Joe Leavens, partner in the firm’s Birmingham office and member of the Litigation Practice, presented to the Board of Directors of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama, ABC Alabama, about legal best practices with supply chain delays in the construction industry.
Supply chain issues and material delays are having a great impact on business owners, general contractors and subcontractors. Joe’s presentation focused on what should be done before executing a contract and also during the project, in order to prepare for the possibility of a supply chain delay.
Joe encouraged general contractors and subcontractors to communicate their expected delays in writing, detailing what to include in emails, bids and contracts. He emphasized the importance of not signing a contract if it includes a schedule that they know cannot be met. He also provided examples of how to negotiate supply chain delay provisions within contracts.
The ABC of Alabama Chapter is a trade association dedicated to serving construction professionals within the state of Alabama. It focuses on education, advocacy and business services within the construction industry.
Joe serves on ABC Alabama’s general contractor subcontractor committee, which works to foster relationships between general contractors with their subcontractors and also works hand-in-hand with the ABC Board of Directors on a number of matters.
Joe is a litigator by training but takes great pride in having a business-first approach for his construction clients. He has negotiated millions of dollars in construction contracts on projects of all sizes and types across the country for owners, general contractors and subcontractors and is regularly involved in strategic project development for owners and real estate developers.
Joe has extensive experience handling mid-project and post-completion legal matters including payment claims, liens, bond claims, construction defect claims, warranty claims and delay analyses in both the courtroom and in arbitration. His focus is always on getting the best business result for the client, whether that means litigating to a final judgment or finding a resolution with one eye on the bottom-line and one-eye on the next project.
