A common insurance question asked by our owner/developer clients when they discover that their completed project has defects is whether their own insurance will cover the cost to fix the defect or any damage from the defect. While trying hard not to sound like the proverbial lawyer, we often have to say “it depends.” What
It’s been more than 20 years since the LEED standard was introduced, and green building has now become a significant percentage of new U.S. commercial real estate construction. The benefits of green building techniques and products have made LEED certification a hot commodity and changed the construction industry. But there are also risks involved if
Joseph McCarthy, a real estate attorney in Stoel Rives’ Seattle office, was recently interviewed by television station KIRO 7 in Seattle for a segment titled “Law meant to protect Wash. homeowners instead pushing up condo prices.” The piece discusses how the consumer warranties contained in the Washington Condominium Act, found at Chapter 64.34 RCW, fostered
Indemnity provisions are often among the most negotiated and least understood provisions of commercial contracts, and construction contracts are no exception to this rule. Despite, and perhaps because of, the importance of these clauses, they have evolved into an almost impenetrable jumble of legal terminology.
This jumble of words is not, however, without meaning. Although
Earlier this year, my colleague Eric Grasberger authored a blog post about a crane collapse in Lower Manhattan. In that post, he mentioned that neighboring landowners may seek to prevent cranes from intruding into the airspace above their property. Contractors and owners alike are often surprised to learn that a crane swinging over adjacent property
According to an October 15, 2015 report published in the Engineering News-Record, covering the broadest survey performed to date on IPD, the industry is moving toward more collaborative contracting schemes, with what appears to be an overwhelmingly positive response strongly supporting risk and reward sharing multi-party agreements. Conducted by the University of Minnesota and
It seems that almost weekly, and certainly monthly, I receive a call or inquiry from colleagues and/or prospective clients as to whether a license is really required if the prospective “contractor” is not actually building anything but is merely facilitating a “deal” or is hiring otherwise qualified and licensed contractors and trades. Virtually every time
On Friday, February 5, one man died and three were injured when a 565-foot crane toppled in gusty winds in lower Manhattan, not far from the World Trade Center. The investigation will likely take weeks to months as experts try to reconstruct whether the engineering, erection, operation or manufacture of the crane, or some combination
The increasing presence of liability waivers in construction and design contracts is of concern to owners, general contractors and architects alike. In my recent article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I address a variety of clauses that limit liability and offer tips for negotiating more reasonable conditions and limits. Read the full article
In my recent article, “If You Build It, They Will Come,” I discuss the five keys of project risk management that contractors must take into consideration in the wake of the Great Recession.
Read the full article here.
“If You Build It, They Will Come,” was originally published on January 16, 2015 by the