Our Blog
Our blog, Column and Beam, features articles from our attorneys regarding design and construction matters.
Are Your Architects and Engineers Exempt?
Navigating employment laws can be challenging for design and construction firms, particularly in today’s uncertain climate. One concept that is surprisingly complex and requires careful attention is the classification of employees as exempt or non-exempt. Most...
Should You Monitor Employee Use of Company-Issued Devices?
Ever wonder what your employees are really up to while they’re on the clock? You’re certainly not alone. Many companies place restrictions on employee activities. According to a recent survey, 40% of companies have a formal social media policy and monitor social...
What You Need to Know about Document Retention for Employment Records
Is your company a small group of five or a large team of five hundred? Whatever the case may be, you have important and confidential employment records. These can include a wide variety of paper and electronic documents, including time sheets, emergency contact...
Records to Get and Keep When Hiring
All businesses, including architecture and engineering firms and construction contractors, have to fill vacant or new positions from time to time. There are a number of records that such firms must obtain during the hiring process. There are other documents that...
Smart Document Retention Policies
Imagine that your architectural, engineering, or construction firm just finished a project that generated thousands of documents including contracts, drawings, specifications, memoranda, emails, calculations, requests for information, and change orders. Now, you’re...
Learn from Your Project Mistakes
Every construction professional makes mistakes, some of which result in legal disputes. What is disheartening as attorneys who routinely represent architects, engineers and other construction professionals, is to see the same firm make the same mistake more than...
Effective Responses to Submittals
The review of requests for information, shop drawings and other submittals are an key part of the job of architects and engineers in construction administration. The timely review of RFIs and other submittals promotes smooth progress of the project, while untimely...
Simple Strategies Will Reduce Your Liability for Submittal Reviews
Design professionals routinely review shop drawings and other submittals during the course of a project. Review of submittals can, however, subject design professionals to additional liability. In particular, when there is an error in work that was the subject of a...
Shop Drawings: Enforce the Contractor’s Obligations
In the specifications, design professionals typically include requirements that certain shop drawings must be submitted by the contractor. To avoid liability for shop drawing review and to ensure a high quality project, architects and engineers need to know about and...