Group 7 Created with Sketch.
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Image: Adobe Stock
Image: Adobe Stock
8/20/19, 6:30pm - 8pm
Location
Center for Architecture
1.5 LU

State laws and regulations affecting architectural practice are voluminous, conflict from state to state, and can impact fundamental aspects of doing business—including licensing, entity formation, marketing, branding and solicitations. For those unaware of or failing to heed the rules, these laws and regulations can result in disciplinary proceedings. This seminar will highlight specific areas where firms, often inadvertently, breach local laws or ethical rules, and will address when regulatory authorities are likely to look for violations.

Advances in technology have enabled architecture firms to broaden the geographic reach of their practices. However, the legal and regulatory requirements of any particular jurisdiction can be onerous and firms are often unaware of the many ways in which they can run afoul of the local authorities. This seminar will focus on the process of securing a project in a new state and highlight the numerous checkpoints where a firm must determine whether it is in compliance with local rules. Examples include whether the firm will be practicing architecture as defined by the jurisdiction; whether the firm must register with the state or regulatory board either prior to solicitation or providing services within the state; if the firm’s ownership and management structures comply with the requirements of the locality and what advertising, branding or name rules may impact the firm. This will not be a state-specific legal survey course.

We will invite discussion and questions throughout the presentation. We will also provide participants with a written checklist they can use to identify facts and circumstances particular to their own firms that may spur further inquiry as to compliance with local rules and regulations. Finally, as attorneys with more than 45 collective years advising design professional firms, we will be sharing case studies and other tales from the trenches.

Speakers:
Patricia A. Harris, Founder and CEO, LicenseSure LLC. spent 13 years as the Managing Partner of a New York City-based construction law firm; in addition to overseeing the business operations of the firm, she advised clients on office and business management issues. Patti is very active in design industry organizations and quite attuned to business issues and challenges faced by design professionals. LicenseSure is Patti’s second start-up business. Through her first business, The Harris Group LLC, Patti provided consulting services in the areas of business start-ups, operations, management and strategic planning. She started her career as a corporate attorney with the New York City law firms of Giancarlo & Gleiberman and Richards & O’Neil.

Michael J. Vardaro, Managing Partner at Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, is a former construction worker with a degree in civil engineering who focuses his practice on construction litigation, drafting and negotiating construction contracts, and providing advice to a variety of construction industry clients. Mr. Vardaro’s unique background gives him the ability to understand the intricacies and nuances of the construction process and to provide focused and innovative counseling to clients ranging from construction companies to owners/developers to architects and engineers. Mr. Vardaro is well known for expertise on the ethics of construction, and is a frequent speaker on the topic. He has a particular interest in the Citicorp building in midtown Manhattan and the ethical issues that arose many years after that project was completed. He appeared on the Science Channel series Engineering Catastrophes to discuss problems with the building’s design.

Related Events:
June 12: Going Alone
June 18: How to Structure Your Architecture Firm When One of Your Partners is Un-Licensed
July 02: Design Assist: Team-Driven Project Delivery Methods
July 09: Powerful Tools for Successful Digital Marketing & Communication Strategies
July 17: WIA Firm Tours
July 18: Going Together
July 22: Doing Business with DDC
July 30: Marketing & Communication Strategies for Print Media
August 14: Going Somewhere In-Between
August 21: Opportunities for M/WBE Architects and Designers
August 21: Firm Handbook and Best Practices for Office Policies
August 22: Scaling Up, Scaling Down

Please Note: Your registration for this event constitutes your agreement to specific and limited use of your email address, and possibly your image or voice, in related communications. Learn more in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Contact info@aiany.org with questions.

As a reminder, AIA National policy requires participants to attend the entire educational portion of an event to receive continuing education credits. We encourage all participants to arrive on time to comply with this policy.

Organized by
AIA New York and Zetlin & De Chiara
  • This program is part of the AIANY Summer Practice Series
    • Summer Series Logo
Image: Adobe Stock
Image: Adobe Stock
8/20/19, 6:30pm - 8pm
Location
Center for Architecture
Group 6 Created with Sketch.

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