According to a recent ConstructionDive.com article, construction job openings soared in January 2024 marking over a 40% increase from the same period in 2023. Essentially there were approximately 120,000 more construction job openings at the end of January 2024 than 2023. Quit rates have lowered but apparently layoffs have increased. Essentially, jobs are open
If an owner or general contractor fails to timely pay on a project, you may be entitled to prompt pay interest. Prompt payment acts are intended to deter late payments by general contractors and owners by enabling contractors and suppliers to pursue additional remedies including penalty interest, attorneys’ fees and suspension of performance.
Orignally published in ABC Houston’s Build Houston Magazine
Construction companies spend countless hours drafting agreements requiring indemnification and insurance for their projects. These obligations are prevalent for all tiers of construction industry members— from subcontractors and suppliers, to project owners. The purpose of this article is to address some considerations in anticipation of a claim
If you have been around Texas construction in the past decade, you’ve no doubt heard about a foreman shopping his crew around. You’ve probably worried about a key superintendent or project manager taking his skills to your competitor. Maybe you have lost sleep over an estimator with a LinkedIn profile that says he is immediately
Every company, no matter the industry, relies on its name and reputation to develop customers and generate revenue. Think about the brands that dominate American culture such as Nike, Wal-Mart, Amazon or McDonald’s, then imagine those businesses without the ability to adequately protect their names, slogans and logos. No doubt the vultures would circle and
One the most litigated or disputed issues in construction is that of the change order. Almost every experienced contractor has dealt with either defending against or pursing change orders relating to additional work, time and costs since owners asking for extra or changed work in the midst of a lump sum project is not an
Since arriving in the United States the Coronavirus pandemic has taken a devastating toll on nearly every aspect of our economy. Industries such as construction have faced new hardships and challenges with workplace safety, material and supply chain logistics, labor shortages, communication and business development. As construction firms continue to weather the financial burdens
COVID-19 is now interrupting and, in some instances, cancelling contracts across the country. While the situation is highly fluid, these business disruptions appear likely to continue and perhaps even worsen in the immediate future. This will significantly affect and perhaps threaten businesses people have worked had to establish. And it will of course impact employees
Originally published in Build Houston magazine.
Co-author: Catherine Chlebowski
The business of construction is a day to day adventure fraught with peril and liabilities dangerous enough to put many construction firms out of business. Given that reality, it is imperative that contractors properly structure the legal entities that provide the fortresses to protect their assets.
Originally published in Build Houston magazine.
In October 2016, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidance identifying poaching agreements and wage-fixing agreements as primary antitrust enforcement targets. In April 2018, DOJ brought the Department’s first enforcement case over illegal anti-competitive employment related agreements.
In a market where skilled labor is in increasingly high demand, and the price of labor continues to rise, scrutiny of employment-related agreements is also on the rise. Industries facing skilled labor shortages are natural targets of DOJ scrutiny, the construction industry is no exception.