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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies.  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 17. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

In the ordinary course of business, we and our affiliates are involved in various legal proceedings alleging, among other things, liability issues or breach of contract or tortious conduct in connection with the performance of services and/or materials provided, the outcomes of which cannot be predicted with certainty. We and our affiliates are also subject to government inquiries in the ordinary course of business seeking information concerning our compliance with government construction contracting requirements and various laws and regulations, the outcomes of which cannot be predicted with certainty.

Some of the matters in which we or our joint ventures and affiliates are involved may involve compensatory, punitive, or other claims or sanctions that, if granted, could require us to pay damages or make other expenditures in amounts that are not currently probable to be incurred or cannot currently be reasonably estimated. In addition, in some circumstances, our government contracts could be terminated, we could be suspended or incur other administrative penalties or sanctions, or payment of our costs could be disallowed. While any of our pending legal proceedings may be subject to early resolution as a result of our ongoing efforts to resolve the proceeding, whether or when any legal proceeding will be resolved is neither predictable nor guaranteed.

Accordingly, it is possible that future developments in such proceedings and inquiries could require us to (i) adjust existing accruals, or (ii) record new accruals that we did not originally believe to be probable or that could not be reasonably estimated. Such changes could be material to our financial condition, results of operations, and/or cash flows in any particular reporting period. In addition to matters that are considered probable for which the loss can be reasonably estimated, disclosure is also provided when it is reasonably possible and estimable that a loss will be incurred, when it is reasonably possible that the amount of a loss will exceed the amount recorded, or a loss is probable, but the loss cannot be estimated.

Liabilities relating to legal proceedings and government inquiries, to the extent that we have concluded such liabilities are probable and the amounts of such liabilities are reasonably estimable, are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets. A certain number of the claims are insured but subject to varying deductibles, and a certain number of the claims are uninsured. The aggregate range of possible loss related to (i) matters considered reasonably possible, and (ii) reasonably possible amounts in excess of accrued losses recorded for probable loss contingencies was immaterial, as of December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024. Our estimates of such matters could change in future periods.

Washington State Convention Center Project

On March 7, 2018, Clark/Lewis, A Joint Venture (“CLJV”), awarded the Company a subcontract valued at approximately $81.4 million to supply and erect structural steel for the Washington State Convention Center project (“WSCC Project”). Over the course of the project, the Company executed change orders and had claims against CLJV due to CLJV’s management of the project, the impacts of COVID-19, and cumulative inefficiencies, which American Bridge believed were caused by CLJV’s site management of multiple subcontractors, an unrealistic project schedule, and the failure to issue time-related overhead compensation associated with change orders. The amount sought by American Bridge was approximately $80 million in total. At the time the claim was recorded, management concluded that the criteria for inclusion in the transaction price were met and that the claim represented a valid contract asset because the collectability of the amount of consideration was probable. The Company deemed the amount collectable to be $40.3 million. Additionally, there was $6.4 million in retainage that CLJV did not release to the Company.

CLJV and the Washington State Convention Center (“WSCC”) submitted a counterclaim totaling approximately $58 million, alleging that AB delayed completion of the project by failing to meet the CLJV schedule, which in turn caused delays to CLJV and other subcontractors.

On December 1, 2025, we received an adverse ruling in the case of American Bridge Company v. Clark/Lewis Joint Venture, et al the court issued its findings of fact and conclusions of law, ruling unfavorably to the Company. In this litigation, the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County, by order dated January 15, 2026, ruled in favor of CLJV and entered a judgment against American Bridge and certain of its sureties, jointly and severally, in the principal amount of $57.1 million. Interest and fees were assessed by the court at a later date. The order of the court constitutes a change in facts and circumstances that significantly impacts American Bridge’s enforceable right to consideration. Since the adverse ruling makes the likelihood of recovering the claimed amount and collectability of the related consideration is no longer probable, the Company derecognized contract assets as of December 31, 2025 on our consolidated balance sheet, resulting in a $40.3 million non-cash charge to revenue on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Additionally, on December 12, 2025, the Judge entered a sanctions order related to the WSCC trial totaling $4.8 million, which the Company intends to appeal.

While the Company intended to appeal as of December 31, 2025, certain of its sureties entered into negotiations with CLJV on behalf of the Company subsequent to December 31, 2025, in accordance with certain rights available to the sureties included in certain GIAs. Any settlement that is agreed to will be paid by certain of our sureties under the the respective GIAs with the sureties. The sureties agreed to forbear on seeking repayment of any settlement related to WSCC until at least March 27, 2027. Based on these negotiations and due to the events occurring prior to December 31, 2025 that led to the adverse ruling, we recorded a long-term accrued liability of $89.1 million within other noncurrent liabilities related to the principal judgement, fees, sanctions and interest, and a reduction to retainage receivables of $6.4 million on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025. This resulted in a decrease in revenue of $6.4 million and an increase of $89.1 million in cost of construction on our consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025. We expect that any potential settlement arrangement funded by certain of our sureties would include favorable repayment terms, including conditional repayment, subject to terms to be agreed in a financing agreement currently being negotiated with certain sureties of the Company. There can be no assurances that a resolution for a long-term financing arrangement will be reached.

The total impact to our consolidated statements of operations from the WSCC adverse ruling is $135.8 million, of which $46.7 million is recorded as a reduction of revenue and $89.1 million is recorded in cost of construction. The total impact to our consolidated balance sheets is a $40.3 million reduction in contract assets, a $6.4 million reduction in retainage receivables, and a $89.1 million increase in other noncurrent liabilities.

CityLYNX Project

On November 28, 2016, the City of Charlotte (“City”) awarded Contract Number 2017000790 to Johnson Bros. Corporation, a Southland subsidiary (“JBC”) for the project known as CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2 – Streetcar Project which extended the previously constructed 1.5-mile streetcar system by 2.5 miles to the east and west and included construction through numerous segments in the heart of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as the reconstruction of the Hawthorne Lane Bridge (the “Project”).  

During the course of the Project, JBC alleges numerous and continuous changes and interferences by the City and the City’s representatives which the City has refused to recognize as a contractual change.  

After multiple failed attempts at negotiated settlement, JBC timely filed its original complaint in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division in Mecklenburg County, State of North Carolina (the “Court”) on February 20, 2023. JBC filed its First Amended Complaint on April 12, 2023. In the First Amended Complaint, JBC asserted ten claims against the City, including claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and subcontractor pass-through claims (the “Contract Claims”).

On June 1, 2023, the City filed its Motions to Dismiss, Answer to First Amended Verified Complaint and Counterclaim, seeking, in part, the dismissal of all of JBC’s claims (the “Motion to Dismiss”). The Court issued its Order and Opinion on the Motion to Dismiss on February 27, 2024. Among its rulings in the Order, the Court concluded that JBC’s Contract Claims were time-barred in part and dismissed those claims with prejudice “to the extent those claims [arose] from conduct occurring before 31 January 2021.”

JBC then filed Motions on April 17, 2024, seeking reconsideration of the Court’s partial dismissal of the Contract Claims with prejudice and, alternatively, leave to file a second amended complaint (the “Motion for Reconsideration”). After full briefing, the Court convened a hearing on the Motion for Reconsideration on May 30, 2024.  

On June 7, 2024, the Court granted JBC’s Motion for Reconsideration in part by amending its previous Order and converting the dismissal to a “without prejudice” dismissal and granting JBC’s motion to file its proposed Second Amended Complaint.  

On June 11, 2024, JBC filed its Second Amended Complaint which reiterates the Contract Claims resulting in damages “in an amount in excess of $115.0 million, plus pre-judgement and post-judgement interest.”

The parties continue to participate in mediation and continue to exchange information and engage in meetings as part of that process.

Surety Bonds

We, as a condition for entering into a substantial portion of our construction contracts, had outstanding surety bonds as of December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024. We have agreed to indemnify the surety if the surety experiences a loss on the bonds of any of our affiliates.

Self-Insurance

We are self-insured up to certain limits with respect to workers’ compensation, general liability and auto liability matters, and health insurance. We maintain accruals for self-insurance retentions based upon third-party data and claims history.