CHICAGO, May 9, 2008-Nearly 400 construction industry lawyers, builders, architects and other industry professionals convened in La Quinta, Calif., at the La Quinta Resort and Club for the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry’s 2008 Annual Meeting, April 26-28. The meeting, “Don’t Tell Me What I Should Have Done-What Do I Do Now? Confronting the Unexpected,” featured expert panelists who discussed a variety of advanced strategies for dealing with challenges that may arise during the construction process.

The plenary session, “Hidden Danger: Discovery of Latent Defects in Occupied Buildings and Potential Catastrophic Failures,” kicked-off the three-day conference and featured panelists Jim Farrell, Deborah Bovarnick Mastin and Steven M. Siegfried.

Noteworthy programs include “Responding to a Catastrophic Accident – What You Need to Know About an OSHA Investigation,” “That’s Mine! Termination Impact on Rights to Design, Special Equipment, Subcontracts and Materials” and “Hazards, Issues, and Options Related to ICE Investigations and Immigration Compliance.”

The conference also featured a presentation of the Cornerstone Award to Ava Abramowitz, who was honored for her commitment to excellence in the practice of construction law. In addition, she was recognized for her contributions to the education of others in the practice of construction law. The award is the highest honor of the Forum on the Construction Industry.

The entire meeting kit, including conference papers, presentations and speaker biographies is online at http://www.legalist.com/laquinta2008/articles.html.