April 1, 2007 – Construction Law

New US Federal Rules Focus More Attention on Electronic Evidence in Construction Disputes

Apr 01 2007

This article, by K&L Gates attorneys David R. Cohen and Kari M. Horner, appears in the April 2007 edition of Construction Law International, the magazine of the IBA International Construction Projects Committee.

Important amendments to the US Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (the Rules) relating to electronic discovery in litigation became effective on 1 December 2006. Every party involved in litigation in US federal courts should become familiar with these Rules. This article provides an overview of the key provisions of the new Rules.

View the full article here.

This article was first published in the Construction Law International Vol 2 No 1, April 2007, and is reproduced by kind permission of the International Bar Association, London, UK. © International Bar Association 2006.

More Than Just Buying Paperclips

Apr 01 2007

This article, by K&L Gates London partner Christopher G. Causer, appears in the April 2007 edition of RICS Construction Journal. It explains the "ins and outs" associated with PFIs and presents arguments for making the whole process easier, and more accessible, for all parties.

PFI has its detractors and it is sometimes difficult to draw out any clear principles from the mass of claims, counterclaims and innuendo appearing in the press – and even in academic journals. But there is one undeniable fact: as a procurement method, PFI is complex and requires a high level of intervention from external legal advisors. It is hard to envisage a PFI project reaching contractual close without at least three sets of lawyers working on it.

So how has the nature of the lawyers’ work changed since PFI started in the early 1990s? What changes are likely in the next few years, and are there any obvious ways in which the delivery of services can be improved?

View the full article here. Posted with permission.

Archive:April 1, 2007