Contract Drafting: Dispute Resolution Tactics of Importance
A good contractor has a plan about how its problems will be resolved. A good contract is the first step to ensuring you have a protocol for handling the claims of your customers and your problems with your subcontractors and vendors. In the past it was simple, choose a governing law and a forum - hope for the best. Nowadays, contractors are provided with a multitude of options, some binding and some suggestive. But, in any event there are several mechanisms that allow you as a contractor to set an operating procedure for dealing with potentially damaging legal disputes. In turn, and briefly, we want to discuss some of the terms that might be helpful to you as a contractor:

Scott Wolfe Jr Speaks at Louisiana Engineering Soceity Meeting
November 18, 2009- Scott Wolfe, Jr., founder and member of Wolfe Law Group, LLC was invited to speak at the Louisiana Engineering Society: New Orleans Chapter's Monthly Meeting.  Scott would like to extend his thanks to the LES for the invitation to speak and the opportunity to meet several people in the engineering industry. The LES has three main chapters in the state of Louisiana and is dedicated to the advancement of the engineering profession by pursing an active leadership role through various resources.  For LES' full mission and vision statements, click here.  Incorporating speakers

100% of Nothing is Nothing: Justifying the Contingency Fee
What is contingency fee? Here is the definition: A method of paying a lawyer for legal representation by which, instead of an hourly or per job fee, the lawyer receives a percentage of the money her client obtains after settling or winning a case.  Often contingency fee agreements award the successful lawyer between 20% and 50% of the amount recovered [read definition on wikipedia]. In plain english, you attorney works on a "contingent" basis, mean

The New Contractor on the Block
There are 231,400 homes in Seattle built prior to the advent of a mandatory state energy code. This means that if un-renovated, these homes are likely to have little or no insulation in their walls and attics, outdated heating equipment, and air leakage equivalent to having 5x5ft hole in one of their walls. Homes built today under the increasingly stringent energy code are not exempt for similar performance defects. Poorly installed insulation is the norm, missing draft stops abound, and the average amount of conditioned air lost through leakage in duct work is in the 30% range. Traditionally, home efficiency improvements and incentives have focused on individual elements, high ef

Construction Law Monitor Welcomes Guest Blogger
Beginning this month on Construction Law Monitor and Louisiana Green Law, Corey Fitch, a project manager for Seattle based company, Sound Home Performance will become a regular guest blogger.  With a background in green building construction, Fitch is dedicated to serving residential energy needs, from energy efficiency to energy generation. Fitch specializes in the following areas: Whole house diagnostic evaluations for energy efficiency, comfort, health & safety, and durability; General Contracting services to provide needed renovations; Performance testing for new construction; and Building Science and