Archives for the 'Business' Category
Taming the Billable Beast
The ABA Journal has an article in the February 2008 issue by David Gialanella, discussing the billable hour alternatives employed by some innovative law firms.
The billable hour is the dandelion of law practice: pervasive and not so popular.
So, when seeking to avoid the neg ative effects of a system that provides the profits for many a firm, [...]
23 April 2008 | Business, Construction and Law, Consulting, Experts, General, Litigation | No Comments
“Big Dig” Settlement Reached
The lawsuit over the controversial public works project, the Big Dig, has concluded with a settlement. The project has been plagued by construction defects resulting in damage and in one case, the loss of a human life.
The two companies that managed the design and construction of the costly Big Dig project here will pay more [...]
24 January 2008 | Business, Construction, Construction Defect, Construction and Law, Litigation | No Comments
Medieval Help Desk
Ernest Svenson, an attorney in New Orleans at the forefront of using technology in the legal industry, recently taught a CLE for Louisiana attorneys on the concept of Digital Workflow. As part of the reference materials for his talk, he used the above clip that highlights the perils of new technology, from the perspective of [...]
24 December 2007 | Business, Construction and Law, General, Litigation, Technology | No Comments
Wozniak’s New Goal is Efficient Housing
Some of our readers may not be familiar with Steve Wozniak. “Woz”, as he is affectionately referred to, together with Steve Jobs, basically invented the personal computer in the form of a computer company known as Apple Computer in a garage in 1976. Wozniak has since gone on to support various educational and human interest [...]
21 August 2007 | Business, Construction, General, Green Building | No Comments
Builders, house flippers face more accountability
Texas is cracking down not just on builders, but remodelers and “flippers” as well it seems. I can’t help but wonder if the increased publicity from Texas area investors such as the Montelongos hasn’t helped to spur this legislation on.
Many remodelers and house flippers will fall under the purview of a state agency that regulates [...]
14 August 2007 | Business, Construction, Construction Defect, Construction and Law | No Comments
Defects dull dream home’s luster
This is an interesting article that is mostly accurate, although it does contain some errors and is definitely biased, although the Contra Costa Times does not list it as an editorial piece..
Experts estimate that the average new house will exhibit three to 14 construction defects. Some builders have a reputation for standing behind their work [...]
8 August 2007 | Business, Construction, Construction Defect, Construction and Law, Inspections | No Comments
Standard Pacific Shares Hit 7-Year Low
Shares of Standard Pacific Corp. plunged to a nearly seven-year low Monday on growing concerns that the homebuilder won’t be able to cover its debt.
The stock of the Irvine, Calif., company tumbled $2.28, or 18.7 percent, to $9.91 in afternoon trading. Earlier in the session, shares plummeted to $7.51, a level not seen since the [...]
8 August 2007 | Business, Construction, General | No Comments
Drywall Maker in Pain as Housing Suffers
Many in the construction industry have struggled as the housing market has slowed dramatically in recent times.
But few have felt it as forcefully or as suddenly as the USG Corporation, the nation’s largest maker of drywall, the paper-wrapped plaster boards used to build walls in homes and offices.
USG, based here in Chicago, is in some [...]
7 August 2007 | Business, Construction, General | No Comments
Ryland Sees No Market Improvement
Ryland’s net sales also fell 17 percent year over year in the second quarter, from 3,023 in 2006 to 2,521 this year. Compared to the first quarter of 2007, sales were down most in Texas, and off in the Southeast and North, but Ryland’s sales in the West were actually up 7 percent, Dreier said.
“Sales [...]
29 July 2007 | Business, Construction, General | No Comments
D.R. Horton posts quarterly loss after charges
Another builder is having trouble…
D.R. Horton Inc, the largest U.S. home builder, on Thursday reported its first quarterly loss as a public company after taking more than $1 billion of charges, chiefly related to the lower value of land and other assets.
For its fiscal third quarter, ended June 30, D.R. Horton posted a loss of [...]
29 July 2007 | Business, Construction, General | No Comments
