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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Alan I. Baron, co-chair of Holland & Knight's Congressional Investigations Team, was named by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr., to serve as Special Counsel in the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of U.S. District Court Judge G. Thomas Porteous.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Holland & Knight Managing Partner Steven Sonberg has appointed litigation partner Paul Kiernan to serve as Executive Partner of the firm's Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes offices in Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Md., and McLean, Va.

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Construction
Newsletter - Third Quarter 1999
 
In this Issue...
Virginia Case Summary
 
 September 1, 1999
 

Bill Grant - Orlando

407-244-1162

GC Cannot Enforce Unsigned Contract With Sub

A general contractor cannot enforce an arbitration clause in subcontractor's unsigned AIA subcontract. The GC sent the subcontractor an AIA subcontract, but the subcontractor mobilized on the project without signing it. The subcontractor abandoned the project after "taking out" the GC's construction-site trailer with a front-end loader.

The general contractor filed arbitration proceedings; but the subcontractor moved to stay the arbitration. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the contractor had no right to enforce an arbitration provision in the subcontract, contrary to an earlier case. The Court ruled that the pre-existing oral agreement was binding; the unexecuted subcontract did not supercede the oral agreement. Brooks & Co. General Contractors Inc. v. Randy Robinson Contracting Inc., 513 S.E.2d 858 (Va. 1999).