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Zachary Stewart is an associate in the firm’s Construction Practice Group, where he represents all parties in the construction process, including project owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in contract negotiation, project administration, and dispute resolution.

“Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless…”

Does this sound familiar? Nearly every construction contract contains an indemnification provision with some variation of these terms. And if you have ever negotiated a construction contract, you know that indemnification provisions often feature in those discussions. But are the words “indemnify” and “hold harmless” an example of lawyers

Hark! A recent Alabama Supreme Court indemnity decision, Mobile Infirmary Association v. Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, may require you to retrieve your drafting pen. Although not a case involving a construction dispute, Mobile Infirmary does address a key component of risk shifting in construction contracts — the indemnity clause. Put simply, contractual indemnity is

How can a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier secure payment for its work? One solution is to file a mechanics’ lien against a project’s property.

Lien laws vary widely from state to state and time to time because contractors and subcontractors frequently seek to change them – California is no exception. One particularly significant rule is