I missed it by less than an hour. I was working late last week and left my office right before midnight … which happened to be right before a Category 5 tornado ripped through the outskirts of downtown Nashville and then proceeded to East Nashville and Putnam County. The next morning, the skies were clear
Walking a Tightrope: EEOC Guidance to Avoid Negligent Hiring by Construction Companies
Today’s guest post is from my good friend and law partner, M. Clark Spoden, who focuses on business litigation, labor and employment, environmental and construction law. The full article was published by Construction Executive. You can contact Clark at clark.spoden@stites.com.
Last April, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued
Why You Should Let Your Kids Play on New Asphalt
Last week, I came home to a fresh layer of asphalt throughout our development. Smooth. Warm. Black. It looked great! Then my kids … 5 out of 6 of them … pulled out the chalk and began destroying this perfect surface.
Since their daddy represents road builders, they even created their own lanes of traffic.
Heads Up Public Contractors! Nashville to Pass Non-Discrimination Bill Including Gender and Sexual Orientation
As reported in the Nashville Business Journal and News Channel 5 (video), a non-discrimination bill passed on a second reading at Metro Council last week. The council voted 21 to 16 in favor of the bill that would add two new classes to the procurement code Metro contractors already follow. These companies would not be
Project Management: What to Do When People Come and Go
A headline from the Wall Street Journal caught my attention this morning: “When People Come and Go: Project teams often have different workers at different times. And that can create problems.” Imagine the potential problems that exist in an industry where project team members change regularly such as in the construction industry.
What
Colin Reed: Leadership Lessons from Nashville’s Flood Recovery
Last week, I attended the Nashville Chamber of Commerce CEO Speaker Series featuring Colin Reed, Chairman and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment. Reed is a very good speaker and he spent the morning with an audience of 200 sharing some lessons he learned following the flood in Nashville in May 2010. If you have not seen the
New Policy? New Position? Riding the Waves of Change in the Workplace
You may have noticed that I recently transitioned to a new law firm this week. I am happy to announce that I have joined Stites & Harbison PLLC as a partner in the Construction Service Group and the Green Law Practice Group. The past few weeks have seemed like a tropical storm … and the
The Top Three Causes of Disputes on a Construction Project
Earlier this week, I was talking with fellow attorney who does not practice construction law. At one point in our conversation, he threw out a goocher of a question: "I know this is a hard question, but what do you think causes most of the disputes on a construction project? I am sure there could be
Networking Pro Learns Some New Tricks: You Can, Too!
The construction industry is one of the hardest hit in this down economy. From the top to the bottom, from executive to business development and sales to project management, you may find that you have to dust off your resume to look for new opportunities.
An article by Joann Lubin in the Wall Street Journal yesterday
What Seth Godin and 70 Others Have to Say About the Future
Seth Godin is the bestselling author of ten books on topics about marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respect. This week, Seth released an e-book, a FREE DOWN-LOADABLE BOOK, that addresses some exciting ideas for the new year.
Why is this important for the construction industry? Just download the book and find