By: Margery Newman Due to a historical unwillingness to utilize minority and female-owned businesses in the construction industry, public bodies in Illinois have instituted diversity programs. These programs are designed to increase the number of minority and female-owned businesses in the construction industry. For ease of reference, both of these […]

By: Bob Bramlette In June, the Federal Reserve increased the prime rate by 0.25%. The Fed also announced that that it will start allowing about $10 billion in Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities to mature every month, and eventually the amount is expected to increase to $30 billion a month […]

By: Jim Zahn The answer to the above question is found in the following two complex statutes governing the practice of architecture in Illinois.  They are as follows: The Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989, 225 Illinois Compiled Statutes, 305/1 – 305/40, Inclusive (Current through Public Act 96-060), commonly referred to […]

By: Geoff Bryce Patrick Joseph Carney v. Union Pacific Railroad Company, 2016 Ill. 118984, 77 N.E. 3rd 1 (2017) has flown under the radar.  This case significantly clarifies what most additional insured endorsements will cover in a work site accident case.  Most additional insured endorsements cover various liability claims but not […]

By: Tina Paries In Illinois, courts look at the allegations of a complaint and language of an insurance policy to determine whether the potential for coverage exists.  If it does, then an insurer has a duty to defend its insured against those allegations. One area where the courts have been consistent […]

By: Werner Sabo, Of Counsel A recent New York decision has answered this question in the affirmative. Parties can, by contract, shorten the time period found in a statute of limitations for filing suit. The case is Polar Bear Mechanical, Inc. v. Walison Corp., 2017 N.Y Slip Op. 50848(U) (June 22, […]

By: Jim Zahn, Of Counsel Architects and Contractors are becoming increasingly interested in providing design-build services to their clients. The design-build process of project delivery differs significantly from the design, bid, build process previously used for many decades, and still commonly used today that has been used for many decades. […]

By: Werner Sabo, Of Counsel The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 17 U.S.C. Chapter 12, was enacted into law in 1998 and has in recent years, been used by architects as an additional claim in copyright infringement actions. If an architect believes their design has been copied, they can file […]

By: Jeanne Hoffmann, Capital Member In Sienna Court Condo. Association v. Champion Aluminum Corp., 2017 IL App (1st) 143364, Illinois’ First District Appellate Court declined to extend the Minton rule to materials suppliers and design professionals, or to curtail its application to other subcontractors involved in construction. Generally, home buyers seeking […]

By:  Bob Bramlette, Income Member Our state still can’t pass a budget! Illinois universities, high schools and grade schools continue to receive less funding from Springfield. The unfunded pension obligation for Chicago Public School teachers is astronomical. As a result, local school taxing bodies are forced to request more from […]