AIA California provides members-only access to legal professionals who can help you manage risks, minimize claims, and prevent lawsuits, whether you’re dealing with clients, contractors, employees or others.

For Individuals and Firms: LegaLine is geared especially to smaller firms who have questions or concerns about their business but may not be ready to engage legal counsel. LegaLine does not provide legal advice but does offer real-world suggestions and insight pertinent to the architectural practice. This includes helping one determine whether to hire a lawyer in a specific situation. Ultimately, the goal of LegaLine is to help firms to manage their risks and potentially minimize the impact of claims and lawsuits.

How can LegaLine assist you?

• Discuss the negotiation and interpretation of contracts
• Discuss navigating through dispute resolution with clients, employees, and contractors
• Identifying unique opportunities and helping you to understand:  how to structure effective joint ventures
• Benefits of incorporating your practice
• Considerations when hiring or firing an employee
• Options for collecting past due or disputed fees
• Factors in transferring ownership of your firm
• Managing risks and avoiding lawsuits
• Improving client communications Discuss whether you need to hire a lawyer for your situation

How does it work?

AIA California members have telephone access to qualified, senior attorneys who have each represented architects in all areas of practice for over 25 years. LegaLine attorneys are available to answer questions about your practice or help guide you to resources that may best suit your need. LegaLine phone calls are typically answered by the next business day.

LegaLine inquiries are led by senior attorneys from the California office of W&D Law, LLP. They have represented design professionals, contractors, manufacturers, and owners in a wide variety of actions, ranging from simple lien actions to multi-million dollar private and public works construction cases and single-family residential projects collectively for decades. www.wdlaw.com

General Topics

Corporate: Overall structures of legal entities, corporate governance formalities and importance as well as general regulatory aspects of corporate practices

Insurance: Important types of insurance for architecture firms, with a focus on professional liability coverage

Contracts: Key contract terms, including potential deal brakers and deal makers to help manage party expectations as well as liability exposure

Copyright: Intellectual property rights as to instruments of service and how to best leverage these rights to your advantage

How to Access this Member Benefit

For questions and details about how LegaLine™ can help you with your business needs:

Call 800.688.9780 and identify yourself as an AIA California member.

For more information visit: www.theaiatrust.com/legal/legal-line

LegaLine services are offered as an informational resource on practice-related topics and are not offered as legal, architectural, accounting, or other professional services. Neither your AIA membership nor any telephone conversation will establish an attorney-client relationship.