IRWA 2024 Annual International Education Conference
Artin Shaverdian, Sejin Brooks, Rick Rayl, Steve Silva and Jillian Friess Leivas participated in the International Right of Way Association’s (IRWA) 70th Annual International Education Conference June 23-26, 204 in Long Beach, CA.
Artin was appointed as chair of the 2024 conference and, through diligent planning and guidance, played a crucial role in the success of the event, which drew more than 1,200 industry attendees.
On June 24th, Sejin presented “Building New Infrastructure Under Old Laws: Have Laws Evolved Concurrently (and Consistently) with Infrastructure Technology?”. This session investigated and discussed the emerging legal issues that ROW Professionals face, which arise from the continuous development of technology to meet the growing demands on public infrastructure. In addition, there was also a discussion about the often-lagging changes in laws that govern the acquisition and use of property for such public projects.
On June 25th, Steve and Jillian presented an “Eminent Domain & Legislative Update.” During the session, Steve and Jillian discussed key U.S. cases and legislation, pending and adopted, from the last year that impact the eminent domain and right of way industries. Additionally, they discussed notable trends that have emerged in the case and statutory law.
On June 25th, Rick presented “You Don’t See That Every Day: Rare Valuation, Right to Take, and Relocation Issues.” This session focused on valuation, right to take and relocation issues that rarely occur but can have significant impacts if they are not handled properly. These situations can be avoided or resolved if the parties identify them early in the process. But spotting these rare events is often a challenge. Extreme results tend to arise when the issue is not identified until late in the process, leading to absurd results. The session used case studies and references to esoteric "lost" laws that still exist in various jurisdictions. The goal is to offer practical advice concerning how agencies, right of way agents and attorneys can manage these unique issues when they occur, often by crafting "win-win" resolutions to the problem.
Rick also presented “Taming Tricky TCEs” on June 26th. This session provided an overview of issues and best practices involved in acquiring temporary construction easements, including how the source of funding can change how TCEs are drafted, appraised and acquired.
The International Right of Way Association (IRWA) is a global, member-led organization of dedicated professionals within the right of way industry. Established in 1934 as a not-for-profit association, IRWA's purpose has always been to improve people's quality of life through infrastructure development.
