Construction Law Zone

Over the past several years, modular construction has been on the rise and this method of construction has been used in the creation of health care facilities, education facilities, and apartment buildings. With the increased demand for housing, the popularity and use of modular construction has grown even more rapidly throughout the industry. In response

A typical prevailing party contract provision allows the prevailing party in litigation or arbitration to recover their attorney’s fees from the other party. It is an attractive provision when negotiating a construction contract and its existence often weighs on the decision to pursue litigation or arbitration. However, which party “prevails” is not always easy to

Cyber-crime is an increasingly prominent threat to many industries, and construction is no exception. With the growing use of digital technologies in what was once a primarily “offline” industry, cyber-attacks can pose a significant threat at every level of the construction industry. The construction industry routinely handles sensitive information that is of value to cybercriminals,

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced that it will offer more low-cost flexible financing for both transit and Transit Oriented Development projects under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA).  The TIFIA program is intended to help project sponsors reduce costs and speed up the delivery of transit projects.  More applicants will

The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently published a notice in the Federal Register of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and the Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) regulations.  87 Fed. Reg. 43620 (July 21, 2022). This proposal is the first NPRM update since 2014.  While the DOT was originally scheduled

Effective October 1, 2022, Connecticut adopted new State Building, Fire Safety, and Fire Prevention codes.  The new codes include 12 international and national model codes.  The State Building Code applies to most buildings and other structures newly-constructed, altered, added to, or undergoing a change in use.  The new codes apply to projects for which a

The American Arbitration Association (AAA) has revised its Commercial Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures, effective September 1, 2022. The goal of these revisions is to standardize longstanding AAA practices concerning confidentiality, consideration of consolidation/joinder motions, and civility. The amendments also further promote efficiency, reflect advances in technology, and include discussion on cybersecurity concerns.  The following

An often-overlooked part of contract negotiations is the language included in the performance bond.  While the owner or contractor (bond obligee) requires a performance bond and pays for it, negotiating efforts are typically spent on the main contract language itself rather than the bond.  A common go-to performance bond form used in the construction industry

The recent Connecticut Appellate Court decision in Electrical Contractors, Inc. v. 50 Morgan Hospitality Group, LLC, 211 Conn. App. 724 (2022), eliminated any remaining doubt regarding a subcontractor’s right to payment for work performed when the subcontract includes a “pay-if-paid” provision. A pay-if- paid provision that makes an owner’s payment to the general contractor (GC)