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Oregon Construction Contractors Board Residential Contractor Updates

Jan 08, 2018

Construction, Legal Developments—Oregon, From the Ground Up

Our team felt that this information would be useful to those in the construction industry. The Construction Contractors Board recently sent out a newsletter containing recent changes which affect residential contractors. Some areas of interest inclu...

Supreme Court Clarifies Requirements for Lawsuit on a Lien Release Bond

Jan 22, 2018

By Brian Esler

Construction, Litigation, From the Ground Up, Legal Developments—Washington

Bonding around mechanics liens can be an efficient way to close out a project when disputes arise, but case law and statutes created some ticklish questions about who needed to be included in any subsequent lawsuit. Now, the Washington Supreme Court...

Top Five Intellectual Property Issues in Real Estate

Feb 07, 2018

Intellectual Property, Real Estate, From the Ground Up

Though your business may be real property, intellectual property issues most likely do or will play a role in your business operations. Intellectual property (IP) includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Here we provide you with t...

A Light in the Darkness: The “Small Business Know-Before-You-Bid Construction Transparency Act of 2017”

May 15, 2017

By Brian Esler

Construction, Legal Developments—National, From the Ground Up

Federal government contracting comes with a myriad of challenges, not the least of which are sometimes opaque procedures for getting paid (or taking action if you’re not getting paid). A bill has just been introduced in the House of Representatives t...

Hidden Hazards: Oregon Proposes New Burdens on Charities Seeking Property Tax Exemption

Jun 19, 2017

Legal Developments—Oregon, Real Estate, Tax, From the Ground Up

Oregon has a long tradition of narrowing the scope of the property tax exemption afforded to charities operating in the state. This tradition is alive and well in 2017, as the Oregon legislature contemplates imposing an annual reporting requirement o...

Washington Subcontractors Can Seek Bond for Early Release of Retainage

Jun 21, 2017

Construction, From the Ground Up, Legal Developments—Washington

Governor Jay Inslee recently signed into law Washington House Bill 1538 which authorizes subcontractors on public projects to request the prime contractor submit to the public owner a bond to release its portion of the retainage before the public pro...