Susan Lent Quoted in Law360 on Construction Legislation and Regulation to Watch

Law360 has quoted Susan Lent, a partner at Akin Gump and leader of the firm’s infrastructure and transportation practice, in the article “Construction Legislation And Regulation To Watch.” The article examines several initiatives being spearheaded by the Trump administration that, according to the article, should be watched closely.

One of the initiatives Lent addresses is the topic of steel tariffs. President Trump’s plan to impose huge tariffs on imported steel could have a wide-ranging impact on the construction industry.

“There are positives, obviously, of trying to encourage more U.S-made steel,” said Lent. “But then I think at least the shorter-term effect is that you would potentially drive up the cost of projects.”

Lent also spoke about Mr. Trump’s promise to make environmental reviews and permitting processes for major construction projects more efficient. While the executive order he issued last year, plus a memorandum of understanding from several executive branch agencies last month, cannot change the law, they do show the administration’s interest in speeding up the project review process, Lent said.

“The more money you spend on the environmental review process, the more money it costs to build the project, and that then means fewer projects,” she added. “The construction industry, obviously, they want to see more projects get built.”