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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
A federal judge in Oklahoma last week ruled against an electrical subcontractor who quit work before finishing because it was allegedly unsafe to continue. The court found that the subcontractor was simply losing money, and...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
The Utah Court of Appeals delivered a significant ruling – including its length, approximately 12,500 words – underscoring the critical importance of adhering to contract provisions, particularly regarding payment terms in...more
In the world of construction, it is essential for both prime contractors and lower-tier subcontractors to carefully manage financial risk when negotiating subcontract agreements. While a party’s ability to distinguish and...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
Large public infrastructure projects typically involve several stakeholders and a complex array of contracts and subcontracts. A thoughtful approach to the negotiation and drafting of contractual dispute resolution clauses...more
Court Affirms $1 Nominal Damage Award in Wind Farm Construction Dispute The general contractor on the 60-turbine wind farm project in Good Hope, Illinois, is entitled to collect a whopping $1 on its cost-to-complete claim...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
In this Insight, first published in PLC, Anna Blest and Katharine Tulloch consider the decision in Jaevee Homes Ltd v Fincham (t/a Fincham Demolition) [2025] EWHC 942 (TCC), in which the court concluded, among other things,...more
Ohio courts are reaffirming a consistent and increasingly important theme: if your contract contains an arbitration clause, expect to be held to it. Three recent appellate decisions—Denham v. Encino Energy, LLC,...more
The Alabama Supreme Court found that an indemnification provision was enforceable that required a subcontractor to indemnify a general contractor on a proportional-fault basis against liability for death or personal injury. ...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
Babin Builders and Development Inc. v. Quinones, Fla. 1st DCA, No. 1D2022-4103, February 12, 2025 - For construction defect litigation, many times we are called into action to defend a subcontractor who has been included as a...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
In Sze Fung Engineering Limited v Trevi Construction Company Limited [2025] HKCA 278, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal (“CA”) ruled that the “back to back” wording in that case was not a “pay when paid” clause, but governed only...more
An “action over” (also called a “third-party over action”) is a type of legal action (lawsuit or arbitration) in which an injured employee, after collecting workers’ compensation benefits from his employer, files a tort claim...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
In Placefirst Construction Ltd v Car Construction (North East) Ltd [2025] EWHC 100 (TCC), the Technology and Construction Court has shed welcome light on the payment notice requirements of the Housing Grants, Construction and...more
A federal court in upstate New York is permitting a subcontractor’s delay claim to proceed notwithstanding a “no damages for delay” provision in the subcontract. The case, The Pike Company, Inc. v. Tri-Krete, Ltd., involves...more
The Retreat at Charleston National Country Club Home Owners Ass’n, Inc. v. Winston Carlyle Charleston National, LLC, S.C. App. Case No. 2021-001050, Opinion No. 6099 (Feb. 12, 2025) Key Takeaways: Case Summary (for those of...more