Seattle Washington Building Expert Directory

Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California Chapter Announces New President/CEO

January 24, 2022 — Associated Builders and Contractors, Northern California Chapter
(January 19, 2022 – Livermore, CA) Associated Builders and Contractors, Northern California Chapter (ABC NorCal) Board of Directors launched an exhaustive, nationwide CEO search, and recently selected Deborah Maus as the next President/CEO. Deborah is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with 25+ years of strategic and operational leadership. Prior to accepting the position, Deborah served as the chief executive officer of Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors of California. Mark Kirkes, President of MK Electric & Design Inc—and 2022 ABC NorCal Chair— said, "We believe Deborah will focus on strengthening organizational structure to meet new and expanding program needs, guide policy development and strategic innovations, bring increased value to members and continue to be the leading voice of the merit shop in Northern California. Her demonstrated knowledge of the industry and her support of all who desire to succeed in the construction industry made her an ideal choice to advance ABC's mission in Northern California." Former ABC NorCal President/CEO Michele Daugherty is transitioning to the ABC Central Florida Chapter as President/CEO, continuing her 16+ years of service in ABC. ABC 2021 Chair, Josh Ward noted, "Michele has been working for ABC since 2006 and we are happy to see that she is staying in the ABC family—continuing to fight for the Merit Shop. The Executive Committee expresses its sincere appreciation for Michele and her remarkable services to the organization. Her enthusiasm and leadership will be deeply missed and difficult to replicate. However, we believe we have found the right person in Deborah Maus." About ABC Northern California Chapter ABC Northern California Chapter (ABC NorCal) is a trade association founded on the merit shop philosophy and dedicated to serving construction professionals from Fresno to the Oregon border. Our mission: To promote free enterprise by advancing the merit shop philosophy in the construction industry through education, advocacy and business services. To learn more visit www.abcnorcal.org Read the court decision
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Adaptive Reuse: Creative Reimagining of Former Office Space to Address Differing Demands

March 27, 2023 — Cait Horner, Allan C. Van Vliet & Adam J. Weaver - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Empty office buildings downtown. A housing shortage in almost every major market. Is there a way to address both issues at once by converting historic but underutilized office buildings into apartments and condos in city centers? It’s an idea that has been discussed, and in some cities, implemented in recent years. But while the idea seems simple enough—repurpose existing office space for residential and mixed-use projects—there are some real challenges limiting the feasibility of large-scale office to residential conversion. The commercial real estate market is facing an uncertain future. Even as some companies have started requiring that their workers return to the office, many continue to operate under their hybrid or fully remote working models, which companies may commit to permanently. And while some big cities have seen office occupancy levels increase in the past few months (CBRE notes that Austin and Houston both saw occupancy levels above 60% in January, up around 25% from 2022 levels), the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and uncertainty in the global financial markets are keeping many office buildings empty in major cities around the country. Those tenants who are returning to the office are focusing their search for office space on high-quality, sustainable, amenity-filled spaces to entice workers to return to the office. This flight to quality leaves some older and, in many cases, architecturally relevant, office buildings behind. As a result, there are growing opportunities for the potential adaptive reuse of these existing underutilized structures. Reprinted courtesy of Cait Horner, Pillsbury, Allan C. Van Vliet, Pillsbury and Adam J. Weaver, Pillsbury Ms. Horner may be contacted at cait.horner@pillsburylaw.com Mr. Van Vliet may be contacted at allan.vanvliet@pillsburylaw.com Mr. Weaver may be contacted at adam.weaver@pillsburylaw.com Read the court decision
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Carin Ramirez and David McLain recognized among the Best Lawyers in America© for 2021

March 15, 2021 — Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell is pleased to announce that Carin Ramirez and David McLain were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for 2021. Carin Ramirez has been recognized for her work in insurance litigation and David McLain has been recognized for his work in construction law. Carin Ramirez has over 11 years of experience in civil defense litigation with an emphasis on the defense of construction defect lawsuits on behalf of developers, general contractors, and other construction professionals. She also practices in the areas of personal injury defense, premises liability, environmental torts, wrongful death, negligent design, property damage, subrogation claims, contract disputes, bad faith, and commercial litigation. David McLain has over 22 years of experience and is well known for his work in the defense of the construction industry, particularly in the area of construction defect litigation. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the CLM Claims College - School of Construction, which is the premier course for insurance, industry, and legal professionals. HHMR is highly regarded for its expertise in construction law and the litigation of construction-related claims, including the defense of large and complex construction defect matters. Our attorneys provide exceptional service to individuals, business owners, Fortune 500 companies, and the insurance industry. The firm is experienced in providing legal support throughout trials and alternative dispute resolution such as mediations and arbitrations. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell

Developer Transition – Washington DC Condominiums

June 29, 2017 — Nicholas D. Cowie - Maryland Condo Construction Defect Law Blog
Developer transition is the process by which governance over a condominium unit owners’ association (“condominium association”) is transferred from condominium developer to unit owner control. Below is an overview of the legal requirements in the District of Columbia that govern this transition process as well as a “transition checklist” for unit owner-elected boards of directors that have recently transitioned from developer control. TRANSITION LAW OVERVIEW PERIOD OF DEVELOPER CONTROL A developer initially controls a condominium association because it owns all unsold units in the newly created condominium. As such, the condominium developer has the controlling votes associated with majority ownership and can appoint its own employees as the initial members of the board of directors and thereby control how the association conducts its affairs. This is referred to as the “period of developer control,” during which the condominium developer makes all decisions on behalf of the condominium association. The developer also creates a condominium association’s governing documents allowing it to dictate, subject to applicable law, the procedures and time periods under which control over the association’s board of directors is ultimately transferred to the unit owners. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Nicholas D. Cowie, Cowie & Mott, P.A.
Mr. Cowie may be contacted at ndc@cowiemott.com

Washington Court Tunnels Deeper Into the Discovery Rule

July 09, 2019 — Lian Skaf - The Subrogation Strategist
Often times, properly analyzing when a statute of limitations begins to run – not just how long it runs – is crucial to timely pleading. In Dep’t of Transp. v. Seattle Tunnel Partners, 2019 Wash.App. LEXIS 281 (Was. Ct. App. Feb. 5, 2019), Division Two of the Court of Appeals of Washington addressed when the discovery rule starts the statute of limitations clock on a negligence cause of action. The court held that the statute of limitations begins to run when the plaintiff knows that the factual elements of the claim against the defendant exist. The clock starts to run even if the plaintiff wants to investigate the possibility of other contributing factors or the defendant identifies opposing viewpoints on the theory of the claim. In this matter, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) contracted with an engineering firm, WSP USA, Inc. (WSP), for an evaluation of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in 2001. As part of this project, WSP retained the services of Shannon and Wilson (S&W), another engineering firm, to conduct geological profile logs, groundwater-pumping tests, and prepare technical memoranda. In 2002, WSP and S&W installed a pumping well with an eight-inch steel casing (TW-2). In 2009, apparently based on the work done by WSP and S&W, WSDOT determined that a bored underground tunnel was the best option for replacing the viaduct. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Lian Skaf, White and Williams LLP
Mr. Skaf may be contacted at skafl@whiteandwilliams.com

Building Resiliency: Withstanding Wildfires and Other Natural Disasters

September 25, 2023 — Bill Creedon - Construction Executive
According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2016 and 2020 an estimated average of 4,300 fires per year plagued structures under construction, adding up to about $376 million in annual property damage. More recently, the National Centers for Environmental Information reported that wildfires accounted for more than $3.2 billion in damages across the United States. These figures alone point to the heightened awareness that all companies—particularly construction companies—should maintain surrounding the unique challenges and risks that wildfires can present and how they could potentially impact the integrity of projects and the associated safety of their workers. As North America grapples with the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, hurricanes and additional severe weather events, numerous industries have had to adapt and implement proactive measures to minimize their risks and associated exposures. The impact of these natural disasters on the construction industry is indisputable, necessitating proactive measures that construction companies should seriously consider adopting to effectively mitigate those risks, efficiently navigate insurance complexities and seamlessly integrate data-driven solutions alongside modern tools like AI and predictive modeling. Reprinted courtesy of Bill Creedon, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
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Mr. Creedon may be contacted at bill.creedon@wtwco.com

Wisconsin Supreme Court Holds Fire Damage Resulted from Single Occurrence

November 21, 2018 — Brian Margolies - TLSS Insurance Law Blog
In its recent decision in Secura Ins. v. Lyme St. Croix Forest Co., LLC 2018 WI 103 (Oct. 30, 2018), the Wisconsin Supreme Court had occasion to consider whether a forest fire that caused damage to several homes and properties should be considered a single or multiple occurrences. Secura insured Lyme St. Croix Forest Company under a general liability policy. Of relevance was the policy’s $500,000 sublimit of coverage for property damage due to fire arising from logging or lumbering operations, subject to a $2 million general policy aggregate limit. Lyme St. Croix sought coverage under the policy for a fire that resulted from its logging equipment. The fire lasted for three days, burning nearly 7,500 acres and causing damage to numerous homes and businesses. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Brian Margolies, Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP
Mr. Margolies may be contacted at bmargolies@tlsslaw.com

No Coverage for Hurricane Sandy Damage

August 02, 2017 — Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
The magistrate recommended that summary judgment be entered in favor of the insurer, thereby eliminating coverage for property damage incurred during Hurricane Sandy. Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc. v. Great Northern Ins. Co., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103015 (E.D. N.Y. June 30, 2017). Madelaine Chocolate owned a facility three blocks form the Atlantic Ocean and one block from the Jamaica Bay section of Long Island Sound. Hurricane Sandy arrived October 29, 2012. Madeline Chocolate's facility sustained significant damage to its inventory, production machinery and premises, as storm surge from both bodies of water hit the property. Operations ceased during the 2012 holiday season and beyond, resulting in millions of dollars in lost income. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

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