Bid Protests: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

On September 9, 2014, I’ll be speaking on a panel sponsored by the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Public Law Section and Administrative Law Section – Bid Protests: The…

The “Program Accessibility” Exception for Public Entities Under the ADA

Public owners, as well as private owners and tenants of commercial and retail properties, are at risk of lawsuits brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act…

The Future of Rail 2050

California’s High-Speed Rail project is . . . well . . . very California. Mix some forward, independent thinking (it was first proposed by then (and now)…

Being a Contractor Just Got a Whole Lot Scarier

If you’re fortunate enough to live and work in California you have a lot to be thankful for. Temperate weather, beautiful beaches, rugged mountains and an array…

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…