Insights

On October 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule (“IFR”) for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise in Airport Concessions Program, which requires each Unified Certification Program to re-evaluate all certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) businesses. To that end, the Illinois Unified Certification Program (IL UCP) notified all DBE firms certified prior to October 3, 2025, that they are required to submit a personal narrative to demonstrate their qualification as a DBE by November 24, 2025. Additionally, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) – the agency that administers the IL UCP and issues certifications that are honored by multiple agencies – has removed the IL UCP Directory from its website.

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“SECURE Act 2.0”) makes many changes impacting retirement plans. Among the most significant are changes affecting “catch-up” contributions. The IRS recently finalized regulations relating to these changes. In a nutshell, SECURE Act 2.0, together with the final regulations, provide:

In light of the rapid changes at the federal level, the Illinois General Assembly has passed significant measures aimed at protecting and expanding the rights of employees in the state while making substantial amendments to already existing employment-related statutes.

This practice note by Richard Reizen and Ellen Chapelle, published in LexisNexis’ Practical Guidance, provides a comprehensive analysis of various construction pricing models, focusing on their advantages, disadvantages and suitability for different project types. The article explains that the choice of pricing arrangement is critical as it impacts project costs, responsibilities and opportunities for both owners and contractors.

This practice note by Construction Practice attorneys Richard Reizen, Ellen Chapelle and Hannah Batsche, published in LexisNexis’ Practical Guidance, discusses the scope and limitations of commercial general liability (CGL) policies in managing construction risks. The chapter explains how CGL policies are essential for covering liabilities arising from construction operations, particularly for general contractors who typically bear primary responsibility for site management.

This article was authored by Mark D. Brookstein, David N. Michael and Sophie M. Michael (Summer Law Clerk).