Construction

April 24, 2024
Feds' 'Sparse' Explanations Call For Remand, Says Rebar Co.

An error and "sparse" justification underpinning a countervailing duty assessment required the U.S. Court of International Trade to remand the results of the fifth review of Turkish rebar tariffs, counsel told CIT Judge Gary S. Katzmann on Wednesday.
April 24, 2024
Mass. Golf Course Manager Gets 13 Months For Tax Fraud

A Massachusetts golf course manager was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to tax charges, following prosecutors' accusations that he manipulated contracts with a home developer to deflate their value.
April 24, 2024
US Solar Cos. Call For Duties On Cells From Southeast Asia

Seven U.S. solar manufacturers on Wednesday called on the U.S. government to impose duties on solar cells from four Southeast Asian countries, saying a surge in production in those countries — much by Chinese-owned companies — has been undercutting the domestic market.
April 24, 2024
Biden Admin Closes $362M Loan To Texas EV-Wiring Maker

The Biden administration has finalized a $362 million loan to help pay for a Texas automotive-wiring component plant, a move intended to boost the U.S. domestic supply chain for electric vehicles.
April 24, 2024
DTE Says Toshiba Must Share Info On $500M Plant Upgrade

Michigan's largest energy companies want to force Toshiba Corp. to disclose details about its allegedly botched work on a hydroelectric plant, arguing it can't claim the documents are confidential just because they were shared with prospective buyers.
April 24, 2024
Landlords Bring NY Rent Law Challenge To High Court Again

Thirteen New York property owners urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review their challenge to two 2019 changes to New York rental laws, arguing that the suit is the better-tailored vehicle Justice Clarence Thomas signaled interest in when denying a similar challenge in January.
April 24, 2024
California Atty Must Face Defamation Claims Over Texts

An Orange County attorney cannot hide behind claims of litigation privilege and must face defamation claims over disparaging text messages he sent about a contractor working on his home, a California state appeals court said Tuesday.
April 23, 2024
Monsanto Judge Slashes $857M PCB Jury Verdict

A Washington state judge slashed a nearly $860 million PCB poisoning verdict against Monsanto by roughly half on Tuesday, while the company sought to avoid future losses by moving to sever an upcoming 14-plaintiff trial in another toxic tort stemming from the same Evergreen State school site.
April 23, 2024
$12M Chicago Toxic Demolition Settlement Receives Final OK

An Illinois federal judge gave his final blessing to a group of Chicago residents' $12.25 million settlement with a developer and several contractors that allegedly covered a neighborhood in potentially toxic dust during a smokestack demolition.
April 23, 2024
Chinese Foam-Making Chemicals Dominate Market, Co. Warns

The U.S. subsidiary of an Israel-based chemical manufacturer urged the U.S. government Tuesday to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese-origin alkyl phosphate esters, saying imports of the chemical commonly used in making polyurethane foam are taking over the U.S. market.
April 23, 2024
NJ Appeals Court Backs State's Siting Regs For Solar Projects

A New Jersey state appeals court on Tuesday upheld project-siting requirements under a Garden State law encouraging new solar development, rejecting a renewable energy industry group's argument that the requirements are unlawfully strict.
April 23, 2024
Baltimore Sues Owners Of Ship That Crashed Into Key Bridge

Baltimore wants the owners and operators of the cargo ship that knocked down a part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge to pay for the rebuild and cover billions of dollars of revenue the city will likely lose out on while its port is shut down, according to a federal complaint the municipality's leaders filed Monday.
April 23, 2024
Trade Court Orders Feds To Rethink Canadian Lumber Duties

The U.S. Court of International Trade ordered the U.S. Department of Commerce to redo countervailing duties on Canadian lumber, saying the department must better explain its refusal to check whether suppliers for investigated companies had received government subsidies.
April 23, 2024
Cleveland-Cliffs Execs Say US Steel-Nippon Deal Is 'Dead'

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. executives said Tuesday that U.S. Steel is "denying reality" as it continues to pursue its $14.9 billion sale to Japan's Nippon Steel, suggesting that the deal is effectively "dead" following President Joe Biden's opposition to it and that the Ohio-based steel manufacturer remains the only viable buyer.
April 23, 2024
Locke Lord Wins Appellate Review Of Malpractice Suit

Locke Lord LLP has convinced a New Jersey state appellate court to review a trial court's ruling rejecting the firm's attempt to evade a malpractice suit alleging that it mishandled a transaction involving an oil refinery project in North Dakota.
April 23, 2024
Hunton Hires Martin Marietta Assistant GC In San Francisco

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP said Tuesday it is growing its environmental team by bringing in a land use and mining expert as a partner in the firm's San Francisco office from building supply company Martin Marietta Materials Inc., where he was assistant general counsel.
April 23, 2024
Jury Finds Ex-Ecuadorian Official Guilty Of Money Laundering

A Florida federal jury on Tuesday found the former comptroller of Ecuador guilty on all counts charged against him by the government, which accused him of taking millions of dollars in bribes and directing his son, a banker in Miami, to launder the money.
April 22, 2024
DOJ Antitrust Concerns Topple $960M Insulation Biz Merger

Insulation and building material provider TopBuild Corp. said Monday it has terminated its $960 million agreement to buy mechanical insulation provider Specialty Products & Insulation from private equity firm Incline Equity Partners, saying it was unable to reach a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns.
April 22, 2024
Texas, Mo. Seek Full Vacatur Of DHS Border Wall Plan

Texas and Missouri on Monday urged a Texas federal court to fully vacate the Biden administration's plans to redirect border wall construction funds, saying the plan adopted an overarching policy the court had declared was unlawful.
April 22, 2024
Construction Supplier's Threats Cost Rival $30M, Jury Told

A construction supplier told a Colorado federal jury Monday that a Berkshire Hathaway-owned rival tried to smother its entry into the calcium silicate industrial insulation market, alleging the larger company warned customers to stay away from the newcomer so that it could maintain its monopoly.
April 22, 2024
Jury Begins Deliberating In Ex-Ecuador Official's Bribery Trial

Jurors began deliberating Monday afternoon in Florida federal court on the fate of the former comptroller of Ecuador, who prosecutors say took millions of dollars in bribes and directed his son, a banker in Miami, to launder the money.
April 22, 2024
USW Says EPA Asbestos Ban Doesn't Protect Workers Enough

The United Steelworkers and the nonprofit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization called on the D.C. Circuit to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent ban on the most prevalent variety of asbestos, with the union arguing the ban falls short by failing to provide certain interim protections.
April 22, 2024
Trade Court Faults Feds For Ignored Russian Curbs In Probe

The U.S. Court of International Trade faulted trade commissioners for failing to properly consider how U.S. sanctions on Russia affected oil and gas tube trade, ordering them to redo their ruling that tube imports harmed U.S. businesses.
April 22, 2024
Feds Botched Building Contract Prices, Watchdog Reports

Federal building overseers in the Southeast U.S. used distorted pricing for medium-term construction contracts that produced significantly inflated and unreasonably low-cost estimates, according to a government watchdog.
April 22, 2024
US Tile Cos. Say India Is Impeding Recovery From China Imports

Nine U.S. tile makers called on the federal government to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on ceramic tiles from India, saying a surge of India-origin tiles thwarts their ability to recover from unfairly priced Chinese imports already hit with duties.

Expert Analysis

How New Fla. Condo Law Will Affect Owners' Finances

As this December is the deadline for condominiums in Florida to be in compliance with legislation passed after the Champlain Towers collapse, condo owners will need to prepare for both the immediate and long-term financial implications, says Greg Main-Baillie at Colliers.
4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
What May Define Contract Disputes Act Jurisdiction In 2024

Now is a good time to reflect on how several recent decisions may have limited the government's ability to weaponize jurisdictional prerequisites under the Contract Disputes Act, and how this new direction may affect government contractors and practitioners filing CDA appeals in 2024, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
After Headwinds, 2024 May See Offshore Wind Momentum

Despite skyrocketing raw material costs, conflicting state and federal policies, and other setbacks for the offshore wind sector in 2023, the industry appears poised for growth in the coming year, with improving economics, more flexible procurement procedures and increasing legislative support, say Emily Huggins Jones and Ben Cowan at Locke Lord.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
A Difficult Year For CRE, But Future May Be Brighter

2023 was a challenging year for the commercial real estate industry, marked by significant uncertainty, but market pressure and signs of rising interest rates provide some reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the year ahead as pandemic headwinds and gridlock fade away, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
Contract Disputes Recap: Termination and Accrual

Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw examine three recent decisions that illustrate why contractors should consider, during the bidding process, impediments to their ability to meet contract requirements, and the need to track the accrual dates of individual claims that may arise during performance to avoid being time-barred.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.