Lane Powell PC - Construction Law

Originally published in Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce - April 5, 2012. On March 30, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law SHB 1559, which clarifies the scope of the so-called “antiindemnity statute” and now specifically…more

The Washington Supreme Court continues to keep parties to construction contracts guessing about when remedies might be available, other than those set forth in the contract itself. The issue has been less than clear since the…more

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire has signed into law SHB 1559, which clarifies the scope of the so-called “anti-indemnity statute” (RCW 4.24.115) and now specifically includes design professionals within its coverage. The…more

A frequent news peg whenever disas- Ater strikes elsewhere is: Can it happen here? When it comes to the Japan earthquake last March, it most certainly can. The more important question is: Are we ready? From the standpoint…more

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that a Claim of Lien conforming to the sample form in the statute, even though the sample does not contain all the provisions required by the statute, is sufficient to make the claim valid…more

Unfortunately, Americans are getting larger and heavier than ever. Thirty years ago it would have been unusual to see someone who weighed more than 300 pounds. Now, it is not uncommon to see individuals weighing 500 pounds or…more

Design professionals “retained to perform professional services on a construction project” in Washington are generally immune from third-party workers’ compensation lawsuits, unless the design professional contractually…more

Washington property owners’ right to recover interest on relocation assistance benefits following an eminent domain case was short-lived, as the Washington Supreme Court has reversed last year’s Court of Appeals decision…more

The March 11 Sendai Earthquake (M 9.0), tsunami and nuclear meltdown has hopefully impressed most people with the enormous power and destructiveness of a major subduction zone earthquake (i.e., a quake where one tectonic plate…more

A federal court judge in Tacoma has ruled that revisions to Washington’s building energy code properly set energy efficiency standards for new residential construction in the state that are more strict than federal rules. The…more

The Washington Court of Appeals is continuing the recent trend of invalidating mechanic’s liens for lack of strict compliance — this time by concluding that the work provided by the contractor was not subject to the state’s…more

The Washington Court of Appeals is continuing the recent trend of invalidating mechanic’s liens for lack of strict compliance – this time by concluding that the work provided by the contractor (drilling test pits and obtaining…more

A sharply divided Washington Supreme Court has held that an engineering firm owes a "duty of reasonable care encompassing safety risks of physical damage" to a party not in privity with the engineering firm. The decision in…more

The GA Committee has been following several important changes related to floodplains and floodplain development over the last year that have the potential to dramatically impact properties around the Green River in south King…more

A narrowly-divided Washington State Supreme Court has held that an arbitration panel cannot apply the state statutes of limitations to bar a claim, unless the parties have contractually agreed to allow the arbitrators to do…more