Residential Contractor Boot Camp
Construction Delays in the Time of Coronavirus: A Legal Perspective
The NSW Court of Appeal in Roberts Co (NSW) Pty Ltd v Sharvain Facades Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) [2025] NSWCA 161 has confirmed that, under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW)...more
With more than 40 years of experience in construction mediations, I’ve seen how early mediator involvement can significantly streamline the resolution process. By engaging a mediator early—before discovery heats up—parties...more
In a closely watched order issued July 11, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida addressed a previously unresolved and critical question under Florida law: whether remediation costs for defective...more
Construction law in the United States consists of two main bodies of legal rules. The first, federal law, applies to contracts involving the U.S. government and its agencies. The second, state law, applies to pretty much...more
Federal construction contracts often involve unforeseen delays. The key question is who is responsible for the resulting costs. A new decision from the ASBCA provides a blueprint for how contractors can maximize recovery...more
On Monday, June 9, 2025, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Missouri real estate developer could not recover insurance proceeds for lost rental income arising out of a retaining wall failure that caused delays...more
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has rejected a contractor’s performance bond claim due to the lack of adequate notice to the subcontractor’s surety (see Flintco LLC v. Total Installation Management Specialists, Inc., No. 120,100...more
Not long ago, I spoke with a general contractor on a multinational infrastructure project. “We had five nationalities on-site,” he said, “and six different ways of interpreting the same deadline.” He wasn’t exaggerating. ...more
A federal district court, applying New York law, has held that a “voluntary payments provision” precluded coverage for an insured’s post-tender costs to remediate its engineering errors because the insured admitted and...more
Historically, the Boards of Contract Appeals and Courts have reviewed design-builders’ reliance on government-provided conceptual drawings or bridging documents in support of constructive change claims under a reasonableness...more
In the recent case of DKT v. DKU [2025] SGCA 23, the Singapore Court of Appeal has, noting its observation of an “increasing tendency for disgruntled award debtors to abuse this ground of challenge on wholly unmeritorious...more
In Trustees of Boston University v. Clough, Harbour & Associates LLP, 495 Mass. 682, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts held that the tort statute of repose for improvements to real property did not bar a contract claim where...more
The recent ruling in Berkley Insurance Company v. Suffolk Construction Company, issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, has highlighted several significant lessons for subcontractors,...more
2025 brought with it many new tariffs, and those tariffs seem to be changing on a near-daily basis. Given this, many in the real estate industry are understandably apprehensive about beginning new projects. Many more are...more
1. ABSENCE OF NOVATION SINKS ADJUDICATION AWARD AGAINST ASSIGNEE - A contractor obtained an adjudication award against an assignee of its employer, which had gone into administration. But was that assignee the correct...more
Setting the Stage for Construction Litigation Support - The scale and complexity of construction projects often lead to a different outcome than expected, creating a dispute between the parties. Many construction disputes...more
In a decision with significant consequences concerning the amount of time after construction during which design professionals and contractors may be liable for defective services or work, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial...more
How long are you on the hook for defects in a completed construction project? It’s a question that keeps many contractors and design professionals up at night—and for good reason. No project is flawless, and the duration of...more
“Manifest disregard of the law” is no longer a valid basis to challenge arbitration awards, at least not in the federal courts of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Rather, according to the Fifth Circuit’s decision in U.S....more
A California appeals court has upheld a $5 million award in favor of Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and against the owner of a 12-story, Virgin-brand hotel in San Francisco. Whiting-Turner agreed to construct the hotel...more
Earlier this year, the American Institute of Architects (“AIA”) released updated form contract documents for traditional design-build (“Traditional DB”) construction projects and introduced a new set of progressive...more
In Skanska Civil USA Southeast, Inc. ASBCA Nos. 61220, 61347 (April 3, 2025), the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals denied the contractor's claim for differing site conditions. The contractor asserted claims for...more
What lawyers call a “battle of the forms” occurs when two parties, negotiating a contract, exchange conflicting standard terms during the contract negotiation and formation. This leads to the obvious and not uncommon dilemma:...more
“Ensuing loss” provisions have long been the subject of nuanced arguments in insurance litigation. The provisions, which sometimes afford coverage for a “covered loss” stemming from an expressly excluded peril, serve as...more
Executive Summary - The South Australian Court of Appeal (Court of Appeal) in Goyder Wind Farm 1 Pty Ltd v GE Renewable Energy Australia Pty Ltd & Ors has delivered a landmark judgment....more