From the Ground Up

View by:

All Articles

Washington Court of Appeals Signals Change in Notice Requirements Under Construction Contracts

Nov 22, 2016

By Brian Esler

Construction, From the Ground Up, Legal Developments—Washington

Division III acknowledges hairline cracks in Mike M. Johnson rule. “Close enough” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and nowhere is that more true than when Washington courts are interpreting notice and claim procedures in construction con...

Washington Supreme Court Strikes a Blow to Vested Rights

Jan 19, 2017

By LeAnne M. Bremer

Environmental, Land Use, Vested Rights, From the Ground Up, Legal Developments—Washington

In a blog post dated February 17, 2016, we wrote about a decision of the Washington Court of Appeals in Snohomish County v. Pollution Control Hearings Board favorable to developers. At issue in the case was the Washington State Department of Ecology’...

Controversial Cap on Damages Against Public Entities and Employees Upheld in Horton v. OHSU

Jun 03, 2016

By John C. Clarke

Legal Developments—Oregon, From the Ground Up

While this case is not specifically related to the development industry, we believe the constitutional issues will be important to this blog’s audience and our public sector clients. In May 2016, the Oregon Supreme Court upheld a controversial statut...

Lead in Drinking Water: What Schools Need to Know

Jun 10, 2016

Environmental, From the Ground Up

There's no doubt that some attention has been given to the water quality at Oregon schools in the past month. But the issue has been around for some time. Since the late 1980s, concerns have been raised about lead leaching from pipes and faucets into...

Not So Fast! Oregon's New Negligent-Construction Statute of Limitations May Have Insurance Implications

Jun 23, 2016

By Christine L. Taylor

Construction, From the Ground Up

Last Thursday, the Oregon Supreme Court issued its opinion in Goodwin v. Kingsmen Plastering, Inc., 359 Or 694 (2016), holding that the deadline to file a negligent construction-defect claim is two years from the time a plaintiff knew or should have...

Employment Law Issues for the Development Industry (June Update)

Jun 27, 2016

Legal Developments—National, Regulation, From the Ground Up

As mentioned in my April post, I plan to capture and consolidate employment law articles written by my colleagues on employment issues pertinent to the development industry. Below are three recent articles that you might find useful to your busi...