beyond the legal opinion
With more than 50 years of history in the construction and development industry, Jordan Ramis is committed to the future of the built environment and the people who build it. We offer services to the industry that address the myriad of legal issues that contractors and developers face on construction and development projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Contractors, developers, and design professionals turn to us to advise them on all aspects of the construction and development process, from contract negotiation, to claims, to dispute resolution. We know projects are often bound to a timeline and our familiarity with the industry’s processes and procedures helps our clients stay on track and avoid delays.
Additionally, our team assists the construction and development industry in areas in which the industry faces issues, such as employment, business, real estate, and land use. In each of these areas of the law, the construction and development industry encounters unique challenges. Our team knows the industry, its needs, and has the legal expertise to help clients in all aspects of their businesses.
Our involvement in the construction and development industry goes deeper than providing legal counsel to our clients. As members of a broad range of industry groups—such as Northwest Utility Contractors Association, Home Builders Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, and Construction Financial Management Association—our team is actively involved in and supportive of the industry. Many of our attorneys are also dedicated to serving on committees and in leadership positions within organizations like these that advocate for enriching the building industry. Our attorneys frequently present at industry group meetings and contribute articles on industry-related topics in trade publications, such as the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon. With a deep connection to the industry, we bring the familiarity and credibility needed for effective representation of construction and development clients.
Jordan Ramis leverages its legal expertise and involvement in the construction and development industry to offer its clients efficient yet innovative legal solutions. Our team offers the industry the convenience and ease of a full-service business law firm, equipped to serve all our clients’ needs.
March 1, 2024
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OREGON ASSOCIATION OF NUSERIES. FIRST PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF DIGGER On January 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor Department) published new guidance for determining whether a worker is an employee or an…
February 26, 2024
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE PORTLAND METROPOLITAN HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION. FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE HBA BUILDING NEWS, FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 ISSUE. On January 9, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that may force local governments to…
February 22, 2024
Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal of Commerce. Click here to read online. As most subcontractors probably know, a construction lien is an important tool to ensure payment, but the lien process is full of pitfalls for the unwary.…
December 23, 2022
Our Jeff Kapp looks at the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) decision in Husk v. City of Bend, in which LUBA held that under the Middle Housing Statute (HB 2001) the City of Bend was required (and failed)…
September 6, 2022
The June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave resulted in hundreds of deaths across Oregon and Washington, including several in workplaces. While Oregon OSHA had already begun rulemaking to address workplace heat illness, the extreme temperatures obviously gave those activities added urgency.
May 18, 2022
As the dust settles from last year’s passage of the $1.2 trillion federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it is becoming clear that the sweeping legislation will bring much-needed green (as in dollars) to Oregon’s brownfields.
May 6, 2022
Most construction contracts contain a provision requiring a written change order as a condition precedent to payment for changed work. However, even in the absence of a written change order, a contractor may be entitled to payment, as an equitable adjustment to the contract price, for changed work under the legal theory of constructive change.
March 1, 2022
The Superfund cleanup of Portland Harbor is still years from completion. With the project only in the remedial design phase, the full extent of the specific actions that will be required along the designated 10-mile stretch of the lower Willamette River remains to be seen.
January 25, 2022
Owners typically provide an estimate of the necessary quantities in the bid package in order to guide the contractor in bid preparation. However, many contractors have experienced situations in which the actual quantities varied from the quantity estimate provided by the owner.
December 29, 2021
If the contract does not provide for, or prohibits, contractor claims for material cost escalations, the contractor may be liable for the escalation. Further, if material delivery delays in turn delay the project, a contractor could face the assessment of liquidated damages.
November 23, 2021
In the event that a contractor employs unvaccinated individuals, it is important to know the parameters of the vaccine mandates.
September 28, 2021
Delay, disruption and acceleration of construction projects are nothing new and most seasoned contractors have experienced one or all of them. However, the pandemic and environmental events, such as last year’s historic wildfires and this summer’s record heat wave, might point to a future in which contractors may be affected more frequently.
December 23, 2020
Construction contractors frequently encounter site conditions which differ from those depicted in the plans. When this occurs, the contractor can incur unanticipated costs.
November 23, 2020
Preserving lien and bond rights is important as they provide security to subs and suppliers in the event of nonpayment by the general contractor.
September 28, 2020
In the absence of a force majeure provision, a contractor would have to rely on the defenses of impossibility, frustration of purpose, and impracticality.
January 15, 2016
Estimates are clearly an essential part of the construction process. They provide a framework for time, scope and financing of the project, and provide guidance to the owner and developer regarding anticipated costs and scope of work necessary to bring the project to completion. They are, however, by their very nature, inexact.
January 15, 2015
Oregon law provides that a contractor or subcontractor who inadvertently contaminates the owner’s property may be liable for remediation costs.
August 30, 2021
This article discusses the significant differences between the bid protest deadlines and procedures in Oregon and Washington, of which contractors should be aware.
February 22, 2021
Instead of merely reacting to potential liability for COVID-related delays, parties can and should negotiate allocation of that risk up front, during contract negotiation.
July 28, 2021
This article originally appeared in the July 23, 2021 edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon. As most construction contractors and subcontractors know, construction liens can provide important payment security and also the ability to recover attorney fees if…
June 30, 2021
Many private construction contracts contain what are known as “no-damages-for-delay” provisions. These provisions typically provide that a contractor may not recover damages (i.e., money) from the owner for owner-caused delays, or in the case of a subcontract that the subcontractor…
May 25, 2021
By Brent Carpenter, Shareholder This article originally published in the May 25, 2021 edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon. Construction liens are a powerful tool to ensure payment from an owner or a general contractor on private construction…
July 3, 2021
Because the Jordan Ramis attorneys already possess architecture and construction knowledge, they are able to quickly process and respond to our needs.
July 2, 2021
It’s nice to go into an unknown, prospective land acquisition project with someone that has the knowledge and resources to point me in the right direction should a situation arise.
Jordan Ramis has a community partnership mentality. This, combined with all of the knowledge and information they had on the issues surrounding local development constraints and stormwater issues in Washington, made it a natural choice to hire the firm to take on the appeal for us.
