My 8-year-old son’s (socially distant) 8U traveling baseball team dominated my family’s July. They played 17 games since July 7th! What a blast!

Also in July, I vowed to create a lot more video content for my website’s Video Library and my YouTube Channel. I shot 9 new videos in July, but only 5 are ready to share. #1: What Are the Five Most Dangerous Words in Design and Construction Contracts? #2: Why Are Architects and Engineers Scared to Build What they Design? #3: Should Design and Construction Contracts Allow ‘Prevailing Parties’ to Recover Attorneys’ Fees? #4: Are Short Contracts Better Than Long Contracts? And #5: How Do You Get Past Impasse in Contract Negotiations? It’s a challenge to keep your foot out of your mouth when the camera rolls!

I want my website to be a design and construction resource, so I wrote articles in July as well. Check out my new posts: #1 Project Owners Should Not Over-Rely On Title Insurer Review of Payment Applications #2 What Is the Best Length for Design and Construction Contracts? And #3 Design Professionals Should Not Be Afraid to Lead Design-Build Teams! These started as video topics, but morphed into substantial blog posts. 

REMINDER: Watch your Mechanics Lien deadlines carefully! Recorders of Deeds are still COVID-19 backlogged. I e-filed a Cook County lien in May that was not “officially” recorded until June! A 33 DAY DELAY! Two weeks ago, I e-filed a Release of Mechanics Lien that has yet to be returned with an official recorder’s stamp! 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 a few weeks ago. I also appeared in an episode entitled Jeremy Baker: Lessons Learned In Transitioning From Big Law to Solo Practice.

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.