Seminar on 'Public Contracts and Competitive Bidding' to be held March 30 in Portland

Seminar to feature a real life/real time depiction of the bidding process

A hands-on, mock public bidding demonstration will be a highlight of the second in a series of seminars designed for the Maine and New Hampshire construction industry. The March 30 event is part of the "Legalities and Realities of Construction" seminars developed and sponsored by Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson and Lorman Education Services.

Called "Public Contracts and Competitive Bidding in a Changing Project Delivery Era," the seminar is designed for administrators, managers and staff of cities, towns, counties, special districts, school districts and other public entities. It also will be geared toward construction industry representatives, legal counsel, contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, architects and engineers involved in public sector projects.

The seminar will be held at the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, 100 Middle Street, in Portland. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch at noon. For a brochure, call Diane Lankton, (207) 774-1200 at Bernstein, Shur, or call Lorman Education Services at (715) 833-3959 to register directly.

The seminar will feature Bernstein, Shur attorneys Geoffrey H. Hole, Jr., David P. Ray, Carrie A. Green and Mary DeLano, as well as Christopher W. Bellevue of Damon Mechanical Services, Douglas C. Coombs, CPE, PLS and SE at Construction Consultants, Inc., and Brent Poulin of D.L. Poulin, Inc.

The Maine Chapter of the American Society of Professional Estimators also will make a special presentation. "The Eleventh Hour of Bidding" is a real life/real time depiction of what goes on in a general contractor's office during the last hour of a bid. Participants will learn the impact of bid alternates and unit prices. This is a hands-on, participatory program where groups of program participants will break into teams to compete for a job.

"This process is very important for those involved in the public sector bidding process," said David P. Ray, chairman of Bernstein, Shur's Construction Law Practice Group. "From public bidding requirements in Maine and New Hampshire to the design-build process in public sector construction, the seminar will cover it all. It's a valuable tool for anyone involved in the public bidding process."

Future construction law seminar topics as part of the "Legalities and Realities of Construction" series in 2001 include; "Getting Paid," tentatively scheduled for September, 2001, and "Can this Job Be Saved?" later in the fall. The Bernstein, Shur attorneys making presentations have extensive backgrounds in construction law and municipal law.

David P. Ray has provided legal services to contractors and owners for more than 20 years in all areas of construction law and has lectured on construction and litigation issues. He specializes in construction litigation and construction-related insurance and surety matters. Mary DeLano handles a variety of large and small construction disputes in court and in arbitration, and assists clients with contract reviews and the development and resolution of construction claims. Carrie A. Green specializes in the management and trial of a wide variety of commercial disputes, negotiation of commercial and construction contracts, and construction litigation. She has lectured on a variety of legal topics including construction, real estate and environmental issues. Green and DeLano are each past presidents of the Southern Maine Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. Geoffrey H. Hole is the municipal attorney for more than 15 Maine communities. His practice areas cover land use matters, litigation, taxation, employment, construction, and environmental and financing matters for municipalities, special purpose districts and schools. He is the chair of the firm's Municipal and Governmental Affairs Department. As the former Director of Legal Services for the Maine Municipal Association, he has been a contributor to several of the association's publications.

One of the largest law firms in northern New England, Bernstein, Shur concentrates its practice in select areas, including corporate and commercial law, litigation and trials, municipal and governmental affairs, tax and estate planning. In addition to construction law, it also has an extensive practice in international and immigration matters, health care law, labor and employment law, legislative representation, intellectual property, technology and e-commerce law, and energy and other regulated industries.

Christopher W. Bellevue of Damon Mechanical Services in Auburn, Maine has more than 15 years of experience as an estimator. He has successfully bid on commercial and industrial projects ranging up to $1.5 million. Douglas C. Coombs of Construction Consultants, Inc., a site-work consulting firm in Livermore, Maine, has more than 20 years of experience in estimating and project management, ranging from small commercial projects to multi-million dollar public projects. Brent Poulin, the chief estimator at D.L. Poulin Inc. in Brunswick, Maine, has more than 15 years of general contracting estimating experience on both public and private projects.

Established in 1956, the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) serves construction estimators by providing education, fellowship, and opportunities for professional development. Poulin is the immediate past president of the Maine chapter.

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