United States: Construction & Planning

A California appellate court ruled that homeowners who built an unpermitted retaining wall encroaching on their neighbor's property cannot claim a prescriptive easement because the structure constitutes an abatable public nuisance. The decision reinforces that courts will not allow property rights to arise from code violations and unpermitted construction, even when maintained openly for years.

California voters will soon decide on Proposition 45, the Building an Affordable California Act (BACA), which promises to revolutionize CEQA environmental review for essential projects including housing, infrastructure, and renewable energy developments. The initiative would establish vested CEQA standards, accelerated review timelines, and significantly reduced litigation risks for qualifying projects. Will this landmark reform provide the certainty developers need, or will ambiguities in its broad provisi

District of Columbia Councilmember Robert White on September 25, 2026, introduced the Build Housing Package comprised of four targeted bills intended to address housing delivery and cost concerns. Councilmember Brooke Pinto is serving as co-lead or co-introducer of the bills.

Monmouth County is experiencing a major development surge driven by projects like Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth, the Monmouth Park redevelopment, and residential developments across multiple municipalities.

The life sciences real estate market is shifting from laboratory space development to pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, driven by efforts to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturers...

The Florida Legislature's 2023 effort to "clarify" the construction statute of limitations and statute of repose may have created a far bigger problem than anyone anticipated: Entire categories of construction projects are now missing from the statute altogether.

California lawmakers advance legislation to narrow CEQA exemptions for advanced manufacturing while cities across the state grapple with housing mandates and development regulations. From Coachella's permanent data center ban to Costa Mesa's housing element revisions, local governments are navigating the complex intersection of environmental review, state housing requirements, and community development pressures.

Data center financing has emerged as one of the most dynamic areas of real estate and project finance, driven by explosive growth in cloud computing, AI, and digital infrastructure. From power procurement and environmental permitting to specialized lease structures and tax incentives, these transactions present a unique constellation of legal challenges that require careful coordination across multiple practice areas.

As construction accelerates across Colorado, legal strategy has become foundational to how projects are financed, structured, and built. From managing litigation risk that reshapes what gets developed to creating pathways for women in construction leadership, the intersection of law and construction requires both technical expertise and strategic vision that extends beyond the courtroom.