Dirt to Done: Construction Law & Risk Management Across the Project Life Cycle

April 10, 2026 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (AKDT)

Description

From breaking ground to ribbon cutting, legal risks and challenges can arise at any stage of a construction project— threatening timelines, budgets, and reputations. To help you navigate those challenges, the AGC of Alaska presents Dirt to Done: a 1-day, hands-on educational series designed for mid- to senior-level construction professionals who want to deepen their understanding of construction law and risk management. Led by seasoned industry professionals, the series covers project fundamentals; key contract provisions; and practical strategies for allocating, managing, and mitigating risks. 

The construction sector is facing a significant skills gap and labor shortage as experienced professionals retire. Dirt to Done supports emerging leaders in developing the competencies needed to advance their careers. Whether you own or manage a small or mid-sized construction company and are preparing to take on more complex projects, or you are a project engineer or manager seeking expanded responsibilities, this series will equip you with the tools to effectively manage contracting challenges and successfully drive projects to completion.

Training Outline:

Unit 1: Construction Contracts, Risk Management, and Insurance

• Business entity formation and corporate compliance
• Contract form selection
• Negotiation strategies
• Top 10 contract clauses
• Types of insurance coverage
• Common insurance pitfalls for contractors

Unit 2: Course of Construction – Claims Avoidance and Management

• Project documentation for change management
• Managing scope and changes
• Schedule, delay, and acceleration issues
• Compliance with contractual notice and claim procedures
• Tracking changes and claims during construction

Unit 3: Claims and Dispute Resolution

• Types of Claims
• Claim pricing methodologies
• Dispute resolution pathways

Featured Speakers:

	Loni Hinton, Esq. Construction & Design Attorney Dorsey & Whitney LLP Phone: (206) 903-2406 Email: hinton.loni@dorsey.com
Loni is a national construction and complex commercial litigation attorney at Dorsey & Whitney LLP.  Over the past decade, she has represented owners, contractors, design professionals, and manufacturers in legal matters involving risk mitigation and insurance, procurement, contract drafting and negotiation, construction liens and payment bond claims, design disputes, construction defects, and delay and impact claims. She has extensive experience handling complex commercial cases through all stages of litigation and has appeared in state and federal courts across the United States.  She is licensed to practice law in Alaska, Washington, California, and Idaho, and teaches Complex Litigation as an Adjunct Professor at Seattle University School of Law.
	Shane Kanady Of Counsel, Anchorage Dorsey & Whitney LLP Phone: (907) 257-7816 Email: kanady.shane@dorsey.com
Shane is an experienced corporate attorney who assists clients in a range of issues, including with matters related to mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance. Prior to his current role, he served as in-house counsel at an Alaska Native Corporation where he advised on contract drafting and negotiation, strategy, and dispute resolution related to construction and design projects in Alaska. He is licensed to practice law in Alaska and Washington.
	Angela Samarel Senior Vice President & Construction Account Executive IMA Financial Group Phone: (425) 709-3654 Email: angela.samarel@imacorp.com
Angela is a commercial insurance broker at IMA Financial Group.  She has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry serving construction clients. She specializes in the design and implementation of insurance programs for IMA’s largest, most high-profile and technically complex construction clients. She has substantial experience with Owner and Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs. Angela also works extensively with clients on all aspects of contractual risk transfer and conducts comprehensive training seminars.
	Todd Vandenhaak, PE, PMP, CCP, CFC Managing Director Imperium Consulting Group Phone: (206) 785-5095 Email: todd.vandenhaak@imperiumcg.com
Todd is a Managing Director at Imperium Consulting Group.  He has over 25 years of experience in the design and construction industry.  Todd specializes in providing expert services and claims analyses for schedule delays, cost impacts, productivity/inefficiency analyses, change order assessments, performance reviews, damage quantification, and differing site conditions.  His claims consulting experience includes all phases of the dispute resolution process in various Alternative Dispute Resolution forums.  Prior to his role as a construction expert, Todd worked as a civil engineer providing consulting services and developing engineering plans, specifications, and cost estimates for clients both domestically and internationally.  He has been integrally involved in the design and construction of a variety of projects, including oil and gas, power plans, transportation, mining, hydro, and manufacturing.
	Gary Moorhead, CPA Managing Director Imperium Consulting Group Phone: (425) 990-1610 Email: gary.moorhead@imperiumcg.com
Gary is a Managing Director at Imperium Consulting Group.  He has over 35 years of experience in the financial services sector serving clients in the construction industry.  Gary specializes in providing performing various consulting and project advisory services for the engineering and construction industry.  His focus includes damages assessment for construction project contract claims, change order pricing, as well as project and contract audits for project owners, general contractors, and subcontractors.  Gary has testified and qualified as an expert in over 30 adversarial hearings, and frequently lectures regarding quantification of construction damages, project management topics, cost accounting, and contractor financial statement analysis.