Topic: Contracts

In suits alleging negligence in the performance of professional services, well-drafted documents and well-kept, comprehensive records are the strongest defensive weapons available to professionals.  The following practices and procedures can be vital to a firm’s continued profitability in the face of costly litigation. Planning phase Put all agreements for the performance of services in writing,…

In today’s economic climate, more and more, architects are being asked to address client issues relative to financing, assignment and certification.  Every architect should be knowledgeable on these issues and approaches. When a client insists on assigning contractual rights to a lender that requires consent and certification of project information, most of the resulting issues…

In order to protect your firm, contractual provisions such as disclaimers and other exculpatory language need to be carefully worded.  Firms should assess the risk of project-specific provisions and work with local legal counsel to craft them appropriately.  This is especially true when the provisions include any waiver of claims, requirements for a legal defense,…

In its most basic form, building information modeling (BIM) is the move from analog to digital design and construction. It is a model-based technology linked with a database of project information. It is poised to fundamentally change the way projects are built and the way the project stakeholders communicate with each other.  And while BIM…