Construction Law Today

Episode 10: Cross-Culture Construction Negotiations

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.

Episode 9: A Futurist Looks at the Construction Industry

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!

Episode 8: Inclusion, Diversity, Professionalism, and Risk Management

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.

Episode 7: Construction Law South of the Border

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.

Episode 6: ConsensusDocs

ConsensusDocs are one of the commonly used set of construction documentation forms.  Brian Perlberg, the executive director of ConsensusDocs, joins us for an episode to discuss the history of form documents in the construction contracting world, in general, and more specifically, some of the philosophies that support some of the thinking behind the language and format of ConsensusDocs.

 

Episode 5: Insurance Issues in Construction Litigation

This is part one of a two-part podcast on the important issue of insurance in construction litigation. Our guest David Suchar, from the Maslon Law Firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, reviews with us some of the basics of insurance law as it applies to construction, and then moves into some of the more complex issues that are typically seen in a construction dispute.  This is a very interesting subject and a great guest.

Episode 4: The Care and Feeding of Shop Drawings

Please join us in an interesting discussion with Stephen Hess of Sherman & Howard from Colorado Springs, Colorado about the “care and feeding” of shop drawings.  Stephen raises a number of interesting points with regard to these documents which are commonly found in a number of construction contracting transactions.  Is a shop drawing a contract itself?  Which parties assume obligations and responsibilities under shop drawings?  Tune in to find out.

Episode 3: Still Spearin After All of These Years

Our podcast, in this episode, focuses on the Spearin Doctrine announced by the United States Supreme Court in 1919.  This is the 100^th Anniversary of the Doctrine and it is still relevant in current issues in construction law.  Our guest is Robbie MacPherson from the Gibbons law firm in Newark, New Jersey.  Robbie offers significant insight into the applicability of the Spearin Doctrine and the limitations on the doctrine that have arisen over the years.

Episode 2: Project Delivery Methods

Our guest for this episode is Dan Brennan, an experienced construction lawyer from the law firm of Laurie & Brennan, LLP in Chicago, Illinois.  Dan speaks about project delivery methods.  We talk about how to select the right project delivery method and the pros and cons of various ways to contract for a project.

Episode 1: Large Scale Construction Projects: What Owners Worry About

In our inaugural episode, host Buzz Tarlow interviews George Meyer of the law firm of Carlton Fields in Tampa, Florida.  George is an expert in large scale construction projects including stadiums, arenas, ballparks, convention centers, airports, hospitals, and hotels.  In the podcast, George speaks about the key issues presented to owners in connection with these large projects.  Many of these issues that owners worry about on large projects, also are concerns on smaller projects as well.