This past Thursday and Friday, I taught another course at the AGC of Virginia Richmond District headquarters.  This time it was the “Contract Documents” module of the Supervisor Training Course.  While similar to prior training I have given, the focus of the training was on field supervision and how best to run a construction project and avoid conflicts.  Most of the attendees were superintendents and those that had “boots on the ground” for their construction companies.

After close to two years of COVID-related restrictions, it was great to get out and actually interact with those that practice construction here in Virginia.  Not only does teaching remind me why I enjoy being a construction attorney, but I always learn something.  As a Virginia construction lawyer, it is easy to forget that what I do affects how construction projects proceed.  The contracts that I review have real-world consequences for those building things.  Without talking with those that actually carry out the scopes of work in the “real world,” I could (and sometimes do) look at the contracts and legal advice I would give in a vacuum.  While certain contractual clauses are somewhat non-negotiable and while some contracts, and the law in Virginia, would allow termination of a contract, advising on these types of matters without an eye toward the practical consequences of that advice on the finances and the smooth operation of a construction site would be short-sighted. Continue Reading