Blog

Accessible Design Requirements: Worthy Aims, Huge Risks for Design Professionals
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Sep 30
Design professionals must comply with a variety of federal, state, and local statutes, rules, and codes, or accessible design requirements, that require certain public and commercial buildings to be designed in a manner so they are readily accessible to and usable by persons with certain...
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Jeremy Baker to Present Seminar “Using Mechanics Liens to Get Paid in the COVID-19 Era” Friday, September 25th
Jeremy Baker to Present Seminar “Using Mechanics Liens to Get Paid in the COVID-19 Era” Friday, September 25th
Sep 22
Mechanics liens are a powerful tool to help secure payment on Illinois projects. In turbulent economic times, liens can be particularly useful to architects, engineers, and contractors concerned about their clients’ willingness – or ability – to pay for design and construction services. Liens can...
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Design Professionals Should Not Be Afraid to Lead Design-Build Teams
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Jul 30
For years, lawyers and insurance brokers have provided limiting advice to architects and engineers. The Limiting Advice To Engineers & Architects Together, we have put architects and engineers in a tiny little box. We advise architects and engineers to stay far away from the means...
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What Is the Best Length for Design and Construction Contracts?
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Jul 28
No one specific length is best for design and construction contracts. Project participants do, however, want to avoid overly short contracts with “gray” areas. The ones which do not address the major issues which may arise in the project. This is because design and construction...
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Project Owners Should Not Over-Rely On Title Insurer Review of Payment Applications
Real estate developers and project owners should not over-rely on a title insurer's review.
Jul 20
Real estate developers and property owners sometimes make a mistake by entirely outsourcing supervision of the monthly draw process to the title insurer hired by their lenders. But I counsel people against the over-rely on title insurer strategy. One of the big risks for Illinois...
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The AIA Document B152-2019 Interior Design Agreement: Important FF&E Changes
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May 28
Compared to its widely-used B152-2007 predecessor, the new B152-2019 Interior Design Agreement contains many changes. The new B152 differs more, textually, from its predecessor than most updated AIA Contract Documents I have seen recently. Take Furniture, Furnishings, and Equipment, for example. The phrase and its...
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Arbitrator-Directed Arbitration: A Proposal To Improve Construction Arbitration
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May 27
Arbitration was once the darling of the construction industry, with parties intentionally sacrificing the safeguards of litigation, and its expensive and inefficient procedures, in favor of fair, quick, and cost-efficient dispute resolution. Many in the industry, including the authors, continue to believe that knowledgeable construction...
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This Is a Great Time for Design and Construction!
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Apr 30
I was floored by Steve Burrows’ absolutely brilliant keynote at Digital Build Week 2019. I first heard it as a podcast, at the gym. I stopped my workout and furiously scrambled to take notes. Steve Burrows is a visionary engineer with a long career. He...
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Why Diligent Project Owners Should Never Lose Mechanics Lien Claims
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Apr 29
You are a project owner or real estate developer. You want to avoid lien claims. But how? Yes, the Illinois Lien Act – first passed in 1825 – contains arcane and confounding rules. But here is the truth: real estate developers and project owners should...
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Jeremy Baker to Present at AIA Chicago Zoom Webinar April 7th 12pm CST
Jeremy Baker to Present at AIA Chicago Zoom Webinar April 7th 12pm CST
Apr 01
Mechanics liens are a powerful tool to help architects secure payment on Illinois projects. In turbulent economic times, AIA contract type liens can be particularly useful to architects concerned about their clients’ willingness – or ability – to pay for design services. Liens can sometimes...
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Contact

Contact Jeremy S. Baker, a Chicago-based design and construction attorney who served at “big law” firms for nearly 18 years before launching Baker Law.

Phone Number (312) 621-7184

Baker Law, Design & Construction Counsel

Baker Law, Design & Construction Counsel N/a
Address Cook County Office 33 N. Dearborn,
Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60602
Office meetings by appointment only.
(312) 621-7184
Address Lake County Office 790 Estate Drive,
Suite 200
Deerfield, IL 60015
Office meetings by appointment only.
(312) 621-7184