1. Define and understand the three main elements of a contract
2. Five important provisions to have in a contract
3. Benefits/drawbacks of custom contracts
4. Understand the impacts of project delay damages
5. Understand the difference between mechanic’s liens and public-project liens

Stephen D. Marso

Stephen D. Marso is a member of Whitfield & Eddy, P.L.C., in its Des Moines, Iowa office, where his primary area of practice is construction law and litigation. Mr. Marso graduated manga cum laude from Hope College in 1996 with a degree in Spanish and graduated with high distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1999. Prior to joining Whitfield & Eddy, Mr. Marso served as a law clerk to Judge Harold Vietor of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa from 1999 to 2001. He is licensed to practice in the states of Iowa and Nebraska, and in various federal courts. He is a member of the Polk County (Iowa), Iowa State, Nebraska State, and American Bar Associations, and of various construction-trade organizations, such as Master Builders of Iowa, Associated General Contractors of Iowa, and Mechanical Contractors Association of Iowa. Mr. Marso is a Fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, and is an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s roster of construction, commercial, and consumer arbitrators.

Anna E. Mallen

Anna E. Mallen is an associate attorney at Whitfield & Eddy, P.L.C., in its Des Moines, Iowa office, where her primary areas of practice are labor and employment law, construction law, and litigation. Ms. Mallen graduated manga cum laude from Wartburg College and graduated with highest honors from the Drake University Law School. Prior to joining Whitfield & Eddy, Ms. Mallen served as a honors judicial extern to Chief Justice Mark Cady at the Iowa Supreme Court. She is licensed to practice in the state of Iowa, and in the U.S District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. She is a member of the Polk County and Iowa State Bar Associations, Polk County Women Attorneys, Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys, Iowa Defense Counsel Association, and various construction-trade organizations, such as Master Builders of Iowa, Associated General Contractors of Iowa, and Mechanical Contractors Association of Iowa. Ms. Mallen recently attended the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy at Stanford Law School.