Perspectives

WFJ is pleased to announce its new On-Site Lawyer program. Under this program, an attorney from our firm will spend on-site time at your office, ready to answer questions and provide legal services for your company. …

Jeff Nicolet and Dan Reich presented a program titled “Uncover the Legal Landmines that Can Blow Up Your Business” at the Northwestern Building Products Expo on January 14, 2014 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The program focused on tools that minimize and manage risk, reducing bad debt and improving cash flow, and lien and bond rights. The convention was hosted by the Northwestern Lumber Association, which connects lumber and building material retailers to the people, programs, products and resources to help them to be highly-functioning, sales-driven businesses in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Additional programs will be presented by WFJ at future NLA conventions on February 5-6 in Middleton, Wisconsin, February 19-20 in Altoona, Iowa, and March 11-12 in La Vista, Nebraska.

WFJ will be presenting at the Northwestern Lumber Association’s 2014 spring conventions. The presentation of “Uncover the Legal Landmines that Can Blow Up Your Business” will focus on tools that can minimize and manage risk, reduce bad debt, avoid litigation and improve cash flow. The conventions will be held January 13-14 in St. Cloud, MN, February 5-6 in Middleton, WI, February 19-20 in Altoona, IA, and March 11-12 in Lavista, NE. …

On October  10,  2013  Gary J. Van Domelen and Randy Huebner, Director of Purchasing for Greenheck Fan in Wausau, WI, will be presenting two training sessions in Madison, WI, to the local members of the Institute for Supply Management. The purpose for the training is to provide an interactive educational program for purchasing managers from approximately 30 different companies, to diagnose and prevent problems with vendor agreements of all types from software licensing arrangements to commodity purchases. …

Several states have made  legislative changes to their construction mechanic’s lien and payment bond laws.  This article provides a summary of some of the more significant changes in the state lien and bond laws over the last year. …

Effective August 1, 2013, a new Minnesota law will go into effect that forbids general contractors from forcing subcontractors/suppliers to include insurance coverage to cover the negligence or intentional acts or omissions of others on a project. Currently, many subcontract agreements include requirements that force subcontractors/suppliers to purchase extra insurance coverage to cover the negligence and intentional acts of others, relieving the general contractor of liability and passing that liability to the subcontractors/suppliers. …

On large private projects in California, there is a unique remedy that requires owners to provide a payment bond or other security. In certain circumstances, where the total contract is over $1,000,000, and in some situations over $5,000,000, the owner must provide the direct (general) contractor with security for the owner’s payment obligation under the prime contract. …