Seattle Washington Building Expert Directory

BOOK CLUB SERIES: Everything You Want to Know About Construction Arbitration But Were Afraid to Ask

October 30, 2023 — Marissa L. Downs - The Dispute Resolver
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with construction law notables John Foust and Andy Ness to discuss the release of their new book—Construction Arbitration: The Advocate’s Practical Guide. The goal of their book: to teach attorneys what they need to know to maximize their effectiveness in the arbitration context. To that end, the book covers every aspect of the arbitration process including motion practice, conduct as an advocate, presentation of the case, and post-hearing submissions. Read on for Andy and John’s candid, behind-the-scenes take on how this book came to be and why you should get your copy now, while supplies last! Q: Who is the target audience for this book? Andy: In the editing process (and in writing my own chapter on Navigating an International Construction Arbitration) I pretended that I was speaking with a construction lawyer who was a few years out of law school, with some litigation experience, who was getting ready to take on a significant and complex construction arbitration for the first time. The book presupposes knowledge of the basics and tries to anticipate the questions that would be asked when you are trying to think through the whole arbitration process from start to finish. What should my pleadings look like? How much discovery am I likely to be able to obtain? How should my demeanor be different from what I would do in a courtroom? How much should I object during the hearing? In a nutshell, it’s “What do I need to know to maximize my chances of success in the arbitration setting?” Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Marissa L. Downs, Laurie & Brennan, LLP
Ms. Downs may be contacted at mdowns@lauriebrennan.com

24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar A Success

June 05, 2017 — Margaret Graham - CDJ STAFF
The 24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect seminar was once again, a huge success . On May 18-19, 2017 attendees from the legal, insurance, builder, contractor, subcontractor and numerous other industries came from across the United States and several foreign countries to the 24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar. Caryn Siebert, Vice President and Chief Claims Officer of The Knight Insurance Group was awarded The Jerrold S. Oliver Award of Excellence. This award recognizes a person who has contributed to the betterment of the construction defect community. For more information on the Oliver Award of Excellence, please visit: http://www.westcoastcasualty.com/seminar/ollie-award-voting/ Bert L. Howe & Associates, Inc.’s golf challenge raised $2,225.00 for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and $1,900 for Final Salute. The grand total for all charitable contributions raised this year at the seminar was $45,300.00. For more information on the National Coalition for Homeless Vets, please visit: http://nchv.org/ To learn more about how Final Salute provides homeless women Veterans with safe and suitable housing, please visit: http://www.finalsaluteinc.org/ Read the court decision
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Recommencing Construction on a Project due to a Cessation or Abandonment

October 26, 2017 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
There are instances where the owner of a construction project terminates its general contractor prior to the completion of the project. There are instances where the owner suspends the work prior to the completion of the project, meaning there is a cessation in the construction. And, there are instances where the project is simply abandoned. I have been involved in all instances, and the owner’s reasons vary…from an owner claiming a termination for default, termination for convenience, or a suspension or abandonment due to the market or financial factors. Regardless of the owner’s reasoning, at some point—hopefully—the owner will want to resume or, more properly stated, recommence construction and complete the project. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Florida Construction Legal Updates
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at Dadelstein@gmail.com

Two Firm Members Among the “Best Lawyers in America”

September 01, 2016 — A&C Crew – Ahlers & Cressman PLLC
We are excited to announce that John P. Ahlers has been selected as a “Lawyer of the Year” in Construction Law, and John P. Ahlers and Paul R. Cressman, Jr. have been selected as “Best Lawyers in America” in Construction Litigation by Best Lawyers for 2017. Best Lawyers has recognized Mr. Ahlers and Mr. Cressman as “Best Lawyers in America” since 2007 and 2013, respectively. Read the court decision
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To Require Arbitration or Not To Require Arbitration

December 31, 2014 — Christopher G. Hill – Construction Law Musings
Many, if not most, construction contracts that I review during the course of my practice day include a mandatory arbitration clause. Most of these refer in a blanket manner to AAA Construction Industry Rules. The topic for this post is not whether such clauses are enforceable or whether they are one tool in the contracting tool box in a state where the contract is king. I picked the title of this post carefully because I wanted to discuss whether such clauses should be required as a routine part of all construction contracts and, if so, how those clauses can and should be written. I have previously shared my thoughts on mandatory arbitration and its desirability in numerous spots here at Construction Law Musings (you can search arbitration or check out the ADR page for more). In short, my opinion is that arbitration was initially conceived with the purpose of streamlining the dispute resolution process and to correspondingly lower the costs associated with such dispute resolution. Arbitration, when used correctly, can, in certain very industry specific cases, help by using an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators that have some expertise in the particular area of the construction industry or the particular specialized issue that will turn the case one way or the other. All of these goals are good and I applaud them. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Christopher G. Hill, Law Office of Christopher G. Hill, PC
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

Insurance Policy’s “No Voluntary Payment” Clauses Lose Some Bite in Colorado

October 22, 2013 — Brady Iandiorio — Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC.
The Colorado Court of Appeals recently handed down an opinion dulling the teeth of the “no voluntary payment” clauses found in many contractors’ insurance policies. In the case of Stresscon Corporation v. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, 2013 WL 4874352 (Colo. App. 2013), the Court of Appeals found that an insured’s breach of the “no voluntary payment” clause does not always bar the insured from receiving benefits from its insurance company. In July 2007, at a construction project run by Mortenson (the “GC”), a partially erected building collapsed, killing one worker and gravely injuring another. The collapse was caused by a crane hook pulling a concrete component off of its supports. The GC contracted with Stresscon Corporation (“Stresscon”) to build pre-cast concrete components for the project, and in turn Stresscon hired two sub-subcontractors, RMS and Hardrock (the “Crane Team”) to work together to erect those concrete components. Stresscon and the Crane Team had liability insurance, and Stresscon was insured by Travelers Property Casualty Company of America (“Travelers”). The accident led to three separate lawsuits: 1) one brought by the deceased worker; 2) one brought by the injured worker; and 3) one brought by the GC against Stresscon claiming it was entitled to contract damages incurred because the project was delayed. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Brady Iandiorio
Brady Iandiorio can be contacted at Iandiorio@hhmrlaw.com

Prime Contractor & Surety’s Recovery of Attorney’s Fees in Miller Act Lawsuit

February 02, 2017 — David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal Updates
Can a claimant recover attorney’s fees in a Miller Act payment bond dispute even though the Miller Act does not contain a prevailing party attorney’s fee provision? Yes, if the underlying contract that formed the basis of the suit provided for attorney’s fees. What about a prime contractor and surety—can they recover their attorney’s fees if they prevail in a Miller Act payment bond claim and the underlying contract provides a basis for fees? The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in U.S.A. f/u/b/o RMP Capital Corp. v. Turner Construction Co., 2017 WL 244066 (11th Cir. 2017) seemingly just answered this question in the affirmative when it reversed a lower court’s ruling that precluded a prime contractor and surety that prevailed in a Miller Act claim from recovering their attorney’s fees[.] Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Florida Construction Legal Updates
Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dadelstein@gmail.com

Illinois Supreme Court Finds Construction Defect Claim Triggers Initial Grant of Coverage

February 26, 2024 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The Illinois Supreme Court found that the underlying allegations addressing construction defects were sufficient to establish "property damage" caused by an "occurrence."Acuity v. M/I Homes of Chicago, LLC, 2023 Ill. LEXIS 1019 (Ill. Nov. 30, 2023). M/I Homes was the general contractor for a residential townhome development. The Owners' Association sued for breach of conract and breach of the implied warranty of habitability against M/I Homes. The complaint alleged that M/I Homes' subcontractors caused construction defects by using defective materials, conducting faulty workmanship and failing to comply with applicable building codes. The defects included leakage and uncontrolled water with moisture in locations in the buildings where it was not intended or expected. The Association further alleged that M/I Homes did not intend to cause the construction defects nor did it expect or intend the resulting property damage, such as damage to other building materials. The complaint further alleged that M/I Homes did not perform any of the construction work and that the subconractors performed all the work on its behalf. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

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