MDC's own Mitchell Swann will be speaking at this event along with Anthony J. Giuriceo, and John Gossard, Director, Engingeering, US SOD for Actavis Inc.

The event will take place from 5p.m.-9p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at Bridgewater Manor in Bridgewater, NJ.

1251 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
[P]  908-658-3000
[F]  908-658-945
www.bridgewatermanor.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

This year’s DRI Construction Law Seminar presents an outstanding educational and networking opportunity. We have assembled an impressive group of nationally recognized speakers who will share their knowledge and expertise on a wide range of important topics for construction lawyers and their industry and insurance clients. We will address several “emerging” topics in the construction industry, as well as update topics of ongoing interest. Your abundant opportunities to learn will include conventional single speaker presentations on such topics as “green construction,” “right to repair” statutes and the new AIA contracts, as well as lively panel presentations, including a presentation on the legal challenges facing homebuilders in today’s market, an exciting presentation on the effective use of technology in the courtroom and a presentation from a panel of experienced construction trial judges.

Visit the DRI site here: http://www.dri.org/DRI/ open/CLE.aspx?sem=20080050

MDC will attend this event.  Please look for our flyer in your welcoming packet!

Looking to build performance in your career? Or maybe you’re seeking to improve performance of the buildings you design, operate and maintain. Either way, ASHRAE’s 2008 Annual Meeting is the place for you. Build your own performance by taking advantage of ASHRAE’s education and technical program. Build the performance of buildings by applying the latest technology that your fellow members share at the meeting.

MDC will attend this event.

MDC's Mitchell Swann to present: "Understanding the Legal Liabilities of Green Building Project"

The marketplace has embraced ‘sustainability’ as a value-added feature in design, construction, and operations.  However, sustainability is not necessarily a ‘line item’ technology which can be added or deleted at will like the substitution of ceramic tile for sheet vinyl.  If sustainability is value-added, then it is desirable and as such, would be designated as a term of the project contract.  If so, what parameters should be used to measure compliance with that portion of the contract?  If sustainability does have a value, would a failure to achieve ‘it’ in a completed project diminish the project value?  How is that value to be measured and how is the loss of same to be compensated for? The program will identify and analyze the typical issues involved in sustainable design and operations and discuss a framework in which to assess value for those issues. 

The marketplace has embraced "sustainability" as a value-added feature in design, construction and operations. However, sustainability is not necessarily a "line item" technology which can be added or deleted at will like the substitution of ceramic tile for sheet vinyl. If sustainability is value-added, then it is desirable and as such, would be designated as a term of the project contract. If so, what parameters should be used to measure compliance with that portion of the contract? Given the interrelationship of design, construction and operation on actual building performance, how are these interrelationships factored into the issues of contract compliance? If sustainability does have a value, a failure to achieve "it" in a completed project should diminish the project value relative to the contract. A loss of value relative to the contract could establish grounds for compensation for that loss. How is that value to be measured and how is the loss of same to be compensated for? The program will identify and analyze the typical issues which impact the achievement of sustainable design and operation and provide a framework in which to assess value for those issues.

Robert C. McCue, P.E. and Patrick O.Connor, Esquire, of Faegre & Benson, LLP will present at the 2006 Construction Superconference in San Francisco. The program, entitled “Time Impact Analysis (TIA) ® for Complex Projects” will explore the background, development and applicability of this tried and true method of schedule analysis as it is applied to two projects.  In one project it worked seamlessly, using the project schedule and data.  However, in the other contrasting case, it could not be used because of the deficiencies in the project schedules and the lack of as-built data.

MDC will attend and exhibit this Meeting held at the Hyatt Regency Gainey Ranch.

MDC^® will attend this event.

Green building design has gathered considerable momentum and many adherents amongst owners, designers and contractors. The goal has been to reduce the ‘footprint’ of buildings on the environment. Cleanroom-based industries (microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, etc.) utilize some of the deepest ‘footprint’ buildings in the marketplace.  These industries use lots of energy, water and other resources in their operation.  Reducing energy and resource utilization in the cleanrooms would have a much greater impact per square foot than commercial buildings.  This Forum will investigate the issues and challenges in making cleanrooms green. 

MDC will attend and exhibit this Annual Meeting held at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa.

Andrews Conferences Inc. and ICONdirect.net host "The International Construction Superconference: Constructing and Financing Infrastructure." The conference will be held at The RAS Radisson Hotel. MDC^® will return as a sponsor and exhibitor.

MDC is attending this Summit which is held at the Kempinski Hotel.

The Summit provides outstanding programs and opportunities to network with senior Chinese officials and executives as well as contractors, design firms, developers, financiers and building product manufacturers from other countries who are active in China.

MDC^® will attend this event.

MDC^® returned as an exhibitor for this event.

Mr. Swann’s presentation focused on some of the liability and potential contractual issues which can arise in executing a LEED Certified, ‘green’ project.  His presentation looked at issues involving designers, contractors and owners in relation to certified buildings.  A key feature was a discussion on the value proposition associated with same and the complex intersection of design, construction and operation to achieve a sustainable project.  The program sought to identify and analyze the typical issues which impact the achievement of sustainable design and operation and to provide a framework in which to assess value for those issues.  If sustainability does have a value, a failure to achieve ‘it’ in a completed project would diminish the value relative to what was promised.  A loss of value relative to what was promised should establish grounds for compensation for that loss.  How is that value to be measured and how is the loss of same to be compensated for?

The panel will discuss how the technological advances can be properly managed to promote more cost effective delivery of projects and to minimize the disputes and damages caused by new risks which have developed where none previously existed.

MDC^®'s E. Mitchell Swann, P.E. attended this event.

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) Annual Meeting took place at the Marriott's Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. MDC^®'s Mitchell Swann, P.E. and Bob Kennedy, P.E. were among a team of industry experts and facilitators in ISPE’s interactive program “Welcome to the “Real World!” - A Unique Project Management Learning Experience.  The “Real World of Project Management” provided a unique interactive learning and role play experience spread over the 4 days of this years Annual Meeting.  The program involved a day of formal presentation on various topics in Project Planning, Management and Execution.  Mr. Swann and Mr. Kennedy conducted the module on Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation, both as an ‘up front’ portion of project planning and in the ‘downstream’ functions of claims management and dispute resolution.  The ‘Real World’ took the attendees and divided them into two project teams – Team Bio and Team Pharma and with the assistance of a staff of ‘consultants’ (the learning module presenters) evaluated, developed, presented and evaluated their respective project execution plans.  The program was conducted in half day sessions over each of the four days of the conference and utilized other presentations and the concurrent trade show as source points for key project completion information.  Over the course of the four sessions, each team developed a project portfolio to serve as the basis of the presentation made to an industry panel to determine which team's plan will receive funding. The winning team was given recognition at the Annual Meeting and will be profiled in an upcoming issue of ISPE’s Pharmaceutical Engineering Journal.

This was the first ever multi-day, interactive program run by ISPE and also the first which targeted ‘horizontal’ team competencies as a key element of its success.  It was also the first program which was videotaped for use as an evaluative tool for future training programs.

MDC^®'s Robert C. McCue, P.E. attended this year's Annual Meeting. MDC^® was also a sponsor for the program.

The meeting was held at Adams Mark Hotel. MDC®'s E. Mitchell Swann, P.E. presented, "'Can Clean be Green?' –How can Cleanroom-based industries climb aboard the ‘green train’?"

Green building design has gathered considerable momentum and many adherents amongst owners, designers and contractors. The goal has been to reduce the ‘footprint’ of buildings on the environment. Cleanroom-based industries (microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, etc.) utilize some of the deepest ‘footprint’ buildings in the marketplace. These industries use lots of energy, chemicals, biological materials and water in their operating processes. A reduction in energy and resource utilization in the cleanroom industries would have a far greater impact than their percentage of floor area in the built environment. This Forum investigated the issues, challenges and opportunities available for cleanroom industries to ‘go green’. The Forum looked closely at energy issues, but also touched upon process tools, & chemistry.

MDC®'s Robert C. McCue and E. Mitchell Swann, and Duane Morris LLP presented a session, "Construction Management 2005: New Challenges and Opportunities with High-Tech Building Construction." The conference was held at The Radisson SAS Portman Hotel. MDC® returned as a sponsor and exhibitor.

Construction technology is at the forefront of current design and specification choices as off-site fabrication and radical changes to construction methods are developed to reduce construction time and cost. Construction Managers are frequently dealing with demands for more innovative ways to keep costs down and the project on schedule.

Despite these changes and developments, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical plants, power plants, and airports provide, and will continue to provide, the most difficult problems, the longest delays, the greatest cost over-runs, and the most complex disputes. Construction Managers are increasingly in harm’s way when things go wrong.

A panel of US and UK construction specialists from the international law firm of Duane Morris LLP, the international engineering consulting firm of MDCSystems, and international Construction Managers looked at the problems, compared the solutions currently implemented on both sides of the Atlantic, and predicted the future trends affecting Construction Managers.

E. Mitchell Swann, P.E. presented on Risk Management.

The conference was held at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel. MDC^®'s Robert C. McCue and E. Mitchell Swann presented, "Rule #1: Nothing Is as Simple as It Looks - The Use of Technical Experts as Neutrals in Complex Construction Cases."

The construction industry regularly uses numerous forms of ADR, including Dispute Review Boards (DRB’s), mediation and arbitration. Conventional wisdom says that an ADR neutral must have an intimate knowledge of the legal 'rules of engagement' to successfully resolve legal disputes. But what happens to convention when the issues involved in the dispute revolve around technical issues, concepts and ideas that are so complicated or novel that even the most ardent viewer of the Discovery Channel is left saying, “Huh?” What if, irrespective of the contract terms, the darn thing just doesn't 'work' like it is supposed to? Does a neutral's ability to understand and compare competing technical theories aid her decision-making process? Does a lack of that understanding hurt? Or does a neutral’s prior experience impede his ability to make an unbiased decision based on the information the parties present? What is a "reasonable expectation” versus “pie in the sky” dreams when the pie is a one of a kind creation? In this session, four experienced ADR providers – two non-lawyers (two design professionals and a construction manager) and a lawyer who has worked as an arbitrator and co-mediator with non-lawyer neutrals – discussed their experiences in resolving construction disputes and the advantages and disadvantages of using non-lawyers as neutrals. An experienced construction attorney moderated and posed tough questions to the panel about using non-lawyers to help resolve legal disputes.