Published Tuesday 21 July 2026 · By the JustEng team
Welcome to today’s round-up of forensic engineering and construction disputes news from around the world — and what it means for forensic engineer recruitment and hiring across the sector. Today: a formal inquiry into a buckled Manhattan high-rise, a firm timetable for Grenfell evidence files, and two decisions that sharpen the law on cladding remediation.
Manhattan high-rise inquiry puts forensic engineers centre stage
New York City’s Department of Investigation has opened an inquiry after structural columns buckled at the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street, which developer MetroLoft is converting into apartments. Two columns bent and some floors sagged by as much as four inches, forcing workers to flee and neighbouring buildings to be evacuated; the developer believes extra weight added to upper floors caused the failure, and the building has since been stabilised (CNN). The owner must now appoint an independent engineer to carry out a formal forensic evaluation of the failure.
Hiring angle: High-profile failures like this drive immediate candidate demand for structural and forensic specialists who can lead investigations and act as credible expert witnesses — a skill set in chronically short supply on both sides of the Atlantic.
Grenfell evidence files due with prosecutors by end of September
The Metropolitan Police has said evidence files will be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service by 30 September 2026, with charging decisions expected before the fire’s tenth anniversary in June 2027. Up to 20 companies and 57 individuals could face charges, with offences under consideration including corporate gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, health and safety breaches and misconduct in public office (ITV News).
Hiring angle: As prosecutions approach, demand for fire investigation expertise keeps building — expect more fire engineer vacancies at consultancies supporting legal teams, insurers and dutyholders preparing for what comes next.
High Court cladding ruling reshapes landlord repair duties
In Essendi UK Hotels 2 Ltd v London Property Company Ltd, handed down on 5 June 2026, the High Court found the owner of the Ibis Wembley hotel in breach of its lease over an external wall clad in ACM panels of the same category as those used at Grenfell Tower. The court held that a covenant to “put and keep” a building in good condition can extend to remediating an inherent defect that creates a significant fire-safety risk, even before any damage occurs (Pinsent Masons).
Hiring angle: Rulings like this keep façade and fire-safety assessments at the heart of property disputes, sustaining recruitment of engineers capable of expert witness work — see our forensic engineering recruitment page for how we support consultancies building these teams.
Tribunal orders developer to repay £3.68m for fire-safety defects
The First-tier Tribunal has ordered Hollybrook (UK) Ltd to pay £3.68m to the UK government to cover the cost of fixing fire-safety defects at Hallings Wharf Studios in east London. The tribunal found that all of the building’s external wall systems posed a fire risk, confirming that any level of fire risk can be enough to trigger liability under the Building Safety Act 2022 (Lexology).
Hiring angle: Remediation contribution orders are turning building-safety compliance into a long-term workstream, and hiring of assessment and remediation engineers shows no sign of slowing — our forensic engineering salary guide tracks what this demand is doing to pay.
JustEng is a specialist engineering recruitment agency headhunting forensic, fire, structural and façade engineers for investigations, disputes and expert witness work. Looking for your next role? Submit your CV. Building a team? Register your vacancy today.