Duane Morris Construction Law

April 4, 2014July 27, 2014 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Partner Albert Bates, Jr. to Present at the Deloitte Energy Conference

Duane Morris partner Albert Bates, Jr., will be presenting at the 2014 Deloitte Energy Conference: A Global Industry . . . Competing Locally, which will be held on Tuesday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14, 2014, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Mr. Bates will serve as a panelist during the Elective Session – Sector Breakouts on Power on May 14, 2014, where he will discuss strategic considerations of major capital projects, including evolving project delivery systems and inherent risks, as well as proactive project risk management and controls.

CPE Credit Amount and CPE Field of Study Subject Area(s) are pending review by the National CPE Compliance Group. Participants can receive up to 12 hours of CPE credits for attending this conference in multiple subject areas depending upon sessions attended.

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March 10, 2014July 28, 2014 by Patrick J. Kearney

Managing Snow and Weather Related Delays on a Construction Project

This winter it seems like no one has been able to escape the fury of Mother Nature. As a result, construction projects all over the country are now behind schedule. Because “time is money” for all of the project participants, disputes related to time extensions, liquidated damages, acceleration claims, and other delay damages are expected. In anticipation of these disputes, contractors and owners should review their contracts and consult with an attorney before submitting or responding to a weather related claim.

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March 10, 2014July 27, 2014 by Duane Morris

Recent Changes in New York City’s Standard Construction Contract

With its new Standard Construction Contract, issued in December 2013, the City of New York (the “City”) has implemented numerous significant changes as compared with its 2008 standard contract. The most widely discussed change in the City’s standard construction contract is the elimination of an express “no damage for delay” clause. At least ostensibly, the new contract represents a more flexible approach to delay damages by enabling the contractor to recover for delays in factual settings not previously amenable to delay claims. This Alert briefly summarizes some of the new provisions.

Click here to read the full Alert.

February 18, 2014July 29, 2014 by Jose A. Aquino

Itemization of Mechanic’s Lien Not Necessary Where Construction Contract Apprised Owner of Lienor’s Claim

New York Lien Law § 38 states that the holder of a mechanic’s lien “shall, on demand in writing, deliver to the owner or contractor making such demand a statement in writing which shall set forth the items of labor and/or material and the value thereof which make up the amount for which he [or she] claims a lien, and which shall also set forth the terms of the contract under which such items were furnished.” In Associated Building Services Inc. v Pentecostal Faith Church, 112 A.D.3d 1130, 976 N.Y.S.2d 699 (3rd Dept. 2013), the Court held that a lienor is not always required to provide an itemization of labor and materials furnished to substantiate its mechanic’s lien.

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January 30, 2014July 27, 2014 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris’ Robert Hendrickson and Ron Oliner on “Public Works Projects and Municipal Bankruptcies”

The good news is that public works construction projects for municipalities are projected to remain a major sector of construction activity for the foreseeable future. The not-so-good news is that municipal bankruptcy filings are on the rise, and they are likely to increase. The issues facing parties under contract with a municipality when it files for bankruptcy protection are playing out nationally in places like Stockton, California, and Detroit, Michigan. Construction lawyers now more than ever need to know the risks of a public owner filing for bankruptcy protection before project completion, and what they can do in the event it does so before the project is closed out—thereby jeopardizing the owner’s ability to pay.

Click here to read the full article, written by Duane Morris partners Robert Hendrickson and Ron Oliner.

November 1, 2013July 28, 2014 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Named Law Firm of the Year for Construction Law by U.S. News-Best Lawyers for the Second-Consecutive Year

Duane Morris’ Construction Group received a preeminent ranking in the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 Best Law Firms results released today: the selection as Law Firm of the Year for Construction Law. Duane Morris is the only firm to ever hold this honor for two consecutive years.
Only one law firm is recognized as the 2014 Law Firm of the Year per practice group. According to U.S. News Best Lawyers, Duane Morris received this designation for Construction Law due to its impressive overall performance.

For the full story, please click here.

October 30, 2013July 29, 2014 by Jose A. Aquino

Department of Buildings Expands Online Filings and Approvals

The New York City Department of Buildings (“DOB”) recently announced the expansion of its online NYC Development Hub. Introduced by the DOB to facilitate the review and approval process on major construction projects, the Development Hub is a high-tech plan processing center offering faster approvals, fewer office visits to DOB and reduced paper submissions. Since its inception in October 2011, the Hub has approved more than 300 new buildings and major renovation projects.

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October 18, 2013July 28, 2014 by Richard P. Dyer

Overlooked Obtaining an Additional Insured Endorsement? You Might be Saved by the Automatic Additional Insured Endorsement – or Might Not.

Many CGL policies typically include an endorsement that contains a clause providing for automatic additional insured status without a project specific schedule listing names of additional insureds. (See, for example, form CG 2033 0704, “Additional Insured-Owners, Lessees or Contractors – Automatic Status When Required in Construction Agreement With You”). By this endorsement the “Who is An Insured” provision is amended “to include as an additional insured any person or organization for whom you are performing operations when you and such person or organization have agreed in writing in a contract or agreement that such person or organization be added as an additional insured on your policy.” That can be a fail-safe mechanism when upstream contracting parties neglect to obtain necessary written endorsements naming specific parties. However, it only goes so far.

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August 22, 2013July 28, 2014 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Construction Partner Frederick Cohen Recognized as a Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” for 2014

Duane Morris is pleased to announce that Duane Morris partner Frederick Cohen has been selected by Best Lawyers as a “Lawyer of the Year” in New York City Litigation – Construction law for 2014. Only one lawyer in each practice area and city is given this honor. Lawyers are selected based on high marks received during the extensive peer-review assessments conducted by Best Lawyers each year.

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August 2, 2013July 28, 2014 by Richard P. Dyer

New York City Identifies Four Semi-Finalists of Competition for Waterfront Design Innovations in Response to Superstorm Sandy

In an attempt to determine how best to design and build on the City’s waterfront areas exposed to future storms, a competition was announced by the City, together with a team of developers, in April 2013 to cultivate design development ideas for an 80 acre site in the Rockaways. In response, 117 design teams from around the globe submitted credentials and design ideas. On July 18th, four semi-finalist teams were announced including Ennead Architects (formerly Poshek Partners) of New York, Lateral Office of Toronto, Seeding Office of London, and White Arkitekler of London.

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