Baker shares "Leverage, Opportunity and Risk" talk focused on contractor contracting practices

DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS / ACCESS Newswire / January 30, 2026 / Attorney Jeremy Baker from Baker Law spoke at Alera Group Inc.'s inaugural Construction Summit at the firm's Deerfield headquarters, delivering a presentation on contract negotiation practices for contractors. Baker's session, titled "Leverage, Opportunity and Risk," focused on how contractors can approach deal terms that shape scope, payment, and risk on projects.

"Most construction disputes are not caused by bad people. They are caused by bad assumptions about leverage, timing, and risk. This presentation is about helping contractors spot those pressure points early, before a project goes sideways," said Baker.

In his presentation, Baker told contractors that leverage in construction projects often turns on timing, contract language, and risk allocation. He urged attendees to treat payment risk as a management issue, with a credit-driven approach and close attention to deadlines and notice requirements tied to payment and claims.

Baker addressed the right to suspend work as a tool to limit losses and prevent disputes from escalating, and he pointed to contract compliance as a consistent advantage for parties on a project. Baker added that insurance should factor into decision-making from day one, not as an afterthought when problems arise.

The summit featured four speakers representing Travelers, Vista Safety Consulting LLC, TrustLayer, and Baker Law Group LLC. The event was built for construction business owners and finance leaders.

Baker is the founder of Baker Law Group LLC and serves as a liaison to the American Institute of Architects Contract Documents Committee, which prepares AIA contract forms used across the industry. His background includes speaking and writing for industry groups and lecturing at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.

For more information, visit designbuildlaw.com.

About Baker Law Group, LLC
Baker Law Group advises architects, engineers, developers, owners, and contractors in the design and construction industry, providing transactional counsel, dispute resolution, and general counsel services. The firm focuses on project delivery methods, contract negotiation, risk allocation, and dispute avoidance, applying early dispute resolution techniques to keep complex mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily, high-rise, retail, education, industrial, utility, and government projects on track from planning through closeout.

Media Contact
Jeremy Baker
jbaker@designbuildlaw.com
https://designbuildlaw.com/
312-621-7184
790 Estate Dr Ste 200
Deerfield, IL 60015

SOURCE: Baker Law