Engineering Law and Ethics Seminar
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:15 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:15 – 5:30 pm
Engineering Business Law J. Sheedy
Understanding forms of business organizations
• Corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies,
sole proprietorships
Complying with regulations governing design firms
Understanding tax issues for business organizations
Understanding employment law issues
Professional Liability Law R. Schellhammer
Reviewing the grounds for professional liability claims
Identifying who can bring a claim
Examining common sources of professional liability claims
Reviewing defenses to liability claims
Determining damages
Participating in dispute resolution: arbitration, mediation, litigation
Obtaining Insurance coverage for professional liability claims
Handling Ethical Issues in Professional N. LeBoeuf
Engineering Practice
Promoting health and welfare vs. managing risk:
complementary or conflicting duties?
Protecting the environment: meeting or exceeding
legal requirements
Watching the bottom line: identifying and balancing economic
pressures in design and construction
Integrating new technologies: identifying and balancing
the benefits and risks
Contract Law Primer for Engineers C. Kennemer
Reviewing the necessary elements of any contract
Understanding contract “legalese”
• Determining performance
• What constitutes a breach of contract?
• What are damages and remedies?
• Liability-shifting contract provisions: warranties,
guarantees and indemnities
Making changes to contracts
Understanding the Investigatory and Disciplinary R. Schellhammer
Practices of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers
Understanding the Board’s disciplinary powers
Reviewing prohibited practices and grounds for disciplinary action
Investigatory procedures
Disciplinary hearings
Administrative and other penalties and enforcement
Intellectual Property Essentials for Engineers: J. Hare
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets
Securing ownership of your designs through patents,
trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets
Leveraging your intellectual capital through licenses,
franchises, and other technology agreements
Policing intellectual property rights and preventing infringement
Resolving intellectual property disputes
Credits
This seminar offers 7.5 PDHs,
including 1.0 ethics hour, to
Texas professional engineers.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 7.5 PDHs, including 1.0 ethics hour, to Texas professional engineers. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Texas.
Professional engineers seeking continuing education credits in other states will be able to apply the hours earned at this seminar, in most cases. Refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Jaspal Hare
Spencer FaneSpencer Fane, DallasMr. Hare focuses on patent litigation, patent prosecution, IP licensing, and trademark matters. He has represented clients in a wide variety of matters including but not limited to district court actions involving patents and trade secrets, licensing disputes, International Trade Commission actions, portfolio vetting, inter parties review proceedings, and patent prosecution. Matters have involved a wide range of technologies, e.g., computer hardware and software, oil and gas exploration and production; semiconductor manufacturing and design; cellular telephony (IS-95, CDMA-2000, GSM, WCDMA, WiMax, and LTE); GPS; speech and video coding, encryption; Voice over internet protocol; wireless LANS; and oil and gas exploration and production. Mr. Hare is of counsel with Spencer Fane LLP, a full-service business law firm. He is based out of Spencer Fane’s Dallas offices.
Cara Kennemer
Underwood Law FirmUnderwood Law Firm, Fort WorthMs. Kennemer’s practice focuses on construction law and business litigation, with an emphasis on design professional malpractice defense and commercial and residential construction litigation. She has given presentations to members of the Texas Bar Association and professional organizations on various construction matters and has authored papers on construction contract issues, mechanic’s liens and payment collection. Ms. Kennemer was selected as a 2016 “Top Attorney” in Construction Law by Texas Monthly Magazine and is actively involved in the Construction Law Sections of the Texas, Dallas and Tarrant County bar associations. She received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and a J. D. degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Nicole LeBoeuf
LeBoeuf Law, Dallas
Ms. LeBoeuf is a civil trial lawyer with active experience in both state and federal courts, as well as arbitration. She is also an arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Ms. LeBoeuf regularly represents Dallas law firms and individual attorneys in a variety of matters. She has extensive experience in the representation of business owners and companies in complex and multi-party lawsuits concerning such matters as employment discrimination, deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, fraud, defamation, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy and other business-related claims. Ms. LeBoeuf especially enjoys trying cases to juries. She regularly speaks to attorneys, engineers and other professionals regarding their ethical obligations; teaches trial and deposition skills to young lawyers; and is a guest lecturer at the University of Texas Naveen Jindal School of Management.
Richard Schellhammer
Underwood Law FirmUnderwood Law Firm, Fort WorthMr. Schellhammer focuses his practice on construction law and business litigation, with an emphasis on design professional malpractice defense and commercial and residential construction litigation. He actively participates in the alternative dispute resolution process and has served as a mediator and arbitrator in disputes with varying levels of controversy. Mr. Schellhammer is also a frequent speaker on construction matters and has authored papers on construction contract issues, mechanic’s liens and risk allocation among design professionals and contractors. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas Construction Law Council and the Dallas Bar Association Construction Law Section. He received a B.A. degree in History form the Virginia Military Institute, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from American Technological University and a J.D. degree from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.
Jack Sheedy
Sheef & StoneScheef & Stone, DallasMr. Sheedy has more than 43 years of experience handling complex business litigation matters, including engineering contract cases and liability cases. He is also a registered patent attorney. Mr. Sheedy has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Military Institute, an M.B.A. degree from Duquesne University and a J.D. degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. His representative experience includes serving as litigation counsel for Fortune 300 Company Joy Manufacturing Company, vice president and general counsel for Curtis Mathes Corporation, and vice president and general counsel for Del Taco Restaurant Corporation. Mr. Sheedy’s clients benefit from his extensive and unique background in engineering, business and law.