In my latest column for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I look at the concept of liquidated damages – in my experience one of the top five heavily negotiated (and litigated) clauses in a construction contract. Because a project owner’s potential delay damages are often difficult to determine with certainty at the beginning of
Warning Signs that a Contractor May Be Overextended
If you are involved in the construction industry, like it or not risk management is part of your job. From home office executives to workers in the field, each person is expected to manage schedule, cost, and safety risks. While these risks are common, the recent prolonged period of economic growth has created new challenges,
Cyber Risk Update for Construction Companies
Scammers are always seeking new ways to target victims for Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams, where they leverage email to try to convince you to give them credentials, send them confidential information like W2s, send them money by changing things like direct deposit instructions, or give any other data that can help them profit from committing fraud. They are getting more and more sophisticated in their deceptions, and targeting those areas they see as ‘weak links.’
Construction companies however face a particular threat, as there are a number of services and private and government web sites to which companies can subscribe to learn about construction projects that are open to bid. Often, the winning bidder ends up becoming public knowledge – either because that information is posted publicly, or because the contract company advertises they were awarded the project. And of course, these contracts always carry a price tag that is attractive to scammers.
Fraudsters can use information from these same web sites along with other research to learn which construction companies have applied for and ultimately won bids. The higher the price tag, the bigger the target. Once the scammers get their fake web site set up (they can use tools to copy the real contractor’s web site almost exactly), they’ll then send an email to the victim posing as the contractor, including a direct deposit form (likely doctored with the contractor’s logo) and instructions to change payment information to a new account controlled by the scammers. They might even try to play this trick on the construction company and pose as a vendor the construction company regularly pays. Once the money is transferred, it can be difficult – and often impossible – to recover. Even if the victim has cyber insurance, whether or not any losses are covered depends on the policy. Any access and information they obtain can also compromise the construction company’s information security, potentially increasing the likelihood of privacy breaches, ransomware attacks, or other serious security risks.
Legal Insights for Canadian Product Manufacturers and Suppliers Involved in Cross-border Construction Projects
Seattle and Bellevue’s strong real estate markets present a plethora of lucrative business opportunities for Canadian product manufacturers and suppliers. Because Washington-based developers and contractors are perhaps more litigious than their Canadian counterparts, Canadian-based product manufacturers and suppliers should consider a full spectrum of risk management and mitigation strategies before engaging in cross-border business activities.
Here’s what building owners need to know following last year’s wildfires, earthquakes
California’s 2018 wildfire season — the most damaging and deadly on record — and a pair of earthquakes in Alaska can serve as case studies for Northwest property owners as to steps they can take to mitigate their risks in the event such disasters strike closer to home. In my latest article for the Seattle
Cross-Laminated Timber Projects: The Pacific Northwest’s Next Big Timber Development
Cross-laminated timber (“CLT”) is a leading building technology that has been employed by European developers for decades, but the product’s use in the United States only recently took hold after its adoption by the 2015 International Building Code. A type of structural timber product composed of dimensional timber layers bonded together with structural adhesives, CLT
Managing Risk from Gaps in Your Construction Project
Experienced project developers know that managing risk on a major project involves initial planning, design, construction, and commissioning. These tasks call for different skill sets — making it tempting to think of them as separate — but they need to be coordinated to prevent the creation of troublesome gaps in areas of responsibility. In my
Condominium Comeback? Bullish-Developers Must Consider the Liabilities Associated with the Resurgence of Condominium Developments
The condominium embodies a missing price point in Seattle’s real estate market. As a result, we have noticed an uptick in the number of developers seeking legal advice regarding the potential risks associated with condominiums. In my first article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I provide an update on Washington’s condominium laws, a
Under California’s Right to Repair Act, Ignore Deadlines at Your Own Peril
In a very recent decision, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Blanchette v. Superior Court affirmed the plain language of the Home Builder’s Right to Repair Act, holding that even a facially insufficient notice of defect triggers the obligation of a builder to respond within 14 days. The statute, Civil Code section 895 et.
One Unanticipated Cost of Being an Owner-Builder in California: Liability for Retained Control over Safety
Many times I hear from people who want to “save money” and serve as their own “owner-builder” under the exemption to the California Contractor’s Licensing law, which generally requires that any “construction” work over $500 to be performed by a licensed California contractor in the absence of an exemption. (Bus. & Prof. Code section