Oregon’s construction lien statutes are grounded in several public policy considerations:

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[3/20/26 Update]  Since this alert was published, a federal district court in Texas struck down FinCEN’s Residential Real Estate Rule discussed below. We will continue to monitor developments, including any appeal or further guidance, and update this alert as appropriate.

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has implemented a nationwide reporting…

Like many modern American legal principles, the concept of the lien originated in England, where those who performed physical labor—so-called “mechanics”—were given a “charge” on the items upon which they worked. Shortly after the American Revolution, states and territories in the United States began enacting statutes giving builders lien rights to secure payment for their…

Getting construction underway before a contract is signed can feel like a practical necessity in fast-paced projects. But what seems like progress can create unintended legal and operational risks. Modern construction agreements are detailed documents that define scope, risk allocation, insurance, compensation, and dispute resolution. When work begins without those terms firmly in place, parties…

Effective January 1, 2026, Washington’s newly enacted RCW 61.40.010 (the “Solicited Real Property Act”) introduces a suite of statutory protections for property owners in transactions initiated through direct solicitation. While many prospective purchasers will be impacted, this provision will have meaningful implications for real estate purchasers who rely on off‑market acquisition strategies. On its face,…

Insurance is meant to serve as a safety net for any construction project. But too often, that net has holes—some visible, many not. From ambiguous endorsements to missing documentation, small oversights can lead to major coverage gaps when a claim hits.

After decades of reviewing policies, litigating claims, and helping clients manage project risk, one…

After a year of policy review, the City of Tacoma has amended its ordinances to provide some landlords of affordable housing with significant relief from a number of onerous burdens imposed on landlords by the City’s “Landlord Fairness Code Initiative” (For the sake of clarity, we will refer to it as the Tenant Protection Code…