Bill Toliopoulos to Present at Second ICSC Conference

Bill Toliopoulos will once again be moderating a lively and novel panel discussion at this year’s ICSC + Centerbuild Conference on November 30 – December 3, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The panel discussion, titled “The New ‘Green’ Retail Initiative – Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities in the Cannabis Industry”, will include insights into the burgeoning field of design, construction and development of retail cannabis from some of the country’s most successful and entrepreneurial multi-state operators, design professionals and contractors.  The ICSC + Centerbuild panelists include Chris Fotopoulos (Verano Holdings), Barrington Rutherford (Cresco Labs), Chuck Taylor (Englewood Construction), and Patrick Thompson (Manske Dieckmann Thompson), who will discuss their experiences at the forefront of the rapidly growing legal cannabis industry and how design and construction of these projects will affect retail growth and development in the future.

Overall, ICSC + Centerbuild seeks to educate business owners, contractors, developers, and their legal and financial advisors in a practical and engaging way. This year’s convention focuses on helping construction and design professionals navigate the ever-changing world of commercial retail space and helping expand their businesses and relationships with one another.

Throughout his extensive involvement at various ICSC events and conferences, Bill Toliopoulos continues to use his experience as a leading construction attorney to shape and inform the advice he provides to clients on various risks associated with real estate development projects of all types and scope. Bill is available for consultation and can be reached by phone at (312) 445-8784 or by email at bt@lauriebrennan.com. 

Laurie & Brennan Partner Bill Toliopoulos to Present at ICSC+U.S. Law Conference

Bill Toliopoulos, Partner, will lead a panel discussion “Are We Covered? Construction Insurance, Indemnity and Risk Management Strategies for Retail Projects”, a seminar part of Innovating Commerce Serving Communities’ ICSC+U.S. Law convention taking place from November 3-5, 2021, in San Francisco, California.

Toliopoulos will be joined on the panel by William (Trip) Thomas III, Area Senior Vice President at Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc.  

The seminar covers the basics of risk allocation and project-specific considerations, payment and performance bonds, as well as construction defect claims and insurance considerations. Panelists will analyze a broad range of insurance products and their applications to retail products, key considerations when working with payment and performance bonds, as well as rights, responsibilities and recoverable damages commonly associated with retail projects.

ICSC seeks to educate business owners, contractors, developers and their legal and financial advisors in a practical and engaging way. In addition to his involvement with other ICSC organizations and conferences, Mr. Toliopoulos routinely speaks and contributes to ICSC’s Law Conference as a moderator, contributor and panelist.

Bill Toliopoulos uses his experience as leading construction attorney to shape and inform the advice he provides to clients on various risks associated with real estate development projects of all types and scope. Bill is available for consultation and can be reached by phone at (312) 445-8780 or by email at bt@lauriebrennan.com. 

Laurie & Brennan Again Ranked as a Band 1 Construction Law Firm by Chambers USA 2021, With Five Attorneys Achieving Individual Rankings

Laurie & Brennan is extremely proud to have again earned the highest ranking bestowed by Chambers USA 2021 for its construction law practice in Illinois.  Chambers ranks the top attorneys and law firms across the United States and Laurie & Brennan’s Band 1 recognition demonstrates its significant achievement in technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, diligence, and commitment.

Chambers USA describes Laurie & Brennan as an “outstanding boutique providing clients with the full suite of construction advice and representation on major projects”, with clients reporting that the Laurie & Brennan team is “well prepared, on top of things and always have the answer.” 

In addition to the firm ranking, five members of the Laurie & Brennan team achieved individual Chambers USA 2021 rankings.  Founding partners Ty Laurie & Dan Brennan, both lauded for their experience and knowledge base, earned Band 1 rankings – the highest ranking possible.  Partners Ryan Hiss and Krista Kapp were both honored with Band 3 rankings, with their clients emphasizing their respective technical ability and commitment to their clients.  Senior Counsel Ross Altman received Senior Statesperson recognition, with one client aptly noting, Ross “is a brilliant lawyer.” 

Laurie & Brennan LLP would like to congratulate each member of its team for these tremendous accomplishments.  For more information on the Band 1 Laurie & Brennan team, visit:  www.lauriebrennan.com.

President Biden Issues Executive Order Directing OSHA to Shore Up Its COVID-19 Safety Rules

On this first full day in office, President Biden issued a number of executive orders – one of which stands to benefit the construction industry.  On January 21, 2021, President Biden directed the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to take “swift action” to review workplace safety enforcement efforts established during the COVID-19 pandemic and issue “science-based guidance” to help keep workers safe while on the job.  Specifically, in his Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety, President Biden ordered OSHA to (1) consider whether any emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 are necessary and, if so, to implement such standards by March 15, 2021; (2) issue revised COVID-19 workplace safety guidance to employers within two weeks of the January 21, 2021 executive order; (3) review the current OSHA enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 and identify any short-, medium-, and long-term changes that could be made to better protect workers and ensure equity in enforcement; (4) launch a national program to focus OSHA enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 on violations that put the largest number of workers at serious risk or are contrary to anti-retaliation principles; and (5) implement a multilingual outreach campaign to inform workers and their representatives of their rights under applicable law. We expect that additional statutory changes and policy revisions to be issued as the 117^th Congress takes up its legislative agenda and the Senate confirms President Biden’s Secretary of Labor in the coming weeks.

Laurie & Brennan is aware of the lengths that its clients have gone to keep workers and jobsites safe.  We are hopeful that OSHA’s actions in response to President Biden’s Executive Order will further minimize jobsite risks to construction workers, simplify safety workplace rules and requirements, and provide construction industry employers with understandable compliance protocols that will allow for better tracking and reporting.

Laurie & Brennan will monitor OSHA’s response to President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety and provide prompt updates.

Congratulations Laurie & Brennan 2021 Super Lawyers

Laurie & Brennan is pleased to announce that five of its attorneys have been named 2021 Super Lawyers.  Each year, no more than five percent of Illinois lawyers receive this honor.    

Laurie & Brennan’s “Class of 2021 Super Lawyers” include:

• Ty Laurie in Construction Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution;
• Dan Brennan in Construction Litigation;
• Ross Altman in Real Estate, Construction Litigation and Business/Corporate;
• Ryan Hiss in Construction Litigation; and
• Erin Krejci in Construction Litigation.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters publication, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. 

Congratulations to our Laurie & Brennan Super Lawyers!

Laurie & Brennan Welcomes New Partner – Marissa L. Downs

Laurie & Brennan is pleased to announce that Marissa L. Downs has joined our experienced construction litigation team as a partner in the firm. 

Marissa is a skilled litigator who focuses her practice on complex construction, technical commercial, and product liability disputes. Marissa has tried cases in both federal and state court and participated in multiple construction and contract-related arbitrations.    

Before law school, Marissa was an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense and a Hart Fellow with the International Rescue Committee in Rwanda.

Laurie & Brennan partner, Ryan Hiss captures the firm’s collective excitement:  “Marissa is a very talented attorney and brings a wealth of construction law knowledge to L&B.  She is an experienced and effective advocate who thinks quickly on her feet, remains calm under pressure, and provides clients top notch legal representation.  Marissa perfectly fits L&B’s mission of providing first rate legal representation to the construction industry.” Marissa can be reached at (312) 583-7303 or via email at mdowns@lauriebrennan.com.

Kendall Woods Helps Her Colleagues Supercharge Their ABA Forum Memberships

On December 3, 2020, L&B partner Kendall Woods helped her colleagues make the most of their memberships in the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law.   

In her virtual presentation, Kendall shared her own personal experience with the Forum, offered tips on how to supercharge Forum membership and provided her fellow members with pathways to speaking, writing and leadership opportunities.    

To learn more, contact Kendall Woods at kwoods@lauriebrennan.com or visit www.lauriebrennan.com.

Dan Brennan Provides Insight on Construction Industry Cyber Risks in COVID-19 Times

On December 8, 2020, Laurie & Brennan partner Dan Brennan participated in a virtual panel discussion called “In the Pandemic and Beyond:  Vigilance in Managing Cyber Risks for the Construction Industry in the New Normal” for the Midwest Regional Chapter of the Society of Construction Law North America.  Dan was joined on the panel by Dr. Anamaria Popescu and Amit Garg, both of Berkeley Research Group, a global consulting firm with a dedicated construction practice.  

The discussion focused on cyber risks facing the construction industry, including increased risks of cyber attacks during the pandemic, review of DOD’s CMMC, DFARS, and NIST requirements, and the risk associated with IoT in construction.  The panel also shared their perspectives on insurance coverage for cyber risks and the effect of cyber risk management and mitigation in the claims context.

To learn more, contact Dan Brennan at dbrennan@lauriebrennan.com or visit www.lauriebrennan.com.

Bill Toliopoulos Inducted Into The Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys

Laurie & Brennan, LLP congratulates Bill Toliopoulos on his recent induction into The Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (SOICA).  Bill joins Laurie & Brennan, LLP colleagues Ty Laurie, Dan Brennan, Ryan Hiss, Ross Altman, and Krista Kapp in this prestigious organization.

SOICA is an invitation-only organization for Illinois-based construction attorneys who have demonstrated the highest ethical standards of practice, have made substantial professional contributions to the industry, and who are dedicated to excellence in the practice of construction law.  SOICA stresses collegiality and provides a forum for its members to exchange experience and knowledge in order to enhance the understanding of the social and economic forces that impact the construction industry, the technical and business practices of the construction industry, and the laws that underlie construction processes.

Bill looks forward to sharing his own knowledge and experience and learning from the knowledge and experience of his fellow SOICA members. 

For more information on SOICA, visit the SOICA website at www.soica.org.  To contact Bill or another attorney at Laurie & Brennan, LLP, please call our office at (312) 445-8780 or visit our website at www.lauriebrennan.com.

Bill Toliopoulos is Leading the Discussion on Construction Contracting & COVID

Laurie & Brennan partner, Bill Toliopoulos, is leading the discussion when it comes to construction contracting in the world of COVID.  Most recently, Bill presented to the Illinois CPA Society and Marcum LLP on this timely topic.

Bill shared his insight on the contract provisions most relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, provided tips for successfully implementing best practices for claims management, and offered contract negotiation strategies going forward in a COVID and post-COVID world.

For more information on construction contracting, please contact Bill at bt@lauriebrennan.com or visit Laurie & Brennan’s website at www.lauriebrennan.com.