Commercial Law & Contracts, Construction Law, Commercial Real Estate

Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Doing Real Estate Business with the Federal Government in These Challenging Economic Times

by Caitlin Beer, David Ehrenwerth | K&L Gates LLP on 5/15/2013

The Federal Government is one of the largest real estate players in the United States, owning or leasing a huge portfolio of office buildings and other real estate assets across the country. The Public Building Service...more

The New Lien Waiver Form Prevents Subs And Suppliers From Being Strong Armed

by Joe Virene | Looper Reed & McGraw, P.C. on 5/14/2013

Historically, subcontractors and suppliers were compelled to sign onerous and overreaching lien waivers and releases in order to receive payment. In addition, many subcontracts contain lien waivers lurking in the boiler...more

Georgia Lien Law Revised In Favor of Contractors

by Jennifer Grippa | Miller & Martin PLLC on 5/10/2013

Legislation signed into law this week will have meaningful impacts on contractors asserting liens against property owners for non-payment. On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed into law House Bill 434,...more

New Laws Regarding Construction Defects

by Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks on 5/9/2013

Have you been involved in an accident on a construction site in Hawaii? If so, a ruling from Hawaii’s Court of Appeals may be relevant. ...more

The “Occurrence” Debate Continues: Pennsylvania and North Dakota Edition

by Aaron Mandel, Stevi Raab | Sedgwick LLP on 4/30/2013

As noted in our previous installment of CDCQ, the “occurrence” issue is one of the most hotly litigated topics in construction defect coverage cases. This last quarter was no exception. Two recent cases addressing this issue...more

An Update On North Carolina's New Lien Agent System

by Martin Flyke | Poyner Spruill LLP on 4/30/2013

On April 1, 2013, the changes to North Carolina’s construction lien laws enacted in July 2012 became effective. For a general overview of the pertinent changes, please review the articles written by Brian Corbett and Tom...more

Be Prepared: New Commercial Lease Disclosure Requirements Under California Disability Access Laws Take Effect July 1, 2013

by Dustin Branch, Brian Huben, Stacey D. McKee Knight | Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP on 4/15/2013

In the fall of 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1186 (SB 1186). Among other things, SB 1186 reforms California’s disability access laws by: (1) banning pre-lawsuit letters from lawyers demanding money;...more

Real Estate Tip – Tenant Fit-Up: When is the Job Complete?

by Richard Smith | Bernstein Shur on 4/12/2013

Rent payments may be tied to a fit-up completion date, such as the tenant’s opening or receipt of an architect’s certificate. Once the fit-up work is complete and the tenant is paying rent, what happens if the landlord...more

Federal Reserve Board And OCC Publish White Paper On CRE Concentration Guidance

by BuckleySandler LLP on 4/9/2013

On April 3, the Federal Reserve Board and the OCC jointly published a white paper on the regulators’ study of bank performance in the context of 2006 interagency guidance regarding commercial real estate lending that...more

What Architects & Engineers Need to Know about the New Lien Law

by Melissa Dewey Brumback on 4/8/2013

I have previously discussed the ABCs of Lien Laws for those making claims on a project (that is, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers) and the 123s of Lien Laws for project owners. Now, time to...more

Arizona Court of Appeals Renders Two Decisions Affecting Awards of Attorneys’ Fees in Lawsuits to Enforce Mechanics’ Liens

by Jennifer R. Phillips, Nicole Sornsin | Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. on 4/4/2013

This past month, the Arizona Court of Appeals issued two decisions that could have significant implications for mechanics’ lien claimants....more

Legal Alert: Georgia Court of Appeals Upholds Lien, but the Lien May Have Limited Value

by Eric Hurst, William Wildman | Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP on 3/14/2013

In a recent case, the Georgia Court of Appeals reaffirmed that, in most instances, a contractor’s or materialmen’s lien may only be asserted against “whatever interest his employer had in the property at the time the work was...more

Construction Contracts: Best Practices for Minimizing Risk

by Melissa Dewey Brumback on 2/26/2013

Reducing risk starts before the ground is broken on a construction project. Construction contracts are unique in that they anticipate change will occur during the project for a multitude of reasons. However, not even the...more

Making Changes & Resolving Disputes During the Construction Project

by Melissa Dewey Brumback on 2/26/2013

Change happens. And, like death and taxes, changes on a construction project are pretty much inevitable. Because of the unique nature of the construction “product,” the need for flexibility on the part of owners, and the need...more

Ten things to do in the wake of this past weekend's severe winter weather

by Sarah Biser, J. Wylie Donald, Ira Gottlieb, Joel Horowitz, Nicholas Insua, Alan Kornstein, Pamela Moore, Robert Rubin | McCarter & English, LLP on 2/21/2013

The recent severe winter weather left behind legal and financial problems even deeper than the snow. But it may also have presented you with resources for help that you weren't previously aware of. Businesses may wish to act...more

Subcontractor Loses Delay Claim for Delays Occurring Before Execution of Subcontract

by Matthew Straub | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 2/20/2013

Both an Illinois circuit and appellate court had little sympathy for a subcontractor that suffered significant delays before executing a subcontract, which failed to allow for compensation for the prior delays. Asset Recovery...more

Design & Construction Practice: 2012 Year in Review

by Anatoly Darov, Timothy Famulare | Burns & Levinson LLP on 2/15/2013

It was another memorable year for the construction industry in Massachusetts. As the economic recovery continued to take hold, commercial construction market activity continued to stabilize and public projects remained a...more

Washington Supreme Court Expands the Ability of Parties to Define How and When Construction Defect Causes of Action May Be Brought

by Lane Powell PC - Construction Law on 2/8/2013

In a unanimous decision, the Washington Supreme Court has approved of contractual clauses broadly defining the scope of how and when causes of action may be asserted. The case, Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium...more

Consequential Damages: What are they? Should I waive them? (law note)

by Melissa Dewey Brumback on 2/8/2013

A client asked me about a contract he was asked to sign in which consequential damages were being waived. Consequential damages are those things that cost money which arise indirectly out of a failure of a party on a...more

Although Unlikely to be Immediately Adopted Elsewhere, A Recent Tennessee Decision Regarding an Owner’s Liquidated Damage Claim...

by James Hall | Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. on 1/31/2013

A Tennessee Court of Appeals recently held that liquidated damages under an AIA Contract (A201 -1997 Gen. Conditions) are neither automatic nor self-executing. RCR Building Corp. v Pinnacle Hospitality Partners, 2012 WL...more

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Commercial Law & Contracts › Construction Law › Commercial Real Estate