Political Flags, Political Speech? According to a report in the Northwest Herald, the Illinois city of Crystal Lake received “voluminous” complaints after the contractor on one of its road projects put Trump 2020 flags on its equipment, a city attorney said. “As a result, the city of Crystal Lake now is working on language that […]
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Politicians loves construction. Construction means jobs for everyone—trained and untrained. No one objects to construction and never has. In my life, I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘Oh I hate construction’ or ‘Don’t put construction in my jurisdiction.’ Not only do construction workers earn an income, but they pay taxes—so construction is […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of a contentious presidential election, certain industries are bracing for change. And yet, for the mostly non-partisan world of construction, the level of disruption is likely to be somewhat muted. “Everyone loves construction,” says Wayne H. Kalayjian, PE, SE, CFE, director at El Segundo, Calif-based Secretariat. “Construction means jobs […]
WASHINGTON, DC – In mid September, President Trump issued executive order 13950 “combatting race and sex stereotyping” with an implementation deadline of Nov. 21, 2020. The U.S. Department of Labor has begun setting parameters to implement a policy that does not “promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating” and prohibits federal contractors from “inculcating such […]
ATLANTA – In the wake of last month’s cancellation of Construction Super Conference (CSC) 2020, organizers are floating the possibility of holding a virtual “State of the Industry” session, primarily with members of the CSC educational advisory board (EAB). “We have not set this educational session in stone just yet,” says Kevin Gaffney, vice president […]
ATLANTA – As reported two months ago, Construction Super Conference (CSC), the 35-year-old conference for the construction legal industry, made the difficult decision to cancel the event scheduled for December 7-9, 2020, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After consulting with our advisory board, community partners, conference sponsors, and supports, the team behind CSC felt it […]
SOUTHFIELD, MI – Plenty of uncomplicated legal matters are being settled virtually these days. The arrangements are a concession to the global pandemic, and Frederick F. Butters, a private practice attorney in Southfield, Mich., is surprised that it’s working so well. There was a lot of pushback at first, but once the virtual meetings started, […]
ATLANTA – After closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and consulting our advisory board, community partners, conference sponsors, and supporters, the team behind the Construction SuperConference (CSC), the 35-year-old leading conference for the construction legal industry, has made the difficult decision to cancel the event, scheduled for December 7-9, 2020, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Recent developments […]
TRUMBULL, CT – Insurance terms are vital to construction contracts and subcontracts. They represent the parties’ agreement about what insurance will be in place to protect the parties from claims by third parties, as well as claims by one party against the other. There are many options for coverage, and every project has its own needs. Nonetheless, there are certain things that every contract, or standalone insurance exhibit, should establish. The construction contract should clearly establish the parties’ mutual obligations to procure and maintain insurance for the project.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cozen O’Connor has joined more than 125 other law firms to form the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA). The LFAA will partner with legal services organizations to identify and dismantle structural or systemic racism in the law, and then create large-scale, coordinated pro bono projects that are both immediate and long-term in […]
EL SEGUNDO, CA – As director at El Segundo, Calif-based Secretariat, Wayne H. Kalayjian, PE, SE, CFE, works to solve construction-related dilemmas, delays, disruptions, and cost overruns. Within the context of the global pandemic, it’s meant an uptick in work. And yet, much of the remote work necessitated by the pandemic is lacking that crucial […]
ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. – Seeking to end New York’s Scaffold Law and replace it with a comparative negligence liability standard, Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.) introduced the Infrastructure Expansion Act (H.R. 8222) at a press conference earlier this week in Hamburg, N.Y. The press conference was attended by representatives from construction, business, and insurance organizations. Congressman […]
NEW YORK—New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced via press release that the Community Hiring economic justice plan would aim to drive economic recovery in economically disadvantaged communities by using the city’s purchasing power to connect New Yorkers to good jobs. This plan would provide an estimated 1,300 construction jobs for every $1 billion in […]
ATLANTA – It’s no secret that several trade shows and conferences have been canceled and/or gone virtual this year due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The company that puts on Construction Super Conference (Emerald) has had to adjust, as has every other conference organizer in the U.S. and throughout the world. When the pandemic first […]
CHICAGO – Rationalizing poor ethical behavior is not a strategy, and fortunately it’s not a huge concern among construction law attorneys most of the time. Karen P. Layng, president and founder of Chicago-based M.A.I.T. Co., acknowledges that lawyers may encounter shades of grey, but in those cases she encourages them to seek out the black […]