Pennsylvania Construction Law for Public Projects
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 10-15 minutes before start time.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
8:30 am – 4:30 pm EDT
Agenda:
Presented by Christopher E. Fisher and Kenneth W. Lee
Public Contracts Procurement Law Applicable
- What is a public construction contract?
- Why are public contracts treated differently?
- Commonwealth Procurement Code
- Law applicable to non-commonwealth entities
- Types of public construction contracts
Design Professional Contracts and Project Management
- Statutory requirements
- Key elements in design service contracts
- Teaming agreements
- Joint venture agreements
- Ethical issues
Bidding on Pennsylvania Public Construction Contracts
- Overview of bidding requirements and procedures
- Competitive bidding
- Responsive and responsible bidders
- Multi-prime contracts
- Bid protests
- Appeals and judicial review of bid protests
Construction Contracts – Understanding Key Contract
- Provisions
- Payment
- Scheduling
- Changes and modifications
- Damages
- Claims and disputes
- Indemnification
- Insurance and surety
- Risk allocation
- Permits
- Relationships with other parties
- Termination
- Force majeure
Contractor Claims and Damages
- Types of claims
- Delay, suspension and interference
- Acceleration and disruption
- Extra or additional work
- Misrepresentation
- Calculating damages
- Documenting the claim
- Recovery preclusion
Labor and Employment Laws
- Health and safety
- Labor laws and equal empoyment requirements
- Prevailing Wage Act, 43 P.S. §§ 165-1 to 165-17
- E-Verify (Public Works Employment Verification Act), 43 P.S. §§ 167-1 to 167.11
Dispute Resolution
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Proceedings
- Pennsylvania Board of Claims
- Litigation
- Performance bonds
- Payment bonds
- Prompt payment claims
Federal False Claims Act
- History
- Why applicable to state procurement
- Outline of act
- What is a false claim
- Civil and criminal penalties
- “Whistleblower” protection and reward
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
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Credits
Engineers
7.0 PDHs
Architects
7.0 Elective CE Hours
AIA - American Institute of Architects
7.0 Elective LUs
ICC - International Code Council
0.7 CEUs (Administration)
Attorneys
7.0 CLE Hours
Continuing Education Information
This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 7.0 PDHs for professional engineers and provides a 7.0-hour learning opportunity for licensed architects in Pennsylvania.
The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 7.0 Elective LUs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES.
The International Code Council has approved this event for .7 CEUs in the specialty area of Administration (Preferred Provider No. 1232).
HalfMoon Education is an approved CLE provider for Pennsylvania attorneys (No. 1613); this webinar offers 7.0 CLE hours to Pennsylvania attorneys.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).
*On-Demand Credits*
The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate. The following pre-approvals may be available for the on-demand format upon request:
7.0 Elective LUs (AIA)
Speakers
Christopher E. Fisher
Attorney and a Founding Member of Saidis, Shultz & Fischer, in Mechanicsburg, PAMr. Fisher has been serving the legal needs of a wide variety of clients for almost 20 years. His clients range from the individual facing their first legal concern, to multi-million-dollar organizations and government agencies. Mr. Fisher’s litigation experience includes negotiations, arbitrations, mediations, administrative proceedings, County Courts, Federal Courts, Bankruptcy Courts and Appellate Courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as numerous other jurisdictions where he has been admitted to handle specific cases. His experience also allows him to assist clients in navigating their business activities through the myriad of legal issues facing today’s businesses. Mr. Fisher’s business clients include charitable and religious organizations, construction and trade organizations, financial and banking institutions, professional firms and agencies, real estate investors, manufacturers, health services, wealth advisors, auctioneering and the services industry. He is a member of the Pennsylvania, Cumberland County and Dauphin County Bar Associations, as well as a Council Member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section. Mr. Fisher is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law-Harrisburg, in 2005, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Kenneth W. Lee
Attorney with Saidis, Shultz & Fischer, in Mechanicsburg, PAMr. Lee practices in construction law, government contracts, construction litigation, real estate law and municipal law. He represents owners, contractors, subcontractors and surety providers in all fields of the construction industry. During his more than 35 year career, Mr. Lee has handled litigation (including Mechanics’ Liens) matters in numerous state and federal courts including certain states’ specialized courts such as the Pennsylvania Board of Claims and the West Virginia Court of Claims. In addition, he has tried cases before the American Arbitration Association, the Federal Mediation Service and “private” dispute panels. he redrafted the Contracts Section of the Pennsylvania Standard Jury Instructions (2003 Ed.), published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Mr. Lee received his B.A. degree from Gettysburg College, his M.A. degree from Villanova University and his J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and he is a graduate of The Mercersburg Academy. Every year since 2005 he has been selected by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and for inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America. Mr. Lee previously was a member of the Surety and Contract Committees for the Associated General Contractors of America; the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors; and the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania; and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Allegheny, Dauphin and Cumberland Bar Associations. He is a Charter Fellow and Barrister (Order of Maximus) of the Construction Lawyers Society of America as well as a Member of both the Diversity Law Institute and Trial Law Institute.
AIA Info
AIA Provider Statement:
HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.
Course Title: Pennsylvania Construction Law for Public Projects
Delivery Method: Live Online
Course Description: This seven-hour course explores the intricacies of Pennsylvania construction law as it pertains to public projects. The course will focus on public contract procurement, design professional contracts, bidding processes, key construction contract provisions, contractor claims, labor laws, dispute resolution, and the Federal False Claims Act.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1: Learners will be able to explain the public contracts procurement law and its applicability to different types of public construction contracts.
Learning Objective 2: Learners will be able to identify the key elements and statutory requirements in design professional contracts and project management.
Learning Objective 3: Learners will be able to explore the procedures and requirements for bidding on Pennsylvania public construction contracts, including handling bid protests and appeals.
Learning Objective 4: Learners will be able to explain the process and key considerations in dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation under Pennsylvania law.
LUs: 7.0
LU Type: LU|Elective
Prerequisites: Experience with basic principles of contract law and familiarity with the construction industry is recommended.
Advance Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Course Expiration Date: 06/26/2027
Complaint Resolution Policy:
Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to fchapman@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.