Scheef & Stone Founding Partner C. John Scheef III will chair Mackrell International’s upcoming Construction Law Practice Group Call on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, bringing together attorneys from across the international network for a comparative discussion of construction damages.
The virtual session, titled “Construction Damages: Liquidated and Remedial,” will begin at 10:00 a.m. Dallas time and will feature Christophe Shammas, Partner at Mackrell International member firm Loopstra Nixon LLP in Toronto.
Shammas will lead two principal discussion topics, followed by an open exchange of experiences and perspectives among Mackrell International members from different jurisdictions.
Liquidated Damages in Complex Construction Projects
The first discussion will examine the role of liquidated damages as a risk-allocation mechanism in construction contracts, particularly on large and complex projects involving multiple prime contracts, tiers of subcontractors, and overlapping scopes of work.
Participants will compare how different jurisdictions approach the drafting, enforceability, and flow-through of liquidated damages provisions, including considerations around allocating upstream exposure throughout the contracting chain.
Damages for Defective Work and Delayed Remediation
The second discussion will focus on the calculation of damages when defective work is identified, but remedial work is not undertaken immediately.
The conversation will compare approaches across jurisdictions to issues including repair costs, diminution in value, mitigation obligations, pre-judgment interest, and the effect of delays between discovery of a defect and completion of remedial work.
The session will conclude with an open forum, allowing members to raise additional construction law issues and suggest topics for future Practice Group meetings.
The call is open to attorneys and professionals at Mackrell International member firms and is part of the network’s ongoing Practice Group programming designed to encourage knowledge sharing and cross-border discussion among member firms.
John’s role as chair of the Construction Law Practice Group reflects Scheef & Stone’s continued involvement with Mackrell International and its global community of independent law firms.
That involvement will continue later this fall, when John Scheef and Scheef & Stone Partner Kate Valentrepresent the firm at the 2026 Mackrell International Americas Business Meeting, taking place November 13–15 in St. Louis, Missouri. The meeting will bring together Mackrell International member firms from across the Americas for business development discussions, networking, and collaboration.
Scheef & Stone looks forward to continuing its participation in Mackrell International programs that create opportunities for attorneys to exchange perspectives, strengthen professional relationships, and engage with legal and business issues across jurisdictions.