I am involved in the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry’s initiatives to bring various social media to the forefront of our group’s marketing and development activities. This past week, leadership asked us to develop and draft a “best practices protocol” for our work on this issue. After reviewing our charge, I am more and
Tips for Drafting Commercial Real Estate, Development and Construction Contracts
Noted author and business attorney, Peter Siviglia, once said: "In this world, … there are two forms of writing: creative (such as novels, plays, and poetry) and expository (such as treatises, letters, memorandums, and briefs). I’ve tried both and prefer a third: contracts, which do not entertain, do not convey information or ideas, and do not try to
OSHA Expands Eyes and Ears on Construction Projects
Today, the U.S. Departement of Labor’s OSHA announced that it is seeking to team up with local bulding inspectors in an effort to increase safety and avoid serious accidents and fatalities on construction sites. The pilot program seeks to partner OSHA with building inspector teams in the following 11 cities:
- Austin, Texas
- Boise, Idaho
- Cincinnati, Ohio
DBIA Tackles Design-Build Best Practices and Integrated Project Delivery
Yesterday, the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) released three position statements that were approved during the April 19, 2010 meeting of its Board of Directors. According to its website, DBIA promotes the value of design-build project delivery systems and teaches the effective integration of design and construction services. DBIA’s position statements on these issues
Ctrl-Alt-Delete: What Do You Do When Your Presentation Goes Bad?
CSI “Construction Specifications Institute” “Powerpoint gone bad” “Powerpoint problems” “public speaking advice” “presentation tips”
Continue Reading Ctrl-Alt-Delete: What Do You Do When Your Presentation Goes Bad?
Haiti, Shoddy Construction and a Helping Hand
It is hard to begin a day’s work with a warm cup of coffee, a clean office and a (fairly) new computer … knowing about the devastation in another country. I heard the death toll in Haiti could be as high as 50,000.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8CyqBmVS064%26color1%3D0xb1b1b1%26color2%3D0xcfcfcf%26hl%3Den_US%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded%26fs%3D1
According to a BBC news article this morning, experts say that it
Best Practices: My Top Three Year-End and Year-Forward Assessments
Everyone knows that this is a slow week for work … unless you work in retail and there is a mad, crazy 75% off sale. For me, I am using the time to clean up my legal files, assess the deadlines for the next three months, evaluate what went right in 2009, contemplate what went
Lessons from a Bankruptcy Judge: Learn How to Write
"Pay me less before the dispute erupts … or pay me more after the dispute erupts …" is a phrase that many construction litigators have said to their clients. What that means, practically, is that if you invest the time and money to have your attorney review construction contracts before the job starts, you will save time, money and effort later when the dispute
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
Sending Attachments in a Mobile World? Explain What You’re Sending
In this day of Blackberries and iPhones, one of the best communication tips I have ever heard was at the American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry’s fall meeting in Philadelphia a few months ago. Since we live in world of mobile communication and technology, you have to assume that everyone else is on