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…

Reminder: California Building Energy Efficiency Standards and New Listing Law Requirements Go Into Effect July 1, 2014

I know . . . you’ve been busy. The kids are out of school, families are taking vacations and Fourth of July is just around the corner,…

Stunning Stadiums of the 2014 World Cup

Few countries love its soccer . . . err . . . football as much as Brazil. As host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil built…

Restoring Faith in the Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing on Federal Projects

Until recently, federal contractors and their attorneys were hollering foul following a U.S. Court of Federal Claims decision in 2011 which held that contractors on federal construction…

Congratulations to Former Kronick Managing Shareholder Robert Murphy and his Wife Kinzie

Congratulations to my colleague, Bob Murphy, and his wife, Kinzie, on receiving the Charles J. Soderquist Award from the UC Davis Foundation for their volunteer leadership and…