The impact of the COVID pandemic is far-reaching, upending the norms of operation for businesses and families around the world.  I recently moderated the Bisnow webinar panel Minneapolis Health Care Update which included developers of health care facilities. The panel confirmed that the impact on the health care provider community has been especially significant and…

The mechanic’s lien is one of the most powerful remedies available under the law.  A mechanic’s lien is a right afforded to general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers that, when preserved by following certain steps, grants the right to record a lien against benefited real property, foreclose on that property by action, be compensated out of…

I have lost count of the number of times I have warned construction industry clients to be careful with lien waivers.  They may seem to be just routine—until they are not.  A recent case from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals; Great Lakes Excavating, Inc. v Dollar Tree et al (March 30, 2021) underlines the importance…

Every day, business and political leaders are tackling the question of how to revive downtown Minneapolis.  After a year of dealing with the pandemic, social unrest, and shuttered businesses, they are searching for ways to bring people back downtown.  Even as the state has ramped up vaccinations against COVID-19, downtown remains a ghost town…

The United States House of Representatives announced a new era for congressional influence over how the federal government spends some of the $1.4 trillion in discretionary spending approved every year.  As of today, the Senate has not yet announced its plan but both chambers are in negotiations to implement this in a transparent and responsible…

Special assessments are used to fund all manner of local improvement projects, including road, sewer, and water improvements.  Any private landowner—residential, commercial, and even the religious—may someday receive a notice advising of a contemplated assessment against their property.  A special assessment notice is not something to be ignored.  If left unpaid, a special assessment ultimately…

The state of retail in Minnesota and around the country is a huge question-mark.  The obvious effect of the ongoing COVID restrictions has delivered an unwelcome shock to the operations of even the very best brick and mortar retailers. Nobody can say with confidence when the cloud of uncertainty around COVID and the restrictions on…

COVID-19 and the recent political unrest have come with implications that are either direct or consequential to the insurance market.  Many businesses looking to renew long-standing commercial insurance policies are finding either increased premiums or a refusal of certain excess carriers to extend the same policy limits.  This has caused many businesses to either shop…

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most employers were reluctant to allow employees to work from home on a continuous basis.  Many companies prohibited all teleworking or allowed employees only to work remotely when recovering from an illness or when required as a reasonable accommodation.  When COVID-19 hit, many employees began working remotely and it appears that…