4 kids bursting into my home office all day is fun… but it feels GREAT to be back in my real office again! 😎

Not pictured: my 4’ wide Dell monitor - perfect for editing four complex contract documents at once!

Demand for design and construction is back! So I wrote Beware the “One Year” Warranty: Contractor Callback Periods v. Warranties of Quality Work to clear up a common misconception. Originally titled ‘One Year Warranties Are for Suckers,” I realized the issue was more nuanced, and found a more suitable name!

You know what’s exciting? Renewed interest in Designer-Led Design Build (2700+ views)! Architects and Engineers can stay busy through COVID-19, and build what they design, all without undue risk. I’ve taught it for the ACEC, Association of Licensed Architects, in webinars, and to clients, for years. Here’s the #1 authority on the subject.

Construction Management (CM) is not one project delivery method, it is a spectrum. My post on the CM as Adviser (CMa) and CM as Constructor (CMc) varieties covers the 15-or-so new AIA CMa/CMc contract documents. It is a “lite” version of a yet-unreleased CMa paper I wrote, at the AIA’s invitation, for the ABA's Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting.

Reminder: Don’t sleep on your Mechanics Lien deadlines! Recorders of Deeds are COVID-19 backlogged. I e-filed a Cook County lien in May that was not “officially” recorded until June! AN UNPRECEDENTED 33 DAY DELAY! I am grateful the AIA helped me spread the word on liens, back in early and late April, so my clients tend to have plenty of time!

Lawyers are among the many getting battered by COVID-19, so I created a resource to help displaced attorneys who want to launch their own law firms. My wife, Tara, another former “big law” attorney with a solo law practice, is the brains behind the operation. I was happy to discuss it on Steve Fretzin’s Let's Go Solo! podcast two weeks ago.

My mission is to help people who design and construct buildings enter into good contracts, avoid disputes, and have their expectations met with ‘win-win’ outcomes. I price legal services based on value provided, not just hourly billing, to further that mission – and to make legal advice available to more people in design and construction.

I am also happy to provide this monthly e-newsletter, with links to my video library, recent blog posts, and firm news, plus tips and information about design and construction law, picking the right project delivery method, negotiating good contracts, proactive dispute avoidance and, when necessary, mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

I never intend to intrude on your inbox. If you wish to unsubscribe, simply hit the unsubscribe button below. Thank you for your support of my firm!