Geeking Out on the Engineering Marvel That is Iron Man

Back in the carefree days of youth my friends and I would have intense (yes, intense) debates over who was the best superhero, best villain, and why. As…

So, This Engineer Dies and Goes to Hell . . .

Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After a while, they’ve got air conditioning…

A Beacon for Homeowners and HOAs. Not So Much for Architects

This past year I wrote about a case that made architects none too happy – Beacon Residential Community Association v. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Case…

DSA Announces New Project Certification Process Which Takes Effect August 1, 2014

If you’re a design professional, project inspector, or public entity involved in the design or construction of K-12 or community college facilities then you’ll be interested…

A Lesson in Patent Defects

As years pass following construction of a project, patent versus latent defect issues can become the tail that wags the dog in construction disputes since each…

Lawyers. We’re a Sad Bunch

A few (literally) depressing facts about lawyers: Lawyers rank 4th among professions in the rate of suicide. Number one? Dentists. Go figure. Lawyers are 3.6 times as…

Just Because You’re in Line Doesn’t Mean You’re Gonna Get Your Turn

This past week two of my colleagues – Bruce Scheidt, our firm’s Managing Shareholder, and Bruce Emard – wrote about a new case involving lien priorities…

CSLB Gets Tough on Phony Qualifiers

Last year the California Contractors State License Board (“CSLB”) warned licensees of the “perils” of renting a qualifier. Renting a qualifier means that you pay an individual…

Close Encounters of the Miller Act Kind

Some say that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Here’s another to add to that list. Miller Act claims. In Ramona Equipment Rental, Inc. v. Carolina…

DIR Announces New Mandatory Registration Program for Public Works Projects

The California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) has announced the launch of a new registration program for public works projects authorized by Senate Bill 854, which…

Ameliorating (a Bit) the “Harshness” of Business and Professions Code Section 7031

California courts have variously described Business and Professions Code section 7031 as “draconian,” “harsh[ ]“and “[u]njust[ ],” but nonetheless enforceable. Section 7031 both (1) prohibits unlicensed or improperly licensed contractors…