Check out my latest blog for Pillsbury’s Policyholder Pulse titled A Subcontractor’s Defective Work Is an Occurrence: Weedo Wobbles … and Falls Down. It discusses a recent ruling in New Jersey, Cypress Point Condominium Assoc., Inc. v. Adria Towers, L.L.C., on the issue of whether damage caused by a subcontractor’s faulty workmanship constitutes…
Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Courts of Appeals Issue Highway Beautification Act Decisions
Two Court of Appeals, one in the District of Columbia and the other in Texas, issued opinions regarding the federal Highway Beautification Act, 23 U.S.C. § 131 (HBA) and its state counterpart, the Texas Highway Beautification Act, respectively. The first decision illustrates how the courts will apply the principles of administrative law in…
New EAJA Decision in the DC Circuit
The Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) directs a court to award fees and other expenses to prevailing party in a civil action against the United States unless the government’s position was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust. The EAJA has been used to recover attorney’s fees…
“Blacklisting” Executive Order Final Rule Issued
Our colleagues, Kimberly Higgins, Julia Judish, Selena Brady, Rebecca Carr Rizzo, John Jensen and Dick Oliver, today published their alert titled Final Rules and Guidance Issued on “Blacklisting” Executive Order, Controversial Mandate Requires Disclosure of Labor and Employment Violations as Part of the Federal Contracting Process discussing the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council’s final rules…
Small Business Mentor-Protégé Program
Our colleagues Dick Oliver, Selena Brady and Travis Mullaney, in SBA To Begin Accepting Online Applications for Small Business Mentor-Protégé Program, encourage everyone to check out the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) new government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small businesses, covering Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned…
District Court Rules Against an Illinois Power Plant in CAA Citizen Suit, Rejecting Three Defenses to Liability
In the case of National Resources Defense Council , et al. , v. Illinois Power Resources, LLC and Illinois Power Resources Generating, LLC, decided August 23, 2016, the United States District Court for the Central of District of Illinois held that the defendants, who operate a coal-fired power plant in…
Proposed Regs Would Affect Valuation of Transfers of Family-owned Business Among Family Members
Recently, my colleagues Jennifer Jordan McCall, Kim Schoknecht and Elizabeth Fry published an alert titled Proposed Section 2704 Regulations that discusses proposed regulations that, if adopted, would affect the valuation of family-owned businesses interests transferred among family members by eliminating certain discounts currently recognized under the law. The U.S. Treasury Department…
Texas SWDA Preempts Plastic Bags-Related Ordinance
On August 17, 2016, the Fourth District Court of Appeals sitting in San Antonio held, in a 2 to 1 decision, that a City of Laredo ordinance prohibiting the distribution of “single use” plastic bags at check-out counters in order to reduce litter was preempted by state law, namely, Section…
Unique Ruling Regarding Joint CERCLA Liability and Government Contracting Law and Practices
Lockheed Martin Corporation, one of the largest defense contractors in the United States, operated three California facilities that manufactured solid-propellant rockets for the United States Department of Defense pursuant to contracts subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Substantial quantities of hazardous substances were released by the facilities over the years…
Balancing the Interests of the States and Federal Government
In Third Circuit defends challenge to its authority to rule in pipeline expansion project, I was provided with an opportunity to make the point that the states and the federal government are equal sovereigns under the Constitution, which often requires some careful balancing of interests.