Seattle Washington Building Expert Directory

Home-Building Climate Warms in U.S. as Weather Funk Lifts

May 20, 2015 — Sho Chandra and Steve Matthews – Bloomberg
The surge in April housing starts sends a clear signal that bad weather was the root cause of weak readings in the first quarter. The question now is whether the rebound is strong enough to lift the world’s largest economy. Builders broke ground on 1.14 million homes at an annualized rate last month, the most since November 2007 and up 20.2 percent from March, figures from the Commerce Department showed Tuesday in Washington. It was the single-biggest monthly surge since 1991, with both the Northeast and Midwest taking part, clearly showing milder temperatures had a hand. The rebound in home building is shaping up to be large enough to make a meaningful contribution to economic growth this quarter. Nonetheless, because residential construction accounts for less than 4 percent of the economy, it would take big gains to make up for what’s likely to be sustained weakness in manufacturing caused by slowing exports and cuts in business investment by the energy industry. Reprinted courtesy of Sho Chandra, Bloomberg and Steve Matthews, Bloomberg Read the court decision
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Stadium Intended for the 2010 World Cup Still Not Ready

June 18, 2014 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
Four years after the HM Pitje Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa was expected to open, the stadium, which was meant to be used during the 2010 World Cup, remains closed. IOL News reported that upgrades began in 2006, “[b]ut since then there have been delays and problems with construction which may see the stands having to be rebuilt.” One of the defects that prevented the stadium from being used for the World Cup was that the slope of the main pavilion was too steep. City of Tshwane spokesman Selby Bokaba told IOL News: “Upgrading of the stadium will take approximately two calendar years, with the completion date reliant on the approval and budget availability.” Read the court decision
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Residential Construction: Shrinking Now, Growing Later?

August 17, 2011 — CDJ STAFF

Jim Haugey, the Chief Economist for Reed Construction Data noted that new residential construction spending fell 0.2% in June and a slightly larger drop of 0.5% in residential remodeling. While economic growth is still low, Haugey states that homebuilders have “record low inventories.” He forecasts a shrinkage of 1.5% in 2011, followed by about 20% growth in 2012.

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A Proactive Approach to Construction Safety

February 20, 2023 — The Hartford Staff - The Hartford Insights
The number of injuries and illnesses in the construction industry is trending downward, but companies need to continue making worker safety a priority – especially as they address the ongoing labor shortage. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the incident rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the construction industry was 2.5 per 100 full-time employees.1 The total number of cases of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the industry was 174,100.2 These numbers are lower than the incident rates and total cases in 2019 and 2018.3, 4, 5, 6 Despite the declining trend of injuries, professionals at The Hartford believe construction firms need to keep worker safety at the forefront as they address the ongoing talent and labor shortage in construction. Companies are getting creative to find workers. From recruiting veterans to working closely with trade schools, construction firms are trying to find skilled laborers to meet project deadlines. Read the court decision
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Subsequent Owners of Homes Again Have Right to Sue Builders for Construction Defects

October 07, 2016 — Mark L. Parisi – White and Williams LLP
Owners of homes with damage from construction defects have long had the standing to sue the builders of their homes using the legal theories of 1) breach of contract, 2) breach of implied warranty, and 3) breach of Pennsylvania’s consumer fraud statute, the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL). Before the 2014 decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Conway v. Cutler, even owners who were not the original purchasers of their homes, so-called subsequent owners, had a right to sue the builder of their homes using implied warranty as the legal theory. But the Supreme Court in Conway said in 2014 that even though an implied warranty theory is not based on a written contract, it is a quasi contract theory and because subsequent owners never had a contractual relationship with the builder of their home, the implied warranty cause of action was not available. Subsequent purchasers were thus left without a remedy for damage from defective construction in their homes and builders had a second safe harbor from claims regarding homes they built. The first safe harbor is Pennsylvania’s Statute of Repose. If the home was completed more than 12 years before a lawsuit was filed, the Statute of Repose bars the claim. But after Conway, if the home was sold, this also cut off a builder’s potential liability for construction defects in the home. ENTER THE UTPCPL On July 26, 2016 the Pennsylvania Superior Court in the case of Adams v. Hellings Builders issued a non-published (and therefore non-precedential) decision in a stucco construction defect case that held that subsequent purchasers could sue their home’s builder under the UTPCPL because the Act had no requirement that the purchaser of a product, or home, be the original purchaser. The decision cites several other appellate cases not involving construction defect claims that held that the UTPCPL was a valid legal theory for claims regarding products purchased second hand by the plaintiffs in those other cases. The court in Adams held that there was no reason that a suit regarding construction defects in a home should be treated any differently. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Mark L. Parisi, White and Williams LLP
Mr. Parisi may be contacted at parisim@whiteandwilliams.com

WSHB Ranks No.10 in Law360’s Best of Law Firms for Women

April 28, 2016 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
Law360 recently published the survey findings and listed the “100 Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys,” and Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP (WSHB) ranked tenth. “I was thrilled to help spearhead a recruitment committee to attract and retain female lawyer talent,” Victoria Ersoff, the first named partner at WSHB, stated. “Long before it was fashionable, the leaders at WSHB recognized that in order to retain first-class lawyers, they need to provide them with opportunities to balance their work and personal life.” Janice Michaels, managing partner of WSHB’s Las Vegas office, praised the firm for treating all attorneys equally: “Female lawyers at WSHB are on equal footing with their male counterparts, whether it’s trial experience, mentoring or expanding professional opportunities. It is a great environment to learn and grow without the impediment of a glass-ceiling.” Read the court decision
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Hydrogen—A Key Element in the EU’s Green Planning

December 07, 2020 — Matthew Oresman & Henrietta Worthington - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
GettyImages-1150744671-300x225Hydrogen is gaining global recognition for its potential as a key player in the energy transition. Investors and businesses are exploring opportunities across multiple sectors, including energy, manufacturing, transport and finance. According to a report by Bloomberg, the current pipeline for global hydrogen projects is worth an estimated $90 billion. The EU is not going to be left behind, with a focal point of its Green Deal being on hydrogen. The EU’s executive branch (the European Commission or EC) has confirmed its commitment to increasing hydrogen projects across the bloc, with a priority on green hydrogen. Its Hydrogen Strategy, released in March, states that hydrogen is “essential to support the EU’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and for the global effort to implement the Paris Agreement while working towards zero pollution.” The EU’s executive branch (the European Commission or EC) has confirmed its commitment to increasing hydrogen projects across the bloc, with a priority on green hydrogen. Its Hydrogen Strategy, released in March, states that hydrogen is “essential to support the EU’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and for the global effort to implement the Paris Agreement while working towards zero pollution.” Reprinted courtesy of Matthew Oresman, Pillsbury and Henrietta Worthington, Pillsbury Mr. Oresman may be contacted at matthew.oresman@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Worthington may be contacted at henrietta.worthington@pillsburylaw.com Read the court decision
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East Coast Evaluates Damage After Fast-Moving 'Bomb Cyclone'

March 06, 2022 — Scott Van Voorhis - Engineering News-Record
Coastal areas in the northeast US are assessing damage from a fast-moving “bomb cyclone” that caused temperatures to plummet, triggered heavy flooding and high winds, and dumped 2 ft of snow in some New England areas. Reprinted courtesy of Scott Van Voorhis, Engineering News-Record ENR may be contacted at enr@enr.com Read the full story... Read the court decision
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SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING EXPERT DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES