Legal

Presenter(s): Randy Stutzman - FMI Corporation

Get an overview of the standard, the inspection and reporting process and general history of existing façade laws. Learn from case study projects of unstable façade components and gain a better understanding of the history of specific façade laws.

Presenter(s): Jon Gilchrist - Payne and Jones Chrtd.

Get tips to avoid the stressful deposition and learn how to comfortably provide accurate and truthful testimony - avoid costly mistakes - know how to answer those “tricky” questions and understand your rights as a witness.

Presenter(s): Chuck Haling- MSDSonline

Developed by the United Nations, GHS stands for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals; OSHA alignment with GHS will mean big changes for U.S. companies that make, transport, handle or otherwise use chemicals. The two biggest changes companies will see are to material safety data sheets (MSDS) and safety labels. Chemical manufacturers will also have additional responsibilities around MSDS authoring and chemical classification. Taking a proactive approach is the best way to save time, money and keep your organization in compliance.

Presenter(s): Jon Gilchrist - Payne and Jones Chrtd.

Attendees interactively discuss and address re-life legal issues with SWR Institute’s Legal Counsel. With the combined expertise of the attendees and our legal counsel, they provide beneficial solutions to everyday problems.

Josh Leavitt, Much Shelist (Attorney)

Construction defect litigation is prevalent in the construction industry.  Contractors and subcontractors can be named as defendants in construction defect litigation, even when their work had little or no substantial impact on the issues at hand.  Construction defect litigation can take years to be resolved through the legal system, although often in less time if alternative dispute methods are used.  Nevertheless, during the dispute process, regardless of the method utilized, the parties' resources can be severely taxed posing many challenges to their businesses.  In this presentation, a recognized construction lawyer experienced in defect disputes shares his experience with over 30 years of experience in cases involving construction defects, and also discusses the pitfalls and risks associated with performing repair work to correct someone else’s mistakes.  The presentation will include a discussion of risk mitigation strategies.

Presenter(s): Jon Gilchrist - Payne and Jones

Learn from this interactive presentation about the issues of warranties and how they affect your business. Find out how to resolve conflicts between specified and manufacturer's durations, actions that may breach coverage, the proper handling of claims and much more.

Kelly McBride, Century Building Solutions
This presentation is a narrative of the John Hancock Tower accident from the perspective of the contractor. Eighteen months into a 2-year job, what should have been a great project turned tragic in a matter of moments on a blustery Saturday in March of 2001, when four people were killed by a falling scaffold just off Michigan Avenue. Kelly McBride, the former Senior Vice President of AMS Architectural Technologies, Inc. will provide a dramatic timeline of the accident, and present the critical factors of the accident chain that caused the failure of the custom swing stage rigging, which resulted in the 100’ by 6’ truss platform detaching from the building, breaking apart and falling to the street. The events that followed included potential criminal charges, a week of media coverage across the nation in newspapers and television, and a massive lawsuit that featured attorney Johnny Cochran that settled for millions of dollars, providing valuable lessons in crisis management, project pressures and the importance of safety.