Section Newsletters

Articles on Construction Law

Contractor may delegate safety duty to subcontractor By Ghazal Sharifi Construction Law, December 2012 The recent case of Oshana v. FCL Builders, Inc. held that a contractor may now delegate the safety obligations contained in its contract to a subcontractor and thus avoid liability for any injuries to a subcontractor employee.
“The devil is in the details”: Coverage issues to consider in light of Westfield Insurance Company v. FCL Builders Construction Law, December 2012 If your client is an “additional insured” instead of a “named insured,” your client will have greater coverage protection, will be subject to fewer exclusions, will not be obligated to pay the deductible, and will not subject to reporting requirements.
The leaky “pay-if-paid” clause: A fluid story of the “ifs” and “whens” of contingent payments By Nicholas J. Johnson Construction Law, December 2012 Subcontractors and contractors would both be well served in making themselves aware of the proper means of creating a “pay-if-paid” clause, and the various ways it might be circumvented.
ACORD insurance certificate changed By Bruce H. Schoumacher Construction Law, May 2012 When drafting construction contracts, attorneys and their clients must be aware of the limitations of revised ACORD 25. They will have to develop contract provisions which recognize those limitations.
ARRA domestic source requirements: “Buy American”—A complex maze having serious non-compliance consequences By Stanley N. Wasser Construction Law, May 2012 This article is intended to provide you with basic guidance for what you will find is a complex issue having potential serious non-compliance consequences.
The Illinois sworn contractor’s statement: An owner’s defense and an owner’s obligation By Paul Peterson Construction Law, May 2012 Acceptance of a statutory sworn contractor's statement that does not meet the requirements of Section 5 may leave the owner with obligations and no corresponding benefits. 
On the psychology of incompetence in the construction process By Stanley P. Sklar Construction Law, December 2011 The author opines that the art of construction is similar to the art of war, but with one very major exception—that the construction process cannot become so adversarial that it rivals war in its destructiveness.
Up Cypress Creek: Mechanics liens get an inferiority complex By Eric Singer Construction Law, December 2011 While the Cypress Creek case has been decried as the death of the Mechanics Lien Act, it merely clarified what lenders have always been able to accomplish.
MBE/WBEs as third-party beneficiaries of construction contracts By Peter Graham Construction Law, October 2011 A look at the the consequences of failing to heed MBE/WBE provisions.  
Must a homeowner establish the contractor’s state of mind to state a claim for a violation of the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act? By Nathan B. Hinch Construction Law, October 2011 In light of the recent amendments to the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act, must a homeowner also establish the contractor's state of mind in claims involving HRRA violations?
The new wave of insurance for construction defects? Four states enact statutes favoring coverage for faulty workmanship By Clifford J. Shapiro & Kenneth M. Gorenberg Construction Law, October 2011 Legislation recently enacted in Colorado, Hawaii, Arkansas, and South Carolina addresses whether claims alleging construction defects are covered by commercial general liability insurance policies.
Construction project delivery methods: Which is best for you? By Mark C. Friedlander Construction Law, May 2011 A look at the most common types of construction project delivery methods, including the newest methods that have received significant acclaim.
Changes and continued uncertainty for construction industry with CCDD law By Alison K. Hayden Environmental and Natural Resources Law, February 2011 Public Act 96-1416 amends the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/1 et seq., to regulate facilities which accept soil and Clean Construction Demolition Debris for disposal.
Basic construction insurance coverage By Bruce H. Schoumacher Real Estate Law, September 2010 A guide to drafting construction insurance provisions.
Construction law: What’s new in 2010 By Bruce H. Schoumacher, Alicia Garcia, & Emily Widmer Real Estate Law, September 2010 Recent construction law cases.
Special Committee on Construction Law: Year in review By Samuel H. Levine Real Estate Law, September 2010 An introduction to this issue from the Chair of the ISBA's Special Committee on Construction Law, Samuel Levine.
Extra work is extra work By Raymond A. Fylstra Corporate Law Departments, September 2009 Many formal construction contracts explicitly state that extra or additional work must be authorized by a written change order signed by the owner. Although there are some exceptions, such clauses normally will be enforced if they are clear.
LEED in real estate By Margery Newman Real Estate Law, September 2009 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”), also known as green building, is taking hold across the country. According to the National Association of Home Builders “between 40 percent and 50 percent of the homes built in 2010 are expected to be green.” Here's what you need to know.
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments: The familiar stranger By Phillip R. Van Ness Real Estate Law, February 2009 An attorney charged with guiding his or her Illinois client through a Phase I doesn’t have to understand the science behind it (although that surely won’t hurt). But he or she does have to know whether the Phase I at least prima facie appears to comport with the essential elements of a valid Phase I. At this point, it may be advisable to secure the services of an environmental lawyer, but even a non-technically trained lawyer can put together a checklist that greatly increases the odds that the client will have a Phase I it can rely on.  
New construction dilemma / Ethical issue scenario By Robert Duffin & Myles Jacobs Real Estate Law, December 2008 An owner of a large lot located in a recorded subdivision desires to subdivide the lot into two lots and construct a residence on each lot.
Guidelines for buyer’s review of new construction contracts By David Vlcek Real Estate Law, June 2008 While no two new construction contracts are the same, there are enough similarities in new construction contracts commonly used in Illinois to make it possible to provide a set of concrete notes and suggestions to lawyers representing buyers.
The Illinois Employee Classification Act: A primer By Christopher P. Keleher Corporate Law Departments, December 2007 Construction contractors doing business in Illinois will face a new regulation that effectively deems all construction workers as their employees.
Liability for construction claims By Margery Newman Real Estate Law, September 2007 The construction industry is rife with situations in which one party may become liable to or for another party in the construction process.
Lien cuisine and other construction delights By Samuel H. Levine Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, July 2007 A lot has happened in the past three years in the area of construction law and mechanics liens. The Mechanics Lien Act has been amended.
Lien cuisine and other construction delights By Samuel H. Levine Real Estate Law, April 2007 A lot has happened in the past three years in the area of construction law and mechanics liens.
Joint Venture Agreements: doing construction projects together By Margery Newman Real Estate Law, January 2007 A joint business venture, such a joint venture, is an organization where both members form a new entity, owned by both of them.
Mold risks in construction projects By Margery Newman Real Estate Law, March 2006 The presence of water where it should not be is a significant construction defect issue that has generated an enormous amount of litigation within the last few years.
Practice Alert: Home repair and remodeling contractors beware! By H. Allen Yow General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, March 2006 Attorneys representing clients engaged in the home repair and remodeling business need to be aware of the recent decision from the Third District Appellate Court of Illinois, Central Illinois Electrical Services, LLC v. Slepian, and the provisions of the Home Repair and Remodeling Act.
Willis v. Kiferbaum Construction: A Kotecki waiver by a subcontractor does not climb the chain to benefit a contractor higher up unless expressly provided for by contract By Richard L. Turner Civil Practice and Procedure, December 2005 It is now clear under the recent decision in Willis v. Kiferbaum Construction Corp., that such a Kotecki waiver only occurs where it is expressly contracted for between the employer/subcontractor and the party further up the contractual chain seeking to assert that waiver.
Fourth Amendment issues and regulatory inspections in the construction industry By Lindsay Price Local Government Law, October 2005 In the early 1970s, the Supreme Court announced the “closely regulated business” exception to the search warrant requirement, permitting warrantless administrative searches of certain commercial properties.

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