today’s Construction Claims and Disputes →

New museum in Sweden celebrates the failure necessary for progress and innovation

Perhaps it should come as little surprise that Sweden's new Museum of Failure sounds like the perfect museum for a person like me. Jason Zasky, writing for Failure Magazine (which is now one of my favorite subscriptions), reports the following: The Museum of Failure isn’t on any list of the Top Things to do in … Continue reading New museum in Sweden celebrates the failure necessary for progress and innovation →

Saying goodbye to a true architecture, engineering & construction forensics legend

Debra Rubin, of ENR, shares the sad news of the passing of an AEC forensics grandmaster: John M. Hanson, who, as president, helped guide the growth of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. into an industry-leading forensics and failures engineer and who led probes into high-profile collapses of the Kansas City Hyatt hotel walkway in 1981 … Continue reading Saying goodbye to a true architecture, engineering & construction forensics legend →