News

Attorneys and staff raise 12,404 pounds of food

The firm is proud to have been recognized at the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association’s luncheon last week for our participation in the 2015 Legal Food Frenzy. Wiley Grandy was presented with a plaque on behalf of the firm for having placed third in the mid-size firm category. The attorneys and staff raised a total […]

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CWM is pleased to announce seven lawyers named to the 2016 Edition of Best Lawyers in America

Crenshaw, Ware & Martin PLC is pleased to announce that seven of its lawyers have been named to the 2016 Edition of Best Lawyers in America. Delphine G. Carnes – Project Finance Law;Public Finance Law James L. Chapman, IV -Admiralty and Maritime Law;Commercial Litigation Timothy A. Coyle – Municipal Law Howard W. Martin, Jr. – Real […]

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WATCH OUT – Virginia tightens policy on contractor licenses as of July 1, 2015

Be careful of your contractor licenses and worker classifications in Virginia. Under a new policy effective July 1, 2015, where VOSH has reasonable cause to believe workers are being misclassified on a Virginia construction project (usually as independent contractors), VOSH may require each contractor to provide proof of its own DPOR license and the DPOR […]

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New statute has power to nullify lien waivers in Virginia

Effective July 1, 2015, any provision of a construction contract or lien waiver that “waives or diminishes” the payment bond or mechanic’s lien rights of a subcontractor, lower-tier subcontractor or material supplier before services are rendered is “null and void” in Virginia.  The new language in Va. Code § 11-4.1:1 and Va. Code § 43-3 […]

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Contractor’s failure to provide project accounting leads to criminal conviction under Va. Code § 43-13

Violation of Va. Code § 43-13 leads to criminal, not civil, liability. Under § 43-13, when a contractor receives money from an owner to pay subcontractors, he cannot use the money for any other purpose. In Holloway v. Commonwealth, owners paid a contractor $422,000 towards a new home, but after five suppliers and subcontractors went […]

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Western District of Virginia narrowly construes Virginia’s anti-indemnification statute

Rental companies may now rest easier in indemnity cases in Virginia.  In RSC Equipment Rental v. Cincinnati Ins. Co., the Western District of Virginia denied a general contractor’s motion to dismiss where the contractor sought to avoid indemnifying a forklift supplier by invalidating its indemnity clause.  Under Va. Code § 11-4.1, a party in a […]

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Email evidence supports time extension, defeats general contractor’s delay claim

Don’t delete a good email. In United States ex rel. Engineered Services v. T.H.R. Enterprises, a subcontractor defeated a general contractor’s delay claim and won its entire contract balance using email evidence to establish an extended completion date.  The Eastern District of Virginia federal court held that the subcontract completion date was extended to the […]

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Notice under Virginia’s Little Miller Act must be received by 90-day deadline

Notice that is mailed, but not received, by the 90-day deadline in Virginia’s Little Miller Act is untimely under Virginia law, according to a case of first impression in Norfolk Circuit Court. Subcontractors and suppliers asserting a payment bond claim on a public construction project in Virginia are required by statute to give written notice […]

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CWM attorneys, Delphine Carnes and Harriet Reynolds close on transaction to restore historic Masonic Theatre

On April 2, 2015, CWM attorneys, Delphine Carnes and Harriet Reynolds, closed on a transaction to fund the restoration of the historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge, Virginia.  CWM represented Virginia Community Capital, the bridge lender in this complex transaction which combined a variety of funding sources, including New Markets Tax Credits, state and federal […]

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Tidewater Community College recognizes Stephanie Hunter for service on Legal Advisory Committee

The firm is proud to recognize Stephanie Hunter, Litigation Paralegal, for her contributions to Tidewater Community College for serving as a Program Advisor on the Legal Advisory Committee. Stephanie has served as an advisor for four years which includes assisting in curriculum development for the paralegal degree program, and mentoring students and future paralegals on […]

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