Las Vegas to Host National Construction Defect Insurance Law Conference

PRESS RELEASE

 

Contact:

Tom Hagy, Publisher

BVR Legal

610-312-4754

tom.hagy@bvresources.com

 

Las Vegas – October 29, 2008 – Just over a month after the Nevada Supreme Court allowed 700 homeowners to join a lawsuit against developers for allegedly defective exterior stucco – attorneys, insurers, risk managers, construction experts and judges from around the country will gather here for a three-day conference on construction defect claims and insurance coverage.

 

“The Comprehensive Construction Defect Claims & Coverage Conference” will take place November 5, 6 & 7 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. 

 

Among the more than 50 speakers will be Las Vegas Judicial District Court Judge Allan Earl.  Judge Earl will be joined by retired California Judge Jonathan Cannon, now with JAMS, and attorneys from California and Indiana to provide an overview of national litigation sparked by construction defect claims. 

 

Appearing on an ethics panel will be Jeffrey Stempel, professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.  Professor Stempel will be joined by Professor James Fisher of the Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

 

Attorneys from Texas, Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia, Illinois, Maryland, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin and Nevada will cover the gamut when it comes to construction defects litigation and insurance: special risks posed by construction companies; professional liability for construction managers; pollution liability risks; determining applicable state law;  builder risks; the right to repair; allocation; trigger of coverage; business risk exclusions; ethical concerns;  additional insureds; wrap ups; residential construction coverage; bankruptcy; claims relating to so-called “green buildings,” and much more.

 

Companies represented at the event include insurance companies, builders, building and environmental specialists, litigation support services,  and claims management services.

 

The chairing panel comprises Paul Amirata of AXA Insurance Company of New York, Thomas Myers of Andrews Myers Coulter & Cohen, P.C. of Houston, Tracy Alan Sax of Sax Doernberger & Vita, P.C. of Hamden, Conn., and George Yaron of Yaron & Associates of San Francisco.

 

“The chairing panel has assembled a faculty that is highly experienced and diverse, bringing national perspectives from the courtroom, the construction site, the insurance company, the settlement table, the laboratory, and the law school,” said Tom Hagy with BVR Legal, host of the event.

 

For full details visit  www.BVRLegal.com and click on “Live Conferences.”  Contact Customer Service at 888-287-8258 or CustomerService@bvresources.com.   Discounts are available for multiple attendees, corporations, government agencies and paralegals.  Sitting judges or special masters attendee free.   The program is fully accredited for continuing legal education. 

 

Please direct other inquiries to Tom Hagy at 610-312-4754 or tom.hagy@bvresources.com.

 

The conference is produced by BVR Legal (formerly Mealey Conferences), a division of Business Valuation Resources LLC.  BVR legal is an education and information company serving attorneys and business experts in complex legal disputes. 

 

50-State Survey from Saxe Doernberger & Vita: Statutes of Repose for Construction Claims

 

This survey of state laws is a quick reference guide that should only be used as a starting point in researching the applicable law to a given situation. Depending on the facts of each situation, there may be additional legal authority which impacts the analysis of a particular case.  Saxe Doernberger & Vita P.C. is a Hamden, Connecticut law firm that represents policyholders in insurance coverage disputes.   Founder & Partner Tracy Saxe is co-chair of the Comprehensive Construction Defect Claims & Coverage Conference taking place Nov. 5-7 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.  For more information, visit www.bvrlegal.com, and go to the “live conferences” section.

 Alabama

Time Limit: 13 years

Extension: N/A

Real Property: A claim can be brought up to 2 yrs. after cause of action accrues. No relief for cause of action that accrues more than 13 yrs. after substantial completion of improvement. See Ala. Code § 65-221.

Alaska

Time Limit: 10 years

Extension: N/A

Real Property: 10yrs from earlier of substantial completion of construction that allegedly caused injury or last act alleged to have caused injury to bring a cause of action.

§ 09.10.055(a). Claimant may not begin action v. construction professional unless notice of claim is filed w/in 1 yr. of discovery of defect, action must be filed w/in 10 yrs. post substantial completion. See AS § 09.10.054.

 

Arizona

Time Limit: 8 years

Extension: 1 year

Real Property: 8 yrs. after substantial completion of improvement. If injury occurred during or latent defect wasn’t discovered until 8th yr. after substantial completion, action may be brought within 1 yr. after injury occurred or latent defect was discovered, but can’t be brought more than 9 yrs. after substantial completion. Doesn’t apply to personal injury, wrongful death. See Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-552.