Construction
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November 15, 2018
Chinese Quartz Countertops Tagged With Steep Early Duties
The U.S. Department of Commerce proposed preliminary duties stretching as high as over 340 percent on imports of Chinese quartz used in countertops and other household surfacing on Thursday after determining that the goods were sold at unfairly low prices on the U.S. market.
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November 15, 2018
Real Estate Lawyers On The Move
DLA Piper, Dickinson Wright PLLC and McCarter & English LLP are among the law firms that made real estate or construction lawyer hires over the past month.
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November 15, 2018
Panama Canal Contractor Can't Escape $22M Payment
A Florida federal judge has refused to let a Panama Canal contractor dodge a final judgment upholding a more than $22 million arbitral award against it, rejecting the contractor’s claims that the award was already satisfied.
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November 15, 2018
Texas Builder Loses Bid To Ax Injunction In Water Code Row
An order barring the developer of a 770-acre planned community north of San Antonio from adding more “impervious cover” to the property was upheld Thursday by a Texas appellate court, which agreed that landowners downstream had shown increased stormwater runoff would harm them.
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November 15, 2018
Skadden, Baker Botts Steer $100M Sale Of Wood Flooring Biz
Pennsylvania-based Armstrong Flooring Inc., with assistance from legal adviser Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, has agreed to sell its wood flooring business to private equity firm American Industrial Partners, advised by Baker Botts LLP, for $100 million, the companies said Thursday.
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November 15, 2018
Chinese Sawblade Maker Ducking Duties, Commerce Says
The U.S. Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that a Chinese sawblade producer is directing its merchandise through Thailand to avoid hefty tariffs that have been placed on its products, the agency announced Thursday.
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November 14, 2018
Transport Agency Beats Ex-Worker's Corruption Claims
A Missouri federal judge threw out a case Wednesday that claimed a Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District development agency cheated the government out of millions in federal funds for its operations and capital improvements, and used the money to make political paybacks, finding no evidence the agency violated federal anti-corruption laws.
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November 14, 2018
Calif. Jury Deadlocks In J-M Bad Pipes Damages Bellwether
A California federal judge declared a mistrial on Wednesday in a bellwether False Claims Act suit against J-M Manufacturing after a jury deadlocked on the amount the company owes, if any, to a group of municipalities that paid $2.1 million for pipes that didn't uniformly meet industry strength standards.
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November 14, 2018
Trump EPA's Air Policy Tweaks Relax Permit Program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest change to a Clean Air Act permitting program will provide clarity to facilities looking to expand their operations and make it easier to avoid more stringent pollution controls, continuing the Trump administration's efforts to make industry-friendly changes to the program.
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November 14, 2018
Feds, NYC Housing Authority's $1.2B Spending Deal Nixed
A New York federal judge on Wednesday rejected a proposed settlement between the federal government and the New York City Housing Authority that calls for more than $1.2 billion in additional spending to correct the “bureaucratic breakdown of the largest public housing agency in the United States,” finding that the settlement overlooks the human impact of the claims.
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November 14, 2018
ServiceTitan Nabs $165M In Series D Funding
ServiceTitan, a California-based software company focused on home service businesses, on Wednesday said it pocketed $165 million in a Series D funding round led by Index Ventures, bringing its total value to $1.65 billion.
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November 14, 2018
BALCA Rejects Construction Co.'s Bid To Hire H-2B Workers
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals refused Tuesday to revive a Texas construction company’s bid to hire foreigners as carpenter helpers on H-2B visas, finding the company had not met the relevant standards or shown sufficient need for the extra labor.
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November 14, 2018
Bridger Cos. Can’t Dodge Rail Services Deal Breach Dispute
A Pennsylvania federal judge refused to toss claims against more than a dozen Bridger Logistics affiliates in Eddystone Rail's suit over allegedly fraudulent asset transfers the rail company claims were meant to defraud it under a rail services agreement.
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November 13, 2018
US To Pay Contractor $1.1M For SC Nuclear Facility Work
The National Nuclear Security Administration must pay at least $1.1 million in withheld cash to the company tasked with designing, building and running a now-canceled nuclear fuel facility in South Carolina, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims said Friday.
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November 13, 2018
Committee Backs $1.2B LA Project, Including $100M Subsidies
A proposed $1.2 billion development project in downtown Los Angeles, which may include close to $100 million in subsidies derived largely from tax revenue, received favorable recommendation Tuesday from the City Council's Economic Development Committee.
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November 13, 2018
Pa. Water Co. Wants Seller To Cover Subsidiary's Legal Costs
Pittsburgh-based Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. wants French company Bio UV Group SAS to pick up the legal bills for a company Evoqua bought from it in 2016, claiming in state court Tuesday that a hot-tub maker's claims against the purchased company should be covered by the indemnification language in the stock purchase agreement.
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November 13, 2018
Homeowners Seek Remand Of Suit Against Brad Pitt's Org
Homeowners suing a foundation launched by Brad Pitt, which built homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, over allegedly defective construction urged a federal court Monday to remand the suit to state court because a vast majority of the proposed class members are Louisiana residents.
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November 13, 2018
FERC Using Outdated Rate For Pipeline Fees, DC Circ. Hears
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission used outmoded data to compute the initial shipping rates for three major gas pipelines in the works, opening the door to overcharges down the road, two state utility regulators told the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday.
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November 13, 2018
Commerce Calls For Early Duties On Hot-Rolled Steel Imports
The U.S. Department of Commerce has called for tariffs on certain foreign imports of hot-rolled steel, finding in early determinations that several steel exporters from Japan, South Korea and Australia were selling their products in the United States at prices below fair market value.
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November 13, 2018
As Amazon Goes Elsewhere, Pittsburgh To Release HQ2 Bid
Now that Amazon has announced it will split its second headquarters between New York and northern Virginia, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are dropping their effort to keep their bid for the giant project secret and will release at least part of it to the public soon, Mayor Bill Peduto said Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Q&A
A Chat With Bryan Cave Innovation Chief Katie DeBord
In this monthly series, Amanda Brady of Major Lindsey & Africa interviews management from top law firms about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Katie DeBord, chief innovation officer at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.
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Simple Secrets For Improving Your CLE
With few cases going to trial, many attorneys keep their oral-presentation skills sharp by teaching continuing legal education programs. To avoid giving a CLE that falls flat and damages your reputation, you must fashion a thoughtful message, control its presentation, and nail the beginning and ending, says Daniel Karon of Karon LLC.
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New Construction Trends And Their Impact On Contracts
Trends and technologies such as performance-based and resilience-oriented design, modular construction, and the use of drones are changing complex construction and engineering projects — and will require careful consideration and analysis during project negotiation and contracting, say attorneys with Mayer Brown LLP and engineers with Exponent Inc.
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It’s Time For Law Firms To Start Talking About Gen Z
Since the oldest members of Generation Z aren’t even finished with law school yet, law firm management is in a unique position to prepare for their entrance into the legal workforce, says Eliza Stoker of Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Q&A
Back To School: Yale's Linda Greenhouse Talks Journalism
In this series featuring law school luminaries, Yale Law School lecturer and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Linda Greenhouse discusses her coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court, the conservatives' long game and trends in journalism.
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Tax Delayed Is Tax Avoided: More Opportunity Zone Benefits
Although the opportunity zone program is designed to stimulate investment in low-income areas, in many cases, taxpayers can benefit from investments in neighborhoods — such as those in Washington and Oregon — that are growing despite this incentive, say Eric Kodesch and Lewis Horowitz of Lane Powell PC.
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Opinion
Celebrate Veterans By Improving Their Access To Justice
Attorneys should think beyond the Veterans Day parades and use their time and talents to help the many veterans facing urgent legal issues, says Linda Klein of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC.
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Opinion
Time To Reclaim Wellness For All Lawyers
The decision last month by Baker McKenzie’s global chairman to step down due to exhaustion indicates that the legal profession needs to mount a broader wellness effort to address long hours, high stress, frequent travel and the daily demands of practice, says Leesa Klepper, director of Thrivewell Coaching.
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Alternative Resolution Can Streamline Construction Disputes
Alternative dispute resolution schemes, such as those set forth in Florida law, present an efficient resolution mechanism for construction conflicts. Furthermore, two recent cases in North Carolina and Maryland have reaffirmed courts' preferences for arbitration, says Stephanie Chaissan of Berger Singerman LLP.
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An In-Depth Guide To The Opportunity Zone Guidance: Part 2
Last month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released proposed regulations for the new opportunity zone program. In the concluding part of this series, Marc Schultz of Snell & Wilmer LLP analyzes the guidance as it pertains to opportunity zone businesses and opportunity zone business property.