Animated Suspension: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Construction Project Suspensions and Corresponding Impacts

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Beginning in early 2020, and continuing into 2021, construction projects have been impacted in many ways not seen in recent memory. Governmental orders related to a global pandemic caused some projects to shut down indefinitely. Owners and contractors, and other construction project delivery team members have shut down or suspended work activities indefinitely to address isolated health concerns at job sites. More recently, many projects have been impacted by shortages in labor, equipment, and materials, as well as lengthy supply-chain delays. All of these events have led to marked increases in suspensions and other time-related impacts to construction projects. These impacts often translate into increased costs of performing and completing the construction project.

What is a construction project delivery team member to do when faced with such impacts? And, who is responsible for these impacts and how might they affect bonded projects? Smith Currie attorneys Jeanne Harrison and Scott Walters have developed an informative seminar that identifies some of the main risks associated with and potential causes of project suspensions and time impacts, and that provides some recommend best practices for mitigating those risks.

Scott Walters

Partner, Atlanta office of Smith Currie

Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP

Scott Walters is a Partner in the Atlanta office of Smith Currie. Scott is also a Civil Engineer. Before law school, Scott worked as a Project Engineer, Project Manager, and Owner’s Representative on numerous commercial construction and environmental remediation projects.

In his legal career, Scott represents contractors, subcontractors, owners, and developers in a wide variety of commercial construction-related cases. Scott also has extensive experience in drafting complex construction documents for heavy industrial, general commercial, and environmental remediation projects throughout the country.

Scott is active in construction industry trade organizations. He served two terms as Chapter Attorney for Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, Inc., and now serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Scott also serves on the Attorney Advisory Council for the National Association of Surety Bond Producers. Scott is also a member of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Construction Law Section. He has also taught classes on Practical Construction Project Documentation, Safety Conscious Work Environment Training, and speaks and writes frequently on a wide range of construction industry legal issues.

Jeanne M. Harrison

Associate, Atlanta office of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP

Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP

Jeanne M. Harrison is an associate in the Atlanta office of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP. Jeanne concentrates her practice in the areas of construction law and litigation, including the representation of contractors, construction managers, major trade contractors, sureties, architects, and engineers. Jeanne also has experience in various aspects of electronic discovery, including using eDiscovery review platforms to research, review and code documents, identify, review and redact privileged information and draft responses to electronic discovery requests.

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