News & Publications

By: Jennifer M. Horn As part of an ongoing series, Construction Law Signal will examine basic construction contract clauses and offer tips for navigating the nuanced arena that is the negotiated construction contract. “No Damage for Delay” ...

It goes without saying that subcontractor management is a tricky business for those who select and contract with subcontractors in these interesting economic times. The earlier a general contractor can recognize the warning signs of a ...

By: Lori Wisniewski Azzara and Jennifer M. Horn According to a recent report from the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED-certified existing buildings are outpacing their newly built counterparts for the first time. As of December 2011, the square ...

By: Jason C. Tomasulo Montgomery County, Maryland, recently simplified its construction permitting and inspection processes to better accommodate businesses and developers. Montgomery County consolidated the inspection of fire protection systems ...

I recently had the pleasure to chat with Robert W. Bertazon, founder of Maryland Construction Network, an innovative forum for the Maryland construction industry. I asked Mr. Bertazon to comment on the genesis of the Maryland Construction Network ...

By: Jason A. Copley and Lori Wisniewski Azzara  On January 6, 2012, the Pennsylvania Superior Court, in a 7-2 decision, significantly expanded the Pennsylvania Mechanics’ Lien Law’s definition of a “subcontractor” in Bricklayers of ...

By: Lori Wisniewski Azzara and Jennifer M. Horn As a follow up to its 2006 report, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has issued a new report – Rooftops to Rivers II – that provides case studies for 14 geographically diverse cities ...

By: Mark Leavy and Marc Furman On November 29, 2011, Mayor Michael A. Nutter signed Executive Order No. 15-11: “Public Works Project Labor Agreements”. The Order strongly recommends – but does not strictly require – the use of ...

By: Marian A. Kornilowicz The Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau (Corporate Bureau) identifies entities that may no longer be in existence in order to make their names available for use by new active entities. To make sure your ...

By: Melissa C. Angeline On November 7, 2011, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) released a new 6-page workplace notice for all New Jersey employers. The Employer Obligation to Maintain and Report Records Regarding ...

By: Jennifer M. Horn For over ninety years, Maryland’s Court of Appeals has refused to honor the claims of unlicensed entities, including those of subcontractors and contractors who failed to adhere to the applicable regulatory licensing ...

By: Lori Wisniewski Azzara and Robert G. Ruggieri On October 20, 2011, Senate Bill No. 1227 was introduced to the Pennsylvania Senate. The bill requires that funds paid by an owner to a contractor for work performed and/or materials furnished by a ...

By: Jennifer Horn In a decision this month PennDot’s Design-Build Best-Value Bid (DBBV) procurement method has been deemed illegal by Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court. Strengthening earlier rulings, the Court noted that the illegality of the ...

By: Jason Tomasulo A number of outlets including Infrastructure Investor and the Washington Post are reporting the announcement by the Obama Administration of 14 projects that will be expedited through the permitting and environmental review ...

Just in time for the Fall Classic! Within moments after sending Wednesday’s email update about the National Labor Relations Board’s publication of its employee rights notice, we learned that the Board decided to push back the notice deadline to ...

By: Melissa C. Angeline In its October 5, 2011 press release, the National Labor Relations Board states that it has postponed the November 2011 deadline for employers to post the “Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act” notice. ...

The National Labor Relations Board has published its new poster, titled “Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act.” As previously reported on our blog, the Board recently adopted a new rule requiring private employers to post a ...

By: Jennifer M. Horn Construction owners and managers are utilizing computer tablets such as the iPad more and more on the job site to help streamline business. Engineering News Record posted a video clip and article about a few construction ...

By: Jennifer M. Horn and Robert Ruggieri A September 1, 2011 decision by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals reminds us of the critical importance of strictly following contractual and procurement procedures before performing change order work for ...

By: Jennifer M. Horn On September 14th, Lancaster General Health (LGH) is set to break ground on the new Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Center. According to the press release from the LGH, the 70,000 square foot, $44 million center will, “bring ...