Fairfield Connecticut Building Expert Directory

White and Williams LLP Acquires 6 Attorney Firm

August 29, 2022 — White and Williams LLP
White and Williams LLP has announced the acquisition of a six-attorney law firm nationally known for their work in the surety and construction space. Located in Towson, MD, Baltimore County, the attorneys of Pike & Gilliss LLC will join White and Williams, marking the opening of the firm’s 11th location and extending the firm’s presence to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia. Attorneys joining White and Williams include David Gilliss, who will serve as Managing Partner of the Towson office, Patrick Pike and Eric Korphage as partners, Joel Williams as Counsel, and Anthony Kikendall and Robert Kline as associates. “We are excited to make this longtime informal partnership official by joining forces,” said Gilliss. “Attorneys from White and Williams and Pike & Gilliss have had clients in common for over a decade and we often collaborate. This official coming together creates one of the leading surety practices in the country, offering clients a broader and more cohesive experience and extensive legal expertise.” Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of White and Williams LLP

Construction Project Bankruptcy Law

February 05, 2014 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
Garret Murai, on the California Construction Law Blog, discusses the ins and outs of bankruptcy in construction projects. Murai discusses “bankruptcy basics” and answers questions regarding filing for project owners, general contractors, and subcontractors. Murai explained the importance of learning about how bankruptcy affects construction projects: “Bankruptcy on a construction project is one of the biggest fears for owners and contractors. At best it can slow down a project and at worst it can cause a domino effect of bankruptcies as contractors and suppliers aren’t paid, causing the entire project to fail.” Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of

Seven Proactive Steps to Avoid Construction Delay Disputes

September 29, 2021 — Michael Pink - Construction Executive
Delays, cost overruns and disputes have long been part of the commercial construction industry, making the work of reactive forensic analysis by consultants and attorneys a necessary component. Yet many internal practices and issues within construction companies strongly correlate with projects that result in legal disputes and financial losses. There are seven proactive steps that can help companies minimize losses and claims. Prepare a Cost- and Resource-Loaded Critical Path Method Schedule This is the first step any contractor can take to establish and document a manpower plan, a timeline and an intended flow for its work. Doing so is beneficial for two reasons: it will become the basis for measuring impacts and variances to both cost and schedule in a delay, dispute or claim setting; and it will serve as a great project management resource or tool. Without thinking through manpower, durations and workflow in great detail at the beginning of the project, contractors put themselves at risk of becoming delayed and blowing the budget. Reprinted courtesy of Michael Pink, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of

U.S. Steel Invoking Carnegie’s Legacy in Revival Strategy

July 23, 2014 — Sonja Elmquist – Bloomberg
In March 2013, Mario Longhi lobbed an unexpected question into a roomful of 150 U.S. Steel Corp. managers: Who here would buy the company’s stock, tomorrow? He gave them three seconds, and “only a few reacted in that time frame positively,” Longhi said. Since that meeting, Longhi has been promoted to chief executive officer, and nine months into his tenure he’s closed one plant permanently, two more are temporarily idled and he’s planning to overhaul another. It’s all part of his plan to transform the 144-year-old company into a lean, modern steel producer. Investors are taking note, with the shares up 53 percent since he took over. Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Sonja Elmquist, Bloomberg
Ms. Elmquist may be contacted at selmquist1@bloomberg.net

Repair of Fractured Girders Complete at Shuttered Salesforce Transit Center

July 22, 2019 — Nadine M. Post - Engineering News-Record
The repair of two fractured girders spanning Fremont Street and the reinforcement of twin girders spanning First Street are complete at the beleaguered Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. Reprinted courtesy of Nadine M. Post, Engineering News-Record Ms. Post may be contacted at postn@enr.com Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of

California Court Holds No Coverage Under Pollution Policy for Structural Improvements

October 02, 2018 — Brian Margolies - TLSS Insurance Law Blog
In its recent decision in Essex Walnut Owner L.P. v. Aspen Specialty Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138276 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2018), the United States District Court for the Northern District of California had occasion to consider the issue of a pollution liability insurer’s obligation to pay for the redesign of a structural support system necessitated by the alleged presence of soil contamination. Aspen’s insured, Essex, owned a parcel of property it was in the process of redeveloping for commercial and residential purposes. The project required excavation activities in order to construct an underground parking lot, and as part of this process, Essex designed a temporary shoring system comprising tied-in retaining walls in order to stabilize the area outside of the excavation. During the excavation work, construction debris was encountered requiring removal. Aspen agreed to pay for a portion of the costs to remove and dispose the debris under the pollution liability policy it issued to Essex. Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Brian Margolies, Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP
Mr. Margolies may be contacted at bmargolies@tlsslaw.com

5 Questions about New York's Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act

February 14, 2022 — Richard W. Brown & Michael V. Pepe - Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C.
On December 31, 2021, New York enacted the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act (“CIDA”), requiring defendants to provide plaintiffs with “complete” information for any insurance policy through which a judgment could be satisfied, within sixty (60) days after serving an answer. The stated goal is to reduce delay tactics by compelling disclosures of all policies implicated by a claim as well as other claims, contracts, or agreements that may deplete available coverage or residual limits of policies that have already been eroded by other payments. The impact of CIDA’s disclosure requirements may be scaled back by proposed amendments currently pending before the New York state legislature. 1. What does CIDA Require? CIDA requires the automatic disclosure of insurance information to plaintiffs. New York’s Civil Practice Law & Rules (“CPLR”) 3101(f) permits civil discovery of the contents of existing insurance agreements by which an insurer may be liable for all or part of a judgment. However, CIDA amends the CPLR to mandate that defendants must automatically disclose the following information in all pending cases starting March 1, 2022, or within sixty (60) days of filing an answer to a complaint going forward:

Complete copy of all insurance policies that are available to satisfy all or part of a potential judgment.

This includes Primary, Excess, and Umbrella policies.

The relevant applications for insurance.

Reprinted courtesy of Richard W. Brown, Saxe Doernberger & Vita and Michael V. Pepe, Saxe Doernberger & Vita Mr. Brown may be contacted at RBrown@sdvlaw.com Mr. Pepe may be contacted at MPepe@sdvlaw.com Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of

Drone Use On Construction Projects

June 05, 2023 — Brent N. Mackay - ConsensusDocs
The use of drones, or small unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”), has become common throughout the construction industry in all phases of construction, including pre-construction, progress of the work, project closeout, and maintenance. This article examines the federal regulations related to drone use, as well as considerations for construction professionals related to state and local laws, project location, and weather issues. Federal Regulations Regardless of the state in which the project is located, companies and persons operating commercial drones must observe regulations promulgated by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), which has the exclusive authority to regulate aviation safety, airspace navigation, and air traffic control. Reprinted courtesy of Brent N. Mackay, Watt, Tieder, Hoffar, & Fitzgerald, LLP (ConsensusDocs) Mr. Mackay may be contacted at bmackay@watttieder.com Read the court decision
Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of

FAIRFIELD CONNECTICUT BUILDING EXPERT DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES