Special Report

â€”Rendering courtesy of Design West Architects PA

Builders here win school projects throughout state

Spokane contractors' jobs combined top $100 million from Tri-Cities to Auburn

April 11, 2013

Three Spokane-based contractors have landed contracts for school construction projects throughout Washington state that are worth more than $100 million combined.Lydig Construction Inc. began work in February on an $80.3 million contract to do a

Construction employment keeps rising

Private-sector growth offsets flat, declining trends in public works

April 11, 2013

Associated General Contractors of America

"In contrast to the broad gains in most construction segments, employment in public works construction has been flat or falling," Simonson says. These counts, which lag the overall industry totals by one month, show a drop of 3,500 employees in

Competition intensifies in sales for distressed Spokane-area homes

Cash buyers seek deals on distressed properties, but margins harder to come by

April 11, 2013

Mike McLean

Competition is heating up here for distressed sales of single-family homes, especially those priced at under $100,000, some market observers here say.Distressed homes include foreclosed, bank-owned, and short-sale properties, which are sold and

30-somethings meld experience, focus into new firm

Piskel Yahne Kovarik handles construction, range of business issues

March 28, 2013

Treva Lind

While Piskel Yahne Kovarik PLLC, of Spokane, began as a law practice just under a year ago, its three principals joined forces after gaining eight years of experience at established legal firms here. The attorneys, who are all in their mid-30s,

New ABA 'toolkit' promotes gender equity in profession

Women earn 89 percent as much as male peers at nation's top law firms

March 28, 2013

ABA President Laurel Bellows and the American Bar Association's Gender Equity Task Force have introduced what they describe as an innovative new tool in the fight for gender equity in the legal profession.The ABA's Toolkit for Gender Equity in a

Change in law could cause race to the patent office

U.S. system had favored first to invent; new rules give nod to first to submit

March 28, 2013

Bill Jeckle

If you're an inventor, get your racing shoes on. You're going to need to be a lot quicker to get to the U.S. patent office now than you have been in the past. Nearly every country in the world has its own patent laws for protecting inventions on

Cutting down on legalese with software

State bar, WordRake collaborating to offer lawyers editing assistance

March 28, 2013

Business Wire

WordRake LLC, a Seattle-based company that claims to be the creator of the first editing software for lawyers, announced earlier this month that it has entered a strategic alliance with the Washington State Bar Association.WSBA employees have a

Cd'A-based Macomber Law rolls out e-payment option

While others offer credit options, Macomber adds prefunding alternatives

March 28, 2013

Mike McLean

Clients are looking for more convenient payment methods, such as online options, to pay for legal services, says at least one Inland Northwest attorney who is taking steps to accommodate that demand. Macomber Law PLLC, of Coeur d'Alene, has with

Managing Partner Jane Brown steers Paine Hamblen's legal course

Managing partner says Spokane firm aims to expand IT, business, and tax work

March 28, 2013

Jessica Valencia

Jane Brown, who took over last April as managing partner for Spokane-based Paine Hamblen LLP after working more than 20 years with the firm in various roles, says she hopes it continues its track record of bringing on attorneys."It's hard to set

Minimize risks when marketing through social media

Hurdles should be vetted before using popular sites for business promotion

March 28, 2013

J. Michael Keyes

Creating an effective social media advertising campaign is the holy grail of large and small businesses alike. And for good reason. According to a recent study conducted by The Nielsen Company, use of smart phones increased more than 400 during