The Supreme Court on May 23, 2022, in its decision in Morgan v. Sundance, Inc., rejected the “arbitration specific waiver rule demanding a showing of prejudice” to the party opposing the petition to enforce the arbitration agreement. That rule had been followed for decades by nine Circuits.[1] Post Morgan, the analysis reverts to the standard contract waiver analysis “focus[ing] on the actions of the person who held the right; … [rather than] the effects of those actions on the opposing party.”[2] Although the case is an employment matter, the new rule applies whenever a party seeks to stay litigation and send the matter to arbitration under Sections 3 and 4 of the Federal Arbitration Act in essentially all commercial litigation contexts.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Rejects Prejudice Element of Waiver Analysis When Enforcing Agreements to Arbitrate
James Newland Interviewed in a Federal Publications Seminars Podcast
Seyfarth Construction partner Jim Newland spoke about construction project cost escalation and the remedies during and after negotiations have commenced in the March 31st Federal Publications Seminars Podcast “Cost Escalation in Construction Contracts.”
In construction, cost escalation is not an uncommon thing as the price of raw building materials fluctuate often. More recently, prices have
James Newland to Present Construction Contracts, Claims, and Risk Management Webinar Series
James Newland is presenting a fourteen-part webinar series for Federal Publications Seminars. This fourteen-part webinar series is a deep dive into construction contracts, claims, and risk management as it presents and analyzes the risks that arise on construction projects, the contract clauses and drafting considerations in allocating those risks, and the claims and disputes methods and procedures used in documenting, presenting, mediating, arbitrating, or litigating the claims when they arise. Along the way, the course presents and analyzes those topics from the perspective of the owner, general contractor and subcontractors operating on public or private construction projects. The topics are presented from both a legal and practical standpoint and the program discusses the substantive and administrative aspects of the key clauses, risks and claims prevalent on public and private construction projects.
See the full list of programs below, and register on the Federal Publications Seminars website.
Continue Reading James Newland to Present Construction Contracts, Claims, and Risk Management Webinar Series
James Newland to Take Part in Panel Discussion on Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
On September 23, 2021, James Newland, AIA, partner in Seyfarth’s Construction group, will be a panelist on the program: “Developing High Performance Structures Through Integrated Project Delivery (IPD),” presented by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).
The program features participants from DPR Construction and HKA Consulting and will address key aspects of the (IPD)
Third Circuit Interprets Interstate Transportation-Related Compact as a Surrender of Compacting State’s Authority to Enforce its Building Regulations
Earlier this week, the Third Circuit held in Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission v. Secretary 
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that Pennsylvania ceded its authority to enforce its building code and safety regulations against the operator of a transportation facility, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (“Commission”). The Commission is a bi-state entity created by an interstate compact between Pennsylvania and New Jersey (“Compact”) and approved by Congress under the Constitution’s Compact Clause.
Continue Reading Third Circuit Interprets Interstate Transportation-Related Compact as a Surrender of Compacting State’s Authority to Enforce its Building Regulations
James Newland Co-Authors Loss of Labor Productivity Claims Article for ABA’s The Construction Lawyer
Seyfarth partner James Newland co-authored “Preparing and Presenting Loss of Labor Productivity Claims: Analysis of the Methodologies with Two Exemplars”, published in the Summer 2020 edition of the ABA’s The Construction Lawyer.
It is beyond doubt that losses of labor productivity exist in the construction industry. When a party seeks to recover
James Newland, AIA and Dr. Andrew McCoy to Host Lunch and Learn Webinar: “Construction Risk Management, Changes, Delays, Inefficiency, and Claims” Sponsored by Virginia Tech
On August 26, 2020, James Newland, AIA, partner in Seyfarth’s Construction group, along with Andrew McCoy, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech, will present the a free Lunch and Learn program: Construction Risk Management, Changes, Delays, Inefficiency, and Claims.
The program is free of charge and
Seyfarth Partners Presenting Strafford Webinar “Construction Challenges During COVID-19” on June 3
On Wednesday, June 3, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Seyfarth partners David Blake, James Newland, and Leah Rochwarg are presenting “Construction Challenges During COVID-19: Suspensions, Delays, Workforce Depletion, and Other Considerations,” a 90-minute CLE webinar for Strafford. The webinar will address the impact of COVID-19 on private and federal construction projects and the legal implications that
James Newland Moderated AGC/ACI-NA/ACC Panel on COVID-19’s Impact on Construction Projects
Seyfarth partner James Newland moderated “COVID-19’s Impact on Construction Projects,” a webinar in the Airport Construction Strategy Webinar Series. Airports Council International North America, Airport Consultants Council, and the Associated General Contractors of America teamed up to transform the Airport Construction Strategy Summit into a webinar series to help airport owners, design and engineering professionals,
James Newland, Esq., AIA is a panelist on the Airport Construction Strategy Summit presently jointly by AGC, ACI-NA, and ACC via Webinar on April 14
To help airport owners, design and engineering professionals, and the contractor community, ACI-NA, ACC, and AGC have teamed up to transform our Airport Construction Strategy Summit into a webinar series that is taking place April 14, April 28, May 12, and May 26. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a range of critical elements of project