The material in this book is designed to provide construction professionals with practical information on legal issues commonly encountered in design and construction. It is primarily intended for nonlawyers working in the design and construction industry in the United States. This includes design professionals (architects, engineers, and surveyors), contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, construction managers, and owners ’ representatives. Although it is not intended for attorneys, those who are unfamiliar with the design and construction industries should fi nd it of value. Readers are cautioned to use this book only as a source of basic information. It is not intended to provide legal advice, rather its goal is to provide readers with an understanding of construction law so that they will be able to recognize the legal implications of the situations they fi nd themselves in. Decisions concerning particular legal matters should not be made based on the information contained herein. Readers should consult an attorney or other professional advisor for help with such decisions. The coverage of legal issues is intentionally limited and focused. The book is not written as a general legal treatise but as a discussion of issues that tend to be unique to the design and construction industries. Construction law is principally contract law; most of the book addresses issues related to the contracts between the various participants on a construction project. Coverage of topics such as bankruptcy, intellectual property law, and real property law is restricted to those issues directly related to the contracts between the project participants. Issues such as business structures and labor law, although important to the individuals working in design and construction, are generally no different than in other industries and are not covered at all.