Certified objected to many of the terms in the subcontract (including the two week design deadline) but nevertheless proceeded to hire a designer to draft the sprinkler system designs.  Several weeks later, with other facets of project construction underway and the subcontract still unsigned, Certified submitted a progress billing of $33,575 for the design work which at that point was still unfinished.  Precision refused to pay the bill without a signed subcontract.  Certified proceeded to finish the design work and submitted the sprinkler system drawings.  The parties had several more communications about getting the subcontract signed.  Before a contract was signed, Precision learned that the subcontractor's design contained errors that needed correction.  Shortly thereafter, Precision terminated its relationship with Certified for failing to sign the subcontract, not providing an additional insured endorsement and for providing an incorrect design.  At Precision's request, Certified provided a final billing for work performed reporting costs of $25,185.04.  Precision refused to pay and Certified placed a mechanic's lien on the property and filed suit.

The trial court dismissed the case at the conclusion of Certified's evidence finding that no contract existed between the parties, and further that Certified could not recover in "quantum meruit" (a Latin phrase meaning "what one has earned"), or for unjust enrichment because the flawed design drawings could not be used by Precision, had no value, and thus did not confer any benefit on Precision.  Certified appealed.

On appeal, Certified conceded that the parties never reached agreement on the full design and installation contract, but contended that the parties had a contract for "design only" work because Precision had urged that Certified get started on the design.  The Nevada Supreme Court rejected this argument because there was no evidence that the parties had any agreement on either the price or time for performance for the design only.  Furthermore, witness testimony at trial established that a general contractor in Precision's position would never execute a design only subcontract because the design developed is specifically tailored for the subcontractor involved and is not useful to another installer.  Certified further argued it was entitled to compensation for unjust enrichment.  The court rejected this argument as well on the notion that Precision did not receive anything of value from Certified because the design work at issue could not be used by the replacement subcontractor, and was incomplete and incorrect.

Comment:  This case demonstrates the risks involved in starting construction without a signed contract.  While the subcontractor in this case ended up recovering nothing, had the facts and the nature of the work performed been different, it is not inconceivable that the general contractor would have had to pay both the original subcontractor for the work it performed, as well as any premium paid to the replacement subcontractor to take over the original subcontractor's work midstream. 

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[i] Certified Fire Protection, Inc. v. Precision Construction, Inc., 283 P. 3d 250 (Nev. 2012).

A Port of Seattle ("Port") supervisor noticed a rope hanging from a ladder and asked an employee to take it down.  Instead, as a joke aimed at the supervisor, the employee thought it would be funny to tie the rope into a hangman's noose and hang it from the ladder.  Not surprisingly, the noose was not viewed as humorous by at least one of his minority co-workers.  That co-worker made a complaint and the Port fired the amateur knot-maker for violating the Port's zero-tolerance anti-harassment policy.  The employee was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 268 ("Union").  The Union challenged the employee's termination.  The case proceeded to arbitration, per a collective bargaining agreement.

The arbitrator found that the knot-maker violated the Port's anti-harassment policy, but that he should not have been terminated because he was "more clueless than racist," and the employee's noose-on-a-ladder prank was "not racial" in nature.  The arbitrator considered the employee's twelve year history as a Port employee with no performance problems, and his history in the Navy - where he often played with rope and tied nooses to pass time - and decided that the employee should be suspended for 20-days without pay, rather than be fired. 

The Port appealed the arbitrator's decision and a King County Superior Court judge concluded that the arbitrator's decision was too lenient and violated the public policy against workplace harassment.  The King County judge then imposed a six-month unpaid suspension, and ordered the employee to make a sincere written apology, to attend diversity and anti-harassment training, and to be subject to four years of probation with a second harassment violation resulting in termination.

The Union appealed and the Court of Appeals affirmed the King County judge's ruling to vacate the arbitrator's decision, but held that the reviewing trial court could not create its own judgment.  The Union then appealed again and the Washington State Supreme Court accepted review.  The Supreme Court noted that its review was limited to whether the arbitrator exceeded his or her authority because further review "would weaken the value of bargained for, binding arbitration and could damage the freedom of contract," but that arbitration awards can be vacated if they violate "explicit, well defined, and dominant public policy." [ii]  The Court found that the policy against workplace harassment and discrimination was explicit, well defined, and dominant so it had authority to review and vacate the arbitrator's decision if the punishment was too lenient to not deter future discrimination.

The Court reiterated that its review was limited, and that it was bound by the arbitrator's findings of fact, which included the employee's non-racial understanding of the symbolism of the noose (he believed it related to "cowboys and Indians"), and the effect of the noose on other employees in the workplace.  Based on this limited scope of review and despite the employee's unacceptable and ignorant actions, the Court held that a 20-day unpaid suspension could "provide sufficient discipline to cause this or other employees to understand the serious nature of a noose in the workplace and thus prevent a similar incident in the future."[iii]  Thus, the Court held, the arbitrator's decision was not so lenient that it violated the public policy against workplace harassment and discrimination.

Lastly, the Court reiterated that a trial court reviewing an arbitration award has the authority to vacate the award, but that it does not have the authority to fashion its own remedy.  Instead, trial courts should remand to the arbitrator for further proceedings.

Comment:  Construction contracts often employ arbitration as the dispute resolution mechanism.  Although this case does not involve construction contractors, it does provide some insight into Washington courts' scope of review of arbitration awards and how difficult it is to vacate an award.  Even with these bizarre facts regarding the noose and the employee's questionable understanding of what the noose suggested, the Supreme Court did not find that the arbitrator's decision to suspend the employee for 20-days was so lenient that it violated the public policy against workplace harassment and discrimination.  This case demonstrates the finality of an arbitrator's decision such that parties subject to arbitration proceed knowing that it is extremely difficult to vacate an arbitrator's decision. 

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[i] Int’l Union of Operating Engineers, Local 286 v. Port of Seattle, 296 P.3d 736, 117 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 834 (2013).

[ii] Id. at 740 (quoting Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild, 167 Wn.2d 428, 435, 219 P.3d 675 (2009)).

[iii] Id. at 742.

For example, a general contractor who submitted a bid which came in "second," may challenge award of the project to the apparent low bidder on the basis that the DBE firm that the low bidder proposes to use is either not properly certified to perform the work proposed or is not a legitimate DBE firm.  Such protests provide a lucrative opportunity for the second low bidder who may ultimately be awarded the project.   The following information explains some of the fundamentals to consider when assessing compliance with DBE bidding requirements:

Commercially Useful Function:  When a DBE participates in a contract, only the portion of the work that serves a "commercially useful function" on the contract may be counted towards the contractor's DBE goal.  49 C.F.R. §26.55(c).  A "commercially useful function" is defined in the Special Provisions of the Project Specifications as:

The execution of the work of the Contract by a DBE carrying out its responsibilities by actually performing, managing, and supervising the work involved using its own employees and equipment.  The DBE shall be responsible, with respect to materials and supplies used on the Contract, for negotiating price, determining quality and quantity, ordering the material, and installing (where applicable) and paying for the material itself. 

See also 49 C.F.R. §26.55(c)(1).  The federal regulations further explain: 

A DBE does not perform or exercise a commercially useful function if its role is limited to that of an extra participant in a transaction, contract, or project through which funds are passed in order to obtain the appearance of DBE participation. 

49 C.F.R. §26.55(c)(3) (emphasis added); See also General Elec. Co. v. County of Cook, 2001 WL 417321 (N.D. Illinois, 2001) (asserting a pass-through role does not serve a commercially useful function).   Most commonly, protests that involve a lack of a commercially useful function revolve around whether a DBE is simply purchasing materials for the project for which it is not responsible. 

For example, often in large federal projects, the government will require the purchase of a certain item or certain materials from a single supplier.  With respect to obtaining materials, however, to obtain DBE credit for the purchase, the DBE must perform all four functions identified in CFR section 26.55(c)(1): (1) negotiate price; (2) determine quality and quantity; (3) order the material; and (4) pay for the material itself. If the DBE does not perform all four of these functions, it has not performed a commercially useful function with respect to obtaining the materials, and the cost of the materials ccould not be counted toward DBE goals.  Thus, in the case of sole source items or "furnish and install" contracts, often if the DBE has no say in price or the quantity/quality of the materials or item, for this purchase, these materials are simply being "passed through" the DBE and the DBE will not receive any credit which can be counted towards the overall goal.  Accordingly, if a bidder improperly counts the purchase price towards its DBE goal, other bidders have a basis to protest award to that bidder.

Appropriate NACIS Codes:   Another protest basis is if the DBE listed by the general contractor is not properly "classified" to perform the intended scope of work.  Under the DBE regulations, DBEs are classified according to the North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code.  In turn, a general contractor can only count a DBE's performance towards its overall goal if the DBE has been assigned the proper NAICS code to perform the type of work in question.  For example, if a DBE is certified to perform only landscaping and site preparation, although it can perform other types of work (e.g., installation of road signs), the general contractor will only receive DBE credit for the landscaping and site preparation portion of that DBE subcontract.  Despite this fact, given the often last minute bid preparation, occasionally a general contractor will list a DBE as receiving credit (i.e., its basis for meeting the DBE goal) for work it is not certified (i.e., lacks the proper NAICS code) to perform.  In Washington, given the strict requirements set forth by the Washington State Department of Transportation ("WSDOT") and WSDOT's new "DBE Written Confirmation Document," this, unfortunately, has become an all too frequent basis for bid protests and rejection of otherwise valid bids.  We detailed the relatively new WSDOT requirements in a previous blog posting and recommend both DBEs and general contractors become well-versed in these requirements so that a protest on this basis can be avoided.  

Failure to Meet the DBE Goal/Failure to Demonstrate Good Faith Efforts:  The DBE goal on a Project is a "Condition of Award," meaning that, to be awarded the Project, each bidder must either (1) meet the stated DBE percentage goal, or (2) if it failed to meet the goal, demonstrate it satisfied the "Good Faith Effort" requirement.   Ultimately, "good faith efforts" require the bidder to demonstrate that it did not fail to meet the goal for lack of trying.  The federal DBE regulations (49 CFR, Part 26, Appendix A) provide a series of factors to determine whether the bidder meets this requirement.  These factors include:

(a)             Soliciting through all reasonable and available means and with sufficient time for the DBEs to respond:  The bidder cannot wait until the last minute to seek DBE bidders;

(b)            Selecting portions of the work which are more likely to be performed by DBEs for DBE participation:  A bidder cannot rely on the fact that it attempted to secure DBE participation when it only solicited DBE participation for the most complicated or obscure scopes of work and no DBE was qualified to perform that work; trucking, site preparation, traffic control are some of the scopes with the highest concentration of DBE subcontractors;

(c)             Providing interested DBEs with adequate information about the plans, specifications, and requirements of the contract in a timely manner to assist them in responding to a solicitation:  This factor prohibits a bidder from relying on form over substance.  For example, simply providing the solicitation on its own without providing other pertinent information  may be insufficient;

(d)            Negotiating in good faith with interested DBEs.  If only a few DBEs submit bids to perform work on the Project, the bidder cannot simply reject the bids without further inquiry and rely on "good faith efforts."  Rather, it is the bidder's responsibility to attempt to reach an agreement or modification of the DBE bid to find mutually agreeable terms; 

(e)             Providing sound reason for rejecting DBEs as unqualified: A bidder is not forced to work with an unqualified DBE just so that the bidder can meet the DBE goal or the good faith effort requirement.  A bidder, however, must demonstrate a legitimate basis to reject the DBE as unqualified;

(f)             Making efforts to assist interested DBEs in obtaining resources or financing that may assist the DBE in performing the work: These factors are more time consuming, but will likely go a long way in demonstrating the bidder attempted to reach the goal in good faith;

(g)            Utilizing local resources for assistance: Often local agencies (e.g., the Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises) can assist general contractors in reaching out to or locating qualified DBEs. 

49 CFR, Part 26, Appendix A.  Although the above list is neither exhaustive nor a checklist, it demonstrates what steps agencies and owners will look to in determining if the bidder has made "good faith" efforts to meet the DBE goal.  Another critical component of this analysis is whether other bidders were successful in reaching the DBE goal.  If all other bidders met or exceeded the DBE goal, the low apparent bidder will face a larger obstacle in demonstrating it met its good faith efforts.  Accordingly, it is key for general contractors to establish a DBE "game plan" or strategy to meet the DBE goal and document each step (failed or successful) so that, should the contractor fail to meet the goal, this information and, more important, documentation can be submitted with the bid.  

Improperly Certified/DBE Eligibility:  The most complicated basis for bid protests is whether or not a DBE is properly certified in the first place.  Although in most cases it is not the public agency's duty or role to decertify a DBE firm,[i] it does not stop public agencies from occasionally overstepping their authority and deeming bids non-responsive based on a "determination" that the DBE is not properly certified or has allegedly graduated from the program.  For example, as discussed in a previous blog article, under the similar Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program ("SDVOSB"), the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") received a protest on a federal project regarding whether the veteran-owner complied with the SDVOSB requirement that he own 51% of his company and, therefore, was ineligible for award of the Project.   Whether or not the agency awarding the contract possesses the authority to make this decision is another story, but it does not change the fact that in the fast-paced nature of bid protests, public agencies might make determinations that can substantially impact a DBE or other minority program's certification, all of which is at the expense of general contractor who has no control over that DBE. 

The lessons from the above examples are twofold:  First, if you are submitting a bid on a Project with a W/M/DBE project goal, review the goal and documentation requirements carefully and well in advance of the bid opening date.  Regrettably, a simple or careless typo or failure to fully comply with these often complicated requirements can leave your bid vulnerable to protest and may ultimately result in your company losing a lucrative project.  Many of these oversights could have been easily and quickly corrected prior to submitting the bid, but are fatal after-the fact.   Second, if you have submitted a bid but are not the apparent low bidder, review the low bidder's bid submissions carefully, but quickly to confirm they are compliant.  If the low bid is not compliant, there may be an opportunity for a successful protest. 

Finally, regardless of whether you think you have a basis to protest, or if you are the low bidder and someone has submitted a protest, timing is critical.  Depending on the Project, the specifications or related regulations typically include strict time requirements to file a bid protest or a response (in some cases just a few days).  Thus, as soon as there is even a rumor of a protest, it is best to review the notice requirements and get legal counsel involved to ensure that you do not inadvertently waive any rights you might have.  This same advice goes to the DBE entities themselves.  Often, there is a miscommunication regarding the DBE's certification or scope of work, yet the DBE is the last to know.  It is important for both the DBE and the general contractor to work together to try to overcome these protests or bid rejections as well as protect the DBE's certification. 

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[i] The Washington State Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises ("OMWBE") is the only entity in the state authorized to make decisions with regard to DBE certification status.  RCW 39.19.120 (“[OMWBE] shall be the sole authority to perform certification of minority business enterprises, socially and economically disadvantaged business enterprises, and women's business enterprises throughout the state of Washington.”).

That said, a recent U.S. Court of Appeals case decided by the Fifth Circuit has telegraphed that forum selection clauses may not be as ironclad as they appear and, in some circumstances, may be entirely ignored.  Because this view constitutes the minority view of a "Circuit Split," however, in early April, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will review the Fifth Circuit's decision. 

The case, In Re Atlantic Marine Construction Company, Inc.,[ii] involves a contract between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("COE") and Atlantic Marine Construction Company, Inc. ("Atlantic") for construction of a child development center at Fort Hood, located in the Western District of Texas.  Incident to its contract with the COE, Atlantic entered into a subcontract with J-Crew Management, Inc.  The subcontract contained a forum selection clause providing that all disputes "shall be litigated in the Circuit Court for the city of Norfolk Virginia, or in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division."   Thus, the subcontract provided that, even though the project took place in Texas, any disputes were to be litigated in Virginia. 

Despite the clear language in the contract that identified a specific federal court in Virginia to resolve any disputes, the Fifth Circuit ruled that the subcontractor (plaintiff) could file suit in Texas where the project and witnesses were located, reasoning that the forum selection clause represented only one of the factors to consider when determining where the contract could be enforced.  This decision follows the conclusions in several other circuit courts, but it remains the minority position among federal circuit courts.  In contrast, the majority of U.S. circuit courts will enforce forum selection clauses unless there is fraud or the chosen forum is unreasonable.   As noted above, the U.S. Supreme Court has accepted review of Atlantic Marine and will likely resolve the current split among the federal circuits. 

Comment:  This case is a federal court case.  Although state courts typically have less of an issue enforcing the forum selection clause, recent arbitration decisions have held that requiring a party to resolve a dispute in an out-of-state locale is one of the tests for determining whether the arbitration clause is unconscionable.  Further, the Fifth Circuit suggested ways that a contractor could draft a forum selection clause to improve its likelihood of being enforced in federal court, including identifying only state courts or arbitration tribunals as opposed to a federal court as the appropriate forum.  The U.S. Supreme court will provide guidance as to the enforceability of these contract provisions in the future.

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[i] This blog topic came to us from the “Federal Construction Blog” (4/9/13), an excellent resource for U.S. government contract news.

[ii] Atlantic Marine Construction Company, Inc., 701 F.3d 736 (5th Cir. 2012); cert. granted (April 1, 2013).

The issue of whether a telecommuter is actually in charge of his or her business was recently addressed by the Veterans Administration ("VA") in KWV, Inc. v. United States.[i]  A Rhode Island based service-disabled, veteran-owned business ("SDVOSB"), owned by a Korean war veteran who had more than 30 years of experience, was awarded a federal government set-aside for SDVOSB by the VA.  A competitor, likely disappointed that it was not awarded the contract, challenged KWV's SDVOSB status, asserting that the service-disabled veteran did not actually "control" his company within the meaning of 38 CFR §74.4, because the Korean war veteran lived in Florida for part of the year.  The allegation was that the veteran's sons, who were not veterans, worked for the company and actually controlled the company in Rhode Island.

The agency (VA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization ("OSDBU") agreed with the protestor and found that because the service-disabled veteran resided in Florida for part of the year, he could not effectively and sufficiently control the day to day management of KWV.  The OSDBU therefore held that KWV was ineligible for the contract and revoked KWV's SDVOSB status, making it unable to bid on future SDVOSB contracts issued by the VA.  KWV then appealed this decision to the United States Court of Federal Claims, seeking injunctive relief, and prevailed.  The court found that the service-disabled veteran's decision to live in Florida for part of the year did not preclude him from "controlling" KWV within the meaning of 38 CFR §74.4.  The court held that the owner of KWV "employs various electronic means to keep track of the day-to-day business of KWV," and concluded this was an acceptable means of controlling KWV's operations per the requirements of 38 CFR §74.4.  Based on this finding, the court issued a preliminary injunction setting aside the VA's decision to sustain the protest and the court ordered the VA to restore KWV's SDVOSB eligibility.

Comment:  This case is pertinent and relevant for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), as well as MBEs and WBEs.  The VA must now recognize that "control" under 38 CFR §74.4 is not dependent on the owner's physical presence at the office or the project.  Rather, service-disabled veterans can remotely manage the day-to-day affairs of their SDVOSBs, provided they fulfill the other prerequisites regarding control.

This firm represented a DBE in a recent application to the Washington State Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises (OMWBE).  In our case, the owner of the DBE business lived in California, but remained in control of his Washington business by working remotely and traveling from time to time to the state of Washington.  Initially, the agency challenged the DBE owner that he was not in control of the business because he did not spend full time in the state running the day-to-day affairs of the local enterprise.  The owner of that business was able to successfully demonstrate to the OMWBE that he satisfied the control requirements of 49 CFR §26.71.  This case should provide future DBE/MBE and WBE businesses with precedent that managing the affairs of an enterprise from afar is now recognized as "control" of the business.

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[i] 108 Fed. Cl. 448 (Fed. Cl. 2013).

Although many of the major insurance companies provide both insurance and bonding services, insurance differs drastically from bonding. One of the primary differences between insurance and bonding is that if a carrier pays a loss under an insurance policy, generally the insurance company has no recourse against its own insured (the entity covered by the insurance policy). If an insured submits a claim to its insurance company, if the occurrence is covered (there is always a dispute about this issue), after the insurance company pays an insured (contractor) the contractor owes its insurance company nothing (but perhaps the deductible or Self-Insured Retention (SIR)). By agreement, the insurance company took the risk of the covered occurrence (claim) and thus, must pay when the occurrence arises. Bonding (suretyship), on the other hand, involves an entirely different arrangement. In suretyship, the bonding company (surety) guarantees payment and performance of the contractor.  Only if the contractor defaults (is unable to perform or pay) does the surety step in and complete the performance; the bonding company pays the contractor's obligations. The distinction in bonding, however, is once the surety pays it has a right to recover those payments from its principal (the contractor). The contract between the bonding company and the contractor termed a "General Indemnity Agreement" (GIA) requires that the contractor reimburse the bonding company for the costs the bonding company incurs in curing a contractor's potential default. The GIA generally also obligates the construction company's owners (shareholders) personally.

2.  Bonding Company's Right to Settle Disputes.

A question in bond defaults which often arises is: what obligation does the bonding company have to conduct an investigation to determine whether the contractor in fact is in default before it pays? For example, on a school district project plagued by errors and omissions in the contract drawings, a condition for which the contractor is generally not liable, the contractor may become so overwhelmed by the design changes that it no longer is able to meet its payment and performance obligations. This is particularly true when the owner disputes the changes and the contractor is left to finance the extra work. If under these circumstances the school district places the contractor on notice of default and notifies the bonding company to complete the remaining performance and payment obligations, the question becomes what are the surety's rights in settling that claim. May the surety take the easy way out and simply pay the claim, recovering those funds from the contractor's shareholders (i.e., go after what is left of the shareholders' equity in their home(s)). Alternatively, if the bonding company performs an investigation and determines that the extra costs are due to the contractor's poor bid and not based on the alleged defective contract documents, is the bonding company obligated to support the contractor and risk a potential bad faith claim by the school district?  A bad faith claim is generally not something for which the bonding company could be reimbursed under the GIA.  The decision to settle or not, thus can place the bonding company on the horns of a dilemma.  This issue arose in a recent Washington Court of Appeals case.

3.  Bond Safeguard Ins. Co. v. Wisteria Corporation.[i]

This matter involved a dispute between a timber company-Wisteria Corporation ("Wisteria") and a bonding company-Bond Safeguard Insurance Co. ("Safeguard"). Wisteria contracted with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources ("DNR") to purchase, cut, and remove certain timber. To secure Wisteria's performance, DNR required Wisteria to post payment and performance bonds. Wisteria obtained the bonds from Safeguard. As part of the bond obligation, the shareholders (a husband and wife) of Wisteria signed a GIA, which provided that Wisteria and the shareholders would hold the bonding company harmless if Safeguard was called upon to cure a default in the Wisteria/DNR contract. As with most GIAs, this agreement included a "right to settle" provision:

"The Company" [Safeguard] shall have the exclusive right to determine for itself and the Indemnitors [Wisteria and the shareholders] whether any claim or suit brought against the Company or the Principal [Wisteria] upon any such bond shall be settled or defended and its decision shall be binding and conclusive upon the Indemnitors [Wisteria and its shareholders].

During performance of the timber contract, DNR alleged that Wisteria harvested more trees than DNR had marked. Wisteria countered that DNR had mismarked the trees and contributed to the over harvest (this defense is neither fully explained nor elaborated on in the Court's decision). Eventually, DNR terminated Wisteria's contract and tendered its damages to Safeguard for payment. Safeguard failed to pay DNR for over seven months.  DNR filed a complaint with the Washington Insurance Commissioner and Safeguard's home state (Illinois) insurance regulators. Shortly after the complaint against the Insurance Commissioner was filed, Safeguard paid DNR. After paying DNR, Safeguard then sued the shareholders (husband and wife) of Wisteria for indemnity. Wisteria claimed that Safeguard was not entitled to indemnification because it failed to perform a reasonable investigation and simply paid off DNR to avoid a bad faith action by the Insurance Commissioner. Safeguard urged that Wisteria's defenses "paled in comparison to the overwhelming evidence produced by DNR" and that it did perform a reasonable investigation. Wisteria urged the Court to adopt the legal test that the bonding company has the burden to demonstrate that it acted both in good faith and reasonably in settling with DNR. Safeguard asserted that its only burden was to show that it acted in good faith.

The Court did not decide whether the test involved both good faith and reasonableness or only good faith because the Court determined that Wisteria did not offer sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Safeguard acted either in bad faith or unreasonably.  The record simply did not support Wisteria's position. Thus, the bonding company prevailed and the test to which the bonding company's actions will be held, whether it has to act both in good faith and reasonably or only in good faith, was not determined by the Court.

If the test is that the surety has to act both in good faith and reasonably, that burden would effectively abrogate the bonding company's "right to settle" provision.  Sureties would no longer have the exclusive discretion to settle claims because their settlements would be subject to inquiry by the court at a later date. There is no Washington legal precedent that defines the standards governing the surety's ability to settle a claim and seek reimbursement. This case was not reported, and thus cannot be cited by lawyers in the written submissions to Washington Courts. Regardless, even if reported, this case gave no indication as to whether Washington Courts will require both that the surety act in good faith and reasonably or whether its only burden is to show that it acted reasonably.

Comment:  The impression in this case is that the bonding company simply settled with DNR to avoid a bad faith claim by the insurance commissioner and gave its principals (Indemnitors) no opportunity to defend themselves against the DNR's allegations. Regrettably, the facts in this case are so sparse as to provide little insight as to what might happen were a similar case to arise in the future. There is no dispute that the bonding company must act in good faith when settling. Whether that settlement must also be reasonable, however, is a question for a later court to answer.  Washington Administrative regulations require that insurance companies (bonding companies are insurance companies) promptly investigate and settle claims.  A prompt and thorough investigation by the bonding company will allow the surety to make an informed decision and prevent the type of issues reported in the above case. 

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[i] Bond Safeguard Insurance Company v. Wisteria Corporation, 2013 WL 690665 (Wash. Ct. App. Feb. 25, 2013).

a. "Claim" Defined in FARs.  In federal law, a claim is well defined in FAR §2.101 as:

 "A written demand or written assertion by one of the contracting parties seeking, as a matter of right, the payment of money in a sum certain, the adjustment or interpretation of contract terms, or other relief arising under or relating to the contract. However, a written demand or written assertion by the contractor seeking the payment of money exceeding $100,000 is not a claim under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 until certified as required by the Act."

As indicated, a claim that exceeds $100,000 must be submitted to the Contracting Officer in a manner that clearly provides the factual, technical and legal basis for an equitable adjustment to the contract.  Whether the claim exceeds $100,000 or not, the best practice is to identify the request as a claim under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, 41 U.S.C. 601-613, together for a request for a Contracting Officer's Decision (COD).  When those procedural steps have been complied with, the interest clock starts running from the date the claim is submitted.  The term "equitable adjustment" appears in the FARs in 111 places, and the term "request for equitable adjustment" appears in 11 places.  That being said, there is no definition provided for the words "request for equitable adjustment" in the FARs, or anywhere else.  Regardless, an REA is commonly understood to be a request for compensation (of money, time, or both) that falls short of a "claim" in terms of its procedural requirements. 

b.  REA distinguished From Claim.  An REA does not require a certification under the Contract Disputes Act.[ii] There are a number of FAR clauses that allow an equitable adjustment to the contract if the government is responsible for additional costs, or time. The most significant clauses are:

• Variation and Estimated Quantity (VEQ), FAR 52.11-18
• Differing Site Conditions (DSC), FAR 52.236-2
• Suspension of Work (SoW), FAR 52.42.14
• Changes - Fixed Price (Changes), FAR 52.243-1 and
• Termination for Convenience (T for C), FAR 52.249-2

In general terms, an equitable adjustment means that the contractor is entitled to its costs, plus reasonable profit (except for suspensions and profit on uncompleted work with regard to termination for convenience) and overhead.  The additional costs must be allowable, allocable and reasonable.

Another difference between REAs and claims is that, in REAs, claim preparation costs are generally considered part of the contract administration cost and, therefore, compensable.[iii]  Thus, the distinction between a claim and an equitable adjustment is that if the contractor submits the extra work as a "claim," a contractor is entitled to the interest, but not claim preparation costs.  If, however, the extra work is submitted as a request for equitable adjustment, the contractor is entitled to compensation for its claim preparation costs, but not interest. 

Comment:  Interest rates are presently extremely low (1.35% per annum on government claims) as of the posting of this blog.  Claim preparation costs, experts, and attorneys' fees, seem to more than keep up with the rate of inflation, and are generally higher than the statutory interest expected on most construction claims.  Therefore, if an extra work issue arises, the contractor should consider whether it is in its interest to not immediately certify a claim, but instead submit a request for equitable adjustment in which the contractor's claim preparation costs are compensable.  In today's low interest environment, it generally is in the contractor's interest, particularly if it appears that the government will settle a demand for the extra payment to submit the payment as an REA, and, rather than certify it as a claim, forgo the interest but include the claim preparation costs as part of the REA submission. 

Finally, though most of the legal authority in the blog pertains to federal contract claims and requests for equitable adjustment, the same argument can be made in state public works contracts that use the same term "request for equitable adjustment" in various contract provisions.  Since state courts will look to federal courts for precedent if there is no precedent in state court, it is likely that a state court will be persuaded by the same logic that exists in federal contracts on a state public works project. 

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[i] This post is based in part on the Federal Construction Contracting Blog (3/26/13), an excellent resource for up to date federal government contracting news and developments.

[ii] REAs submitted to the Department of Defense require the certification found in DFARS 252.243-7002. 

[iii] Build Strong Enterprises, Inc. v. Shannon, 49 F.3d 1541 (Fed Circ. 1995); See also Tip Top Construction, Inc. v. Donahoe, No. 2011-1509,  2012 W.L. 4094851 (Fed Circ. September 19, 2012) (holding a contractor’s consultant costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in negotiations over the price of a change order is an administrative cost compensable by an equitable adjustment).

1.  The Typical Scope of Work Provision. 

The scope of work clause in construction contracts is probably the least written about and likely the most important provision in a well-crafted construction agreement.  Most construction disputes arise out of some type of disagreement as to what is and what is not in the project's scope of work.  A properly written scope of work provision will preclude disputes and ensure a clear understanding as to which party is responsible for what work and who bears which risks on the job.  Without a clear definition regarding the scope of a party's undertaking there will be inevitable disputes.  In every construction contract, there has to be a clear understanding as to the expectations for quality, completeness of the contract documents, and the nature (scope) of duties for each party to the bargain.

2.  Scope Gaps. 

Subjects which are not adequately evaluated during the negotiation of the contract result in what are termed "gaps" in the scope of the work.  These gaps, in turn, lead to disputes over the adequacy and completeness of design documents, coordination responsibilities which arise during construction, and responsibility for correcting incomplete/deficient designs.  Further, these gaps are amplified in complex, fast track, GC/CM, or design build projects, all of which often commence with incomplete design/performance specifications, as well as during performance when "design creep" occurs.  "Design creep" is when the owner/designer attempts to shift the design responsibility to the contractor during construction.

3.  Negotiation Strategies. 

Negotiation strategies for scope of work provisions differ between prime contracts and subcontracts.

a.  Prime Contract.  A well written set of construction documents that contain clearly drafted specifications and plans are fundamental to defining a scope of work.  It is also essential that the owner expressly warrants that the construction documents are complete, fully coordinated without defects, and ready for construction.  In private contracts, the contractor should insist on obtaining an express warranty in the contract with the owner that the contract documents are adequate and sufficient to build the project.  If the owner is unwilling to provide such an express warranty, this should be a red flag for the contractor to reassess whether or not to proceed forward with the contract at the price quoted. 

b.  Subcontracts.  The scope of work issue for general contractors and subcontractors also differs.

• General Contractors.  General contractors should attempt to tie the subcontractor's scope of work to explicit specification sections in the Main Contract.  A well drafted subcontract should include a "flow-down" provision which ties the subcontractor to the terms and conditions of the prime contract for all work performed by the subcontractor, as well as the general conditions which bear upon the subcontractor's performance. 
• The general contractor should refrain from incorporating a subcontractor's quotation in the subcontract.  Subcontractor quotations often contain terms and conditions that are at odds with provisions in the prime contract.  The general contractor should, if it intends to rely on a subcontractor's quote, recopy that quote to ensure that there are no unwanted provisions in the subcontract that may be otherwise imported by simply incorporating a subcontract quotation.  Many times in the fast paced bidding environment, the quotation may come to the general contractor electronically, and the terms and conditions of the entire quote are never clearly communicated or agreed upon.  By recopying the provisions of the subcontract quote in the general contractor's subcontract, there will be no misunderstanding as to what is expected of the subcontractor and what the subcontract price covers.
• Subcontractors. Subcontractors, on the other hand, should ensure that the scope of work for which it provides a quote is based on the same scope of work as is set forth in the subcontract tendered to the subcontractor by the general contractor.  Exclusions and inclusions should be clearly stated and reviewed.  Further, the subcontractor should obtain a copy of the prime contract from the general contractor before executing the subcontract to ensure that the flow down obligations that it assumes by signing the subcontract are consistent with and appropriately priced in its subcontract quotation/price. 

In future posts, we will describe other key contract clauses and provide input on issues that arise and guidance as to how to avoid disputes concerning these "top ten" construction contract provisions.

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[i] This blog was inspired by a recent article in the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, Under Construction: “Construction Basics: Top Ten Construction Provisions To Be Negotiated With The Owner” Volume 15 No. 1 (Frank Hess and Richard S. Robinson, Peckar & Abramson P.C.).

In accordance with FAR Subpart 23.11, federal government contractors must adopt and enforce a policy which bans employees from texting whenever an employee is: (1) driving a vehicle owned by the company; (2) driving a vehicle owned by the government; or (3) driving a privately owned vehicle when performing any work on behalf of the government.  This requirement, FAR Subpart 23.11, is incorporated into every government contract through FAR 52.223-18.  Specifically, if the value of the subcontract exceeds the "micro-purchase threshold" (presently $3,000), general contractors are required to incorporate ("flow down") this anti-texting provision to all of their subcontractors.

Further, federal contractors, to meet the requirements of FAR 52.223-18, must "conduct initiatives to educate their employees about the danger of texting while driving; these initiatives should be commensurate of the size of the business."  Large government contractors will be expected to engage in some type of training in addition to having a written policy and employee handout which covers this topic.  This anti-texting message can be incorporated into the orientation session for all new employees and updated when conducting periodic ethics training (also required by the government) (see previous Ahlers & Cressman PLLC blog Government Ethics).

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[i] Thank you to the “Federal Contracting Blog” (March 25, 2013) for bringing this issue to our attention.

Bill Maher, appearing on the Jay Leno show in December 2012, quipped that he would “be willing to offer $5 million to Donald Trump that he can donate to a charity of his choice – the Hair Club for Men, the Institute for Incorrigible Douchebaggery – whatever charity," if the Donald can prove that he was not “spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan."  The orange red hair of an orangutan and Trump’s comb-over are the only two similar colors occurring in nature, thus the conclusion follows they must be related.  That joke apparently took things too far for Donald Trump.  He, well aware that he was not a human–orangutan hybrid, directed his lawyers to file suit against Maher.

As the Hollywood Reporter aptly states:

"Maher is a comedian, his 'offer' might have been pointed, but what judge is going to agree there is an objective basis for saying it was understood to be more than a joke" especially when Maher presents evidence of the studio audience laughing.

The Donald appears to be on a quest to be taken serious and kill jokes. In one of our recent blog posts we reported that Donald arbitrated with a judgment proof beauty queen and won, apparently to make a point. He is willing to try that again with Bill Maher.  This quest seems to be pointless and quixotic, but when you have a lot of money and a battery of lawyers at your disposal, apparently you can afford to engage in this type of behavior. Bill Maher recently devoted a significant part of his television program to this lawsuit. 

Comment:  My take on this squabble is the only beneficiaries of this dispute will be the lawyers.  If Maher and Trump are as civically minded as they claim to be, they should each donate $2.5 million to charities, walk away, and not burden the court system with the macho contest.  Trump has recently voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against Maher, but Trump’s lawyer has informed news sources that the lawsuit was only temporarily withdrawn and will be amended and refiled at a later date.

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Links to videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvrrm3i2Lfo&feature=player_embedded

http://www.gossipcop.com/bill-maher-donald-trump-new-rules-video-ape-monkey-orangutan-lawsuit/