Construction Law Today

Join us for an enlightening discussion with two sophisticated practitioners of the “Guided Choice” method of mediation. Bill Geisen of Stites & Harbison and Dean Thomson of Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, are not only knowledgeable about this specific type of mediation which employs very early intervention of the mediator, but also have a wealth of experience in the world of construction law.  Listen to Bill and Dean provide a number of practical examples of how “Guided Choice” mediation may be particularly useful in resolving complex construction disputes.

Here is Part 2 of our two-part podcast on insurance issues in construction litigation.  Part 1 of this series is found at Episode 5. Our guest in both episodes is David Suchar from the Maslon Law Firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. David and I pick up on where we left off in Part 1 and discuss builder’s risk insurance, professional liability insurance, and current issues arising in COVID related insurance litigation.

Design Build is an important and sometimes complex project delivery method. In this podcast we speak with Stephen Del Percio of AECOM’s New York metropolitan area office.  Stephen is very familiar with many of the issues involving Design Build and offers interesting insight into these matters. He is an engaging and talented lawyer and engineer who brings a wealth of experience to the table in our thirty-minute discussion.

In this episode we talk with Kristen McDonough, the Program Director of Building for Good, Inc. Building for Good, or B4G as it's referred to, is a national not-for-profit corporation based in Boston, Massachusetts which matches construction lawyers with a variety of types of charities to help provide pro bono legal assistance on all kinds of construction projects.  Kristen explains the history of Building for Good, the projects they are currently working on, and how construction lawyers can get involved with this worthy effort.

Join us for our first podcast episode relating to the COVID-19 ciris.  Washington D.C. attorney Shiva Hamidinia, from the law firm of Nichols Liu LLP, discusses recent decisions relating to the legal impact of pandemics and the rationale used by courts to decide these cases.  The two cases discussed, reaching opposite results, may be instructive as to how courts will be treating these issues in the future.  Shiva's commentary is interesting and insightful.

Many cases require the use of expert witnesses on issues ranging from causation to damages. Attorney Alex Dockery of the law firm of Goulston & Storrs and Chris Sullivan, a well-respected consultant and expert witness with FTI Consulting, discuss the basics, and some of the more complex issues, of retaining and effectively using an expert in the construction case. The discussion highlights why choosing and working well with the right expert can make an important difference in your case.

In this episode, Buzz sits down with renowned construction lawyer Adrian Bastianelli to learn about Adrian’s recent research into how our own bias effects the manner in which we interpret cultural differences in negotiations. Adrian discusses, with some remarkable insight, just how extensively these negotiations can be impacted by our own perceptions about the actions of the parties sitting on the other side of the table.

What is the future of the construction industry? Futurist Simon J. Anderson joins us for an interesting discussion of the trends which are shaping how construction work will be undertaken in the future. If you think the future is coming fast, you are right!

In this episode, our guest Lance Currie, from the law firm of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, LLP in Dallas, Texas, discusses the issues related to limited workforce diversity in much of the construction industry including opportunity risks, safety risks, legal risks, and reputational risks for companies not having a diverse and inclusive culture.

Welcome to our first international podcast.  This is an interesting and informative discussion with Roberto Hernandez of COMAD, S.C. in Mexico City.  This episode discusses what an American construction company, and its counsel, might need to know about undertaking a project in Latin America.