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New house building at the construction site.
New house under construction, front view from garage door entry with clouds blue sky. Framing of home exterior structure with a pile of lumber and siding plank leftover. Real estate business industry.

Construction, remodeling, and repair work are among the most important trades in our economy. Contractors take plans and specifications and transform them into tangible results through skill and craftsmanship that improve homes, businesses, and communities. In return for that work, contractors are entitled to be paid fairly and on time. Unfortunately, delayed, disputed, or unpaid invoices are an increasingly common reality in the construction industry. For that reason, contractors should understand the legal rights and remedies available to protect…
Continue Reading Construction Liens: the Tool Every Construction Company or Contractor Needs to Have in Their Belt

One of the most common disputes arising from residential real estate transactions is a seller misrepresentation claim. These lawsuits are often based on allegations that the seller failed to disclose a known defect or provided inaccurate information about the property’s condition.

Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, a failure-to-disclose claim is generally one type of seller misrepresentation claim. A buyer may allege that a seller failed to disclose a known defect, provided an inaccurate answer on a Real…
Continue Reading Seller Misrepresentation Claims: What Homeowners Need to Know

Last year, Hall Render introduced you to the APRN Modernization Act (“the Act”) after Wisconsin passed it into law in early August 2025. The Act, which takes effect on September 1, 2026, modifies licensure requirements so that qualified advanced practice nurses may practice without a collaborative arrangement with a physician or dentist. Since last month’s update, questions remain regarding how the Act will interact with payor requirements, including the Medicare Conditions of Participation, the Wisconsin Injured Patients and…
Continue Reading Wisconsin’s APRN Modernization Act is Effective September 1

Timeshares are not for everyone.

Many people appreciate the regularity of knowing they have a block of time reserved to vacation in a specific resort each year. However, preferences change, the ability to utilize the timeshare may not be as initially advertised, and annual resort fees and maintenance costs often increase each year.

Owners often conclude the time has come to divest themselves from their timeshare interest and find themselves stuck in a contract of indefinite length.

For…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Victory Highlights Legal Tools to Fight Timeshare Exit Scams

Landlord tenant law book on the lawyer desk.

In 2001, the Wisconsin Supreme Court noted that courts have long acknowledged the inequality of bargaining power between landlords and tenants. In the case Baierl v. McTaggart, the Supreme Court held that a residential rental agreement was void if it contained provisions prohibited by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s administrative code rules (ATCP).

Then in 2007, the Wisconsin Legislature codified this ruling at Wis. Stat. § 704.44. This history – and precedent – were seemingly…
Continue Reading  Wisconsin Supreme Court Restores the Imbalance of Power in Koble Housing Case

Significant changes to federal contracting rules are reshaping how businesses interact with the U.S. government, particularly when it comes to compliance, workforce policies, and pricing strategies.

These changes stem largely from Executive Order 14173 (EO 14173), signed in January 2025, which revokes long‑standing affirmative action requirements and introduces new certification obligations for contractors.

For companies that rely on federal funding or work on federally supported projects, understanding the new expectations is critical to staying compliant and minimizing risk.

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Continue Reading New Rules for Government Contractors: Compliance Changes for the Construction Industry

Prenuptial agreements, also known as Marital Property Agreements, have become increasingly popular before couples marry. Postnuptial agreements are also an option during marriage. These agreements are used to specify how you and your partner want your assets held during the marriage and what happens to those assets in the event of divorce or death when you want to do something different than what the law would otherwise provide for. Understanding the law and future financial choices helps you both…
Continue Reading What Does It Mean to Sign a Prenup?

The Ninth Circuit has warned employers that introducing a mandatory arbitration agreement during active class litigation, particularly when done through poor or misleading communication, can invalidate the agreement entirely.

In Avery v. TEKsystems, decided January 28, 2026, the court affirmed a district court order refusing to enforce an arbitration policy introduced late in the lawsuit.

The court found that the communications used to roll it out were misleading, one-sided, and fundamentally subverted the class action process.
TEKsystems’s Arbitration Agreement…
Continue Reading Employers Beware: Courts Are Scrutinizing Mid-Lawsuit Arbitration Agreements

As businesses grow, owners may increasingly rely on key employees and Human Resources (HR) professionals to manage functions the owner does not directly oversee. Key employees and HR professionals are typically those employees who have access to important confidential business information. These individuals often gain access to confidential operational details, employee information, and other sensitive data. A common question that arises: When should employers use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)?

While NDAs are not required in every situation, they are one…
Continue Reading Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs): A Practical Guide on How and When NDAs Should be Utilized

Amendments to the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (“WTA”) were introduced by HB 3638 and became effective on January 1, 2026. The amendments broaden the scope of protection for employees and impose additional restrictions on employers when drafting contract provisions in a variety of employment-related agreements, including severance, settlement and arbitration agreements. Going forward, Illinois employers will have less latitude to restrict employee speech and concerted activity as it relates to reporting or disclosing unlawful conduct in the workplace.
Broader…
Continue Reading What Illinois Employers Need to Know About Changes to the Workplace Transparency Act

Health care organizations planning major capital projects, such as hospital expansions, surgical centers and outpatient facilities, often face familiar frustrations: delays, cost overruns, redesign cycles and coordination breakdowns. Traditional delivery models like design‑bid‑build or construction manager‑at‑risk can unintentionally reinforce silos. Integrated Project Delivery Agreements (“IPDA”) offer a collaborative alternative designed to align incentives, reduce waste and improve project performance.
What Is an IPDA?
An IPDA is a single, multi‑party contract that binds the owner, architect, contractor and key consultants…
Continue Reading From Silos to Synergy: Integrated Project Delivery Agreements for Today’s Health Care Facilities

Vendors are going to use AI. In software work, it now sits inside everyday delivery: summarizing requirements, turning meeting notes into action items, accelerating early code scaffolding, generating test cases, even helping troubleshoot bugs. A services agreement works best when it assumes that reality and then asks a more practical question: where does the client’s information go, what rights attach to what comes back, and what stays true about ownership and confidentiality as tools evolve.

AI matters for IP…
Continue Reading AI in Vendor Workflows: Protecting IP Through Contract Design

We frequently get calls from hospital systems, health care providers and investors regarding negotiating on-campus ground leases. They are certainly unique. Here are 10 business points to consider when negotiating on-campus ground leases.

  • Premises – The land being leased can vary widely. We often see hospitals ground leasing only the footprint of the building. There are some instances, on larger campuses, where the hospital allows the developer to lease the land needed for the footprint of the building, plus

    • …
    Continue Reading Weekly Hospital Real Estate Briefing: 10 Tips for Negotiating On-Campus Ground Leases

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    When you own a business, it becomes more than a paycheck; it is your life’s work. The business can be immensely personal, and the sale of it can be life altering and emotional, even in the best situations. You may be asking yourself: “Do I really need to hire a lawyer to sell my business?” While you are the expert on your company, we are the experts on the legal ramifications, liabilities, and protections you and your family need…
    Continue Reading I Am Selling My Business – Now What?

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    The American Institute of Architects (AIA) publishes a widely used family of template-based construction contract documents, including A201, the General Conditions of the Contract for Construction. Many Wisconsin municipalities adopt these forms assuming they are balanced, neutral, and suitable for public-sector use without significant revision.

    In practice, however, several provisions shift critical project risk away from contractors and toward municipal owners – particularly late in the project when system performance, commissioning, scheduling, and public expectations are most important.

    Scott

    …
    Continue Reading Five Terms Wisconsin Municipalities Should Revise Before Signing Construction Contracts

    When negotiating any type of contract, it is important to give due attention to all terms, even topics that appear merely ministerial or administrative, as their interpretation may have serious implications in the performance of the contract. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals recently analyzed a right of first refusal agreement (“ROFR Agreement”) on the sale of a property after one party failed to comply with its notice provision. The decision underscores the importance of understanding and adhering to all…
    Continue Reading Importance of Complying With Contract Notice Provisions