Nonpayment of Subcontractors: Can Subcontractors Get Any Help From the Government?
Assume the deceased settlor of a trust had intended that his niece be included in the beneficiary class, but his estate-planning attorney had negligently made no provision for her in the governing instrument. After settlor’s...more
The legal concept of “privity of contract” is a common law principle which provides that only parties directly involved in a contract can enforce its terms or be held liable for its obligations. This means that third parties...more
A Puerto Rico district court dismissed a third-party action by defendant-policyholder Puma Energy Caribe LLC against the reinsurers of an insurance policy issued by plaintiff Integrand Assurance Co. Puma claimed that the...more
Though many states require a contractor to hold a contract directly with a design professional to pursue a claim against a designer for design omissions or defects, a recent case confirms that, in Florida, contractual privity...more
I’ve previously blogged about a new breed of data breach class actions filed by financial institutions against retailers (as opposed to customers suing retailers). In these cases, financial institutions claim that retailers...more
In the recent case of Daniels v. Select Portfolio Serving, Inc., the California Court of Appeal has held that a lender may be liable for the negligence and misrepresentations of the lender’s servicer, without any contractual...more
Massachusetts Federal Court Holds Proof of Testing of Proposed Alternative Design Not Required in Design Defect Claim, Evidence Plaintiff Ignored Defendant’s Warnings Did Not Establish He Was Sole Proximate Cause of Injury on...more
I am often told by clients that they are protected from a lawsuit because they have a corporation. The advice I usually give them is that while the corporate shield is strong it does not protect them if they are negligent...more
A Federal Court in Pennsylvania has handed down a ruling that may expand the pool of potential plaintiffs in construction litigation. See AMCO Insurance Co. v. Emery and Associates, 926 F. Supp. 2d 634 (W.D. Pa. 2013). In...more