Worldwide: Construction & Planning

New York's General Municipal Law § 239-m requires municipal boards to refer certain planning and zoning actions to county planning boards before approval. What happens when a multi-million-dollar development project moves forward without this crucial referral, and can the damage be undone?

As professional developers and ambitious property owners seek ways to profit from real estate, they will often look at options to convert lots with a single home into real estate that allows for the sale of multiple homes or multi-family developments. In other words, they try to create “more bang for their buck”, so to speak.

Tennessee's mechanic's lien laws provide powerful payment protection for construction industry participants, but strict procedural requirements can make or break a claim. Understanding the critical deadlines, documentation standards, and common pitfalls that cause otherwise valid lien claims to fail is essential for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers seeking to preserve their payment rights.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published its proposed 2027 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit (CGP) for public comment. The proposal would replace the current 2022 CGP, which will expire in February 2027, and includes targeted changes addressing (1) the Supreme Court’s decision in City and County of San Francisco v. EPA, (2) submission of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) when seeking coverage, (3) sediment basin stabilization measures, and (4) purported streamlining of certain permit requirements.

Illinois has enacted the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, establishing comprehensive statewide zoning and permitting standards for commercial energy storage systems with capacity exceeding 1 MW. The legislation creates uniform requirements for setbacks, decommissioning, financial assurance, and safety standards while limiting local governments' ability to impose more restrictive regulations.

California's Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued comprehensive new guidance that dramatically expands protection requirements for four candidate bumble bee species under the California Endangered Species Act. The 2026 guidance introduces strict survey timelines, seasonal construction restrictions, and mandatory onsite biological monitoring that will significantly impact project planning and budgets across the state. Project developers now face narrow construction windows, 60-day advance survey submis

Building information modeling, artificial intelligence, project management software, digital platforms and robotics have improved efficiency and precision in design, construction and claims management. At the same time, workforce shortages, skills gaps, supply chain disruptions, price volatility, regulatory delays and geopolitical uncertainty continue to make claims and disputes a fact of life in the construction industry.

In this episode of the JAMS podcast, JAMS neutrals (Hon.) Nancy Holtz (Ret.), Stacy La Scala, Esq. and Philip Bruner, Esq. discuss how parties and counsel can make construction mediations more effective by focusing on preparation, communication and problem-solving long before the mediation session begins

As artificial intelligence moves from contract documents onto construction sites, questions of liability, data privacy, and professional responsibility are becoming increasingly urgent. From autonomous equipment and biometric monitoring to AI-driven project administration, the construction industry faces a new frontier of legal risk that existing frameworks may not adequately address.