Insights

After months of intense negotiations, Congress passed a new relief bill this week. Assuming President Trump signs the bill, or Congress overrides a veto, it delivers change just in time for the new year.

Infectious disease experts have a saying: Vaccines don’t save lives, vaccinations do. As the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, employers eager to get back to normal may want to mandate vaccinations. Yet, it has been reported that a sizable number of Americans are hesitant to be vaccinated, and news of some adverse reactions may give rise to more angst.

In this fourth installment of our Construction Interview Series on adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rich Reizen and Pat Johnson, members of Gould & Ratner’s Construction Practice, talk with Eric Nixon, President of Maron Electric, about a variety of issues and opportunities facing the industry, including current attempts to meet economic and regulatory demands, as well as future opportunities and solutions. Established in 1926, Maron Electric is one of Chicago’s leading electrical contractors. With projects spanning across the greater Chicagoland area, Maron has experience working with both new construction and existing buildings for various markets including, hotels, conference centers, office and academic. Read the full conversation.

Unfortunately, we have seen an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. We have also been warned that this winter will be a dark and difficult time, and that the pandemic will likely get significantly worse before vaccines are widely available and we begin our return to normalcy. While we believe the future of the construction industry is bright, it is likely that over the next several months, we will see more shutdowns and work stoppages required by governmental orders and illness and that economic hardships may also impact the ability to commence or continue projects. That being said, there are several actions that contractors and owners should consider in light of these looming lockdowns:

Four days after the election, an anxious America got the news: Donald Trump would be a one-term president. As administrations shift, so do priorities. How will a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration combat COVID-19’s effect on the economy?

Insurers across the nation continue to file motions to dismiss COVID-19 cases brought by policyholders on three primary grounds: