ALFA International Publications

Wrap Insurance What is it? A wrap-up policy is a risk financing option.  It makes sense only on larger projects because of the increased cost of administration.  Also known as a Controlled Insurance Program (“CIP”), it is centrally purchased and administered for a single project or a series of projects.  CIPs provide insurance coverage for all or most of the project participants—own…

Since the Federal Aviation Administration has approved drones for commercial use, they have become the way of the future.  Industries such as agriculture, construction, energy, insurance, and real estate, are just a few using drones as the way of the future. Even package delivery by drone will soon be a common part of our everyday lives. Within the construction industry, drones and the rea…

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed the Way We Litigate and Mediate In early 2020 the Global COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world. To “flatten the curve,” social distancing measures were adopted in many countries, states, and cities, with those able to work from home using virtual meeting spaces to conduct business meetings and conferences. Facing executive orders and rules limiting in-person g…

Force Majeure and Disputes Pre- and Post-COVID This paper provides various practical and legal arguments, as well as practice tips, which may prove useful to construction professionals who continue to deal with the fall-out or even future disputes. [1] Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country starting in March 2020, construction professionals have no doubt become familiar with force majeure.…

WORK RELATED INCIDENTS LEADING TO INJURIES AND FATALITIES OCCUR IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Although recent data supports that they are decreasing in frequency across all sectors, work related incidents resulting in employee injuries and fatalities are unavoidable in the construction industry. Even though the industry, as a whole, has done, and continues to do, a much better job focusing on worke…

Feel the Force: The Era of Smart Construction Has Arrived Smart construction — defined loosely as the development and use of technology in the construction industry — carries a host of benefits. Because building projects are necessarily long-running, complex, and fraught with unanticipated delays,[i] technology has a unique role to play in the construction industry. In the past, the industry has b…

Status of Covid-Related Claims Seeking Business Income Losses No discussion of recent coverage developments would be complete without discussion of the trend of decisions addressing the flood of claims seeking business income, extra expense, and civil authority coverages under property policies for government-ordered shutdowns related to COVID-19. Though the volume of court filings for these claim…

Preparing Your Soul for Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions It has kept all of us awake at night.  The biggest case on our desk may sink or swim based on the testimony of a particular company witness.  It may be an officer or manager whose testimony will bind the company.  It could be a current or former rank and file employee, which presents an even different set of concerns.  It goes without saying that t…

Until 2011, an individual possessing less than half an ounce of cannabis in Connecticut could have been charged with, and found guilty of, a class C misdemeanor and imprisoned for up to three months.[1]  However, in 2011, Connecticut decriminalized cannabis use, although one could still be charged with an infraction for possessing small amounts.[2]  More recently, on June 22, 2021, Governor Lamont…

Why Conduct a Mock Trial?[1] The emphasis in a trial is on advocacy and involves listening, questioning, thinking, and learning. Analysis and sound reasoning coupled with effective communication to a judge and jurors is paramount to success in a mock trial. The modern approach of conducting a mock trial provides attorneys with a great advantage of, among other things, assisting with case evaluatio…