Legal/Regulation

  • Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 4 in Washington, D.C.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Commerce Department ‘renegotiating’ CHIPS Act contracts

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said he's looking to revamp deals that were "overly generous" as the department seeks to cut its budget by 16.5%.

    By Kate Magill • June 6, 2025
  • President Donald Trump addresses the press at the White House on Jan. 21, 2025.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How should construction companies handle DEI under Trump?

    Given the president’s order targeting “illegal” equity programs, firms need to prepare for challenges from both the government and workers, writes an employment attorney.

    By Neil C. Schur • June 5, 2025
  • The north facade of the White House is seen partially illuminated at night
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    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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    White House unveils plan for tech-focused permit reforms

    The initiative follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the scope of environmental reviews required on major infrastructure projects.

    By • June 4, 2025
  • Three diverse construction workers walk on a jobsite.
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    With DEI under fire, Construction Inclusion Week will focus on recruitment

    Amid the Trump administration's war on equity programs, the fall initiative won't target a specific population or group but will welcome everyone, says Turner's Abrar Sheriff.

    By • June 3, 2025
  • A judge's gavel is shown in a close-up photo sitting on a pedestal on a desk in a courtoom
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    BrianAJackson via Getty Images
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    DOT agrees to remove race, gender-based criteria from DBE program

    In a proposed settlement, the agency said the initiative “can no longer pass constitutional scrutiny,” effectively abandoning its defense of the decades-old policy.

    By • June 2, 2025
  • In an aerial view, shipping containers are stacked on a dock at the Port of Oakland on December 09, 2024 in Oakland, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    It’s not too late to offset tariffs on existing jobs

    Though increased costs seem inevitable, there are steps owners can take to mitigate potential impacts, even on current projects, write two attorneys.

    By Stacy Bercun Bohm and Trav Clark • May 28, 2025
  • A construction worker in a hard hat uses steel rebar during the building of a condo tower.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Navigating the impact of new Buy America requirements on FHWA projects

    With the Manufactured Products General Waiver gone, contractors must prepare for potential cost, schedule and quality control issues, legal experts say.

    By Michael Peloso & Dan McCrave-Bessette • May 27, 2025
  • The United States, Capitol Dome.
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    Yaya Ernst via Getty Images
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    House’s 60-day deadline for IRA eligibility would trigger ‘scramble’: EY experts

    “From a commercial perspective, it's not a unilateral decision most of the time on whether you can begin construction,” said Greg Matlock, a tax leader at EY Americas.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 27, 2025
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    Danielle Ternes/Construction Dive
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    Column // The Dotted Line

    How GCs can cope with problem subs

    Given construction’s labor and skills shortages, primes sometimes need to hire less-than-optimal partners. Here’s how to succeed when that happens.

    By Keith Loria • May 27, 2025
  • Aerial shot of TSMC's $40 billion construction project in Phoenix, Arizona
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    Permission granted by TSMC
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    Opinion

    Why Trump’s tariffs alone aren’t enough

    Manufacturing projects are complex. Levies aimed at bringing these builds back to the U.S. need to be paired with broader initiatives, writes one construction executive. 

    By Brian Gallagher • May 9, 2025
  • Longworth Congressional Building
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    IRA’s fate unclear as Republicans look to finance megabill

    The Inflation Reduction Act is a likely target in a plan to cut $2 trillion in spending, but certain provisions have been benefiting red districts.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 9, 2025
  • Aerial view of construction site with excavators on a sunny day.
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    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    What NEPA changes mean for projects, permitting timelines

    The framework for environmental reviews is shifting as federal agencies revise or develop their own implementing regulations, according to attorney Alexaida Collet.

    By Alexaida Collet • May 6, 2025
  • A brown Department of Labor sign in front of a beige building under a clear blue sky.
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    iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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    DOL orders staff not to enforce Biden-era independent contractor rule

    The Labor Department is still considering whether to rescind the rule, which faces ongoing litigation, it said Thursday.

    By Ryan Golden • May 5, 2025
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a blue suit and tie, gestures from a podium.
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy

    The U.S. transportation secretary also told funding recipients that they need to cooperate with immigration officers or potentially face civil or criminal prosecution.

    By • April 29, 2025
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    Danielle Ternes/Construction Dive
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    Column // The Dotted Line

    How contractors can mitigate the risks of joint ventures

    JVs allow firms to combine resources, but contracts need careful wording to avoid disputes, attorneys say.

    By • April 29, 2025
  • A visual rendering of Kore Power's battery cell facility in Buckeye, Arizona.
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    Courtesy of Kore Power, Inc.
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    Clean energy manufacturers cancel projects as Trump-era policies take hold

    Companies scrapped, closed or downsized nearly $8 billion in projects in Q1.

    By Kate Magill • April 25, 2025
  • President Donald Trump's motorcade prepares to leave the White House.
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    Al Drago via Getty Images
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    Trump orders federal procurement overhaul

    The effort is set to bring about the biggest change to how the government buys products and services since the 1990s.

    By • April 22, 2025
  • Construction workers help build a condo tower using steel rebar on Feb. 10, 2025, in Miami, Fla.
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    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Your contract can mitigate tariff impacts, if you know where to look

    Two construction lawyers detail how cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price and lump sum agreements work in light of higher import duties.

    By Mason Hester and Austin Moorman • April 21, 2025
  • President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order at the White House on April 2, 2025.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Trump orders permitting agencies to embrace tech

    The president’s April 15 memo directs relevant federal agencies to submit a technology implementation plan within 45 days.

    By • April 21, 2025
  • donald trump signs an executive order at his desk
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Trump administration ordered to resume IIJA, IRA funding

    A federal judge’s decision, which stated agencies lacked authority to pause funding, follows the president’s executive order to freeze the money on his first day in office. 

    By Kate Magill • April 17, 2025
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a blue suit and tie, gestures with a crowd behind him.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Duffy defends DOT grants pause, pledges not to hold up projects

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also spoke about the importance of permit reform in a recent hearing and promised to take a “nonpartisan view” of infrastructure funding.

    By • April 8, 2025
  • Cyber Security Data Breach Protection Ransomware Email Phishing Encrypted Technology, Digital Information Protected Secured
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    Just_Super via Getty Images
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    Hacker linked to Oracle Cloud intrusion threatens to sell stolen data

    Security researchers from Trustwave SpiderLabs provided additional evidence backing up claims of a breach.

    By David Jones • April 2, 2025
  • Wooden brown judge gavel on the table, copy space, banner background.
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    nathaphat via Getty Images
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    Flatiron/AECOM JV ordered to pay AECOM subsidiary $14.2M

    The ruling follows a multiyear battle between the contractors’ joint venture and AECOM Technical Services, which a judge characterized as bordering “on the absurd.”

    By • April 1, 2025
  • A skyshot of an under-construction facility, surrounded by dirt and construction equipment.
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    Courtesy of Ascend Elements
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    Turner-Kokosing JV files suit over $1B battery project

    The complaint claims that Ascend Materials stiffed the joint venture for $138 million on tasks completed at the company’s Kentucky manufacturing facility.

    By • April 1, 2025
  • The New York State Capitol Building in Albany, New York
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    demerzel21 via Getty Images
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    Proposed New York law would expand prevailing wage requirements

    Under the legislation, private projects receiving at least 20% in public funding would fall under set pay standards.

    By • March 31, 2025