Free Webinar: Connectable – How to Strengthen Team Connection in the New Era of Work

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Ryan Jenkins, CSP, WSJ Bestselling Author & Speaker, RyanJenkins.com
Diane P. Mika, Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional

Wednesday, May 15, 2024
10-11 AM Pacific
12-1 PM Central
1-2 PM Eastern

1.0 AIA Learning Unit+
1.0 RCEP Professional Development Hour+

Berkley DP policyholders who participate in this program can qualify for a 15% Risk Management Education credit. Contact your agent for further information*

Register Now

A colossal 72% of global workers feel isolated at least monthly; with 55% saying at least weekly. Remote work, advancing technology, and an always-on work culture are fracturing our relationships resulting in deep disconnection. Ryan Jenkins distills everything you need to know about what’s causing today’s workforce disconnection and how you can increase connection to boost belonging, engagement, retention, and performance with employees at every level.

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What to Do When a Client Wants to Cut Construction Phase Services

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Diane Mika
Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer
Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company

March 20, 2024

The construction phase is when your design comes to life. It’s also where most claims rise to the surface. When you provide construction administration (CA) services, you are able to observe whether construction is progressing in general conformance with the Construction Documents, assist your client to identify and resolve problems and respond to requests for information (RFIs) to clarify your design intent. Construction phase services are essential to managing your professional liability risk—and your client’s overall project risk.

We frequently see projects where clients want to eliminate the design professional’s construction phase services in a misguided attempt to save money. In this situation, you need to help your client understand that CA services are to their benefit and the overall success of the project—and, in fact, that these duties are an important part of a design professional’s normal standard of care.

The Risks of Not Providing CA Phase Service
If you are not involved in CA, you won’t be available or able to address issues that arise on the project including site observation, interpretation of the construction documents, addressing legitimate RFIs, processing submittals, certifying pay requests and issuing Certificates of Substantial Completion. What’s more, contractors are typically dependent on the design professional for these activities, which are critical for the proper execution of the project during construction. The big question for your client is: How will the project be accomplished without you, as the design professional, providing these services?

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You’re Never Alone

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

Free Claim Prevention Assistance

By Anthony Andersen
Senior Vice President, Professional Liability Claims Manager
Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company

January 25, 2024

Having a Berkley Architects, Engineers & Consultants Professional Liability Policy means that you’re never truly alone. Even when you’re dealing with a situation that isn’t yet a formal claim, but is giving you an uncomfortable feeling that it may soon become one, Berkley Alliance Managers is here for you!

We all know that issues on projects arise every day and working your way through them is just part of doing business in the design and construction world. But sometimes our policyholders are presented with circumstances that give them pause and where they might like to have some guidance.

Maybe you’ve received a subpoena for your records or deposition. Or perhaps there’s been an accident at the job site and parties are starting to point fingers at your work product as a potential cause. Maybe you’ve encountered certain unanticipated conditions on a job site that will increase costs and it appears that those costs may be sought from you. Or perhaps a local inspector or government agency is delaying the project by refusing to approve your work. These are all potential issues where the Free Claim Prevention Assistance coverage on the Berkley Architects Engineers & Consultants Professional Liability Policy could be used to help a policyholder avoid any missteps and guide the matter away from a claim or lawsuit.

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Free Webinar: Accessibility Issues in Design and Construction

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Management Officer, Berkley Alliance Managers
Michael J. Cremonese, Esq., Member, Burke Cromer Cremonese, LLC
Scott R. Samolovitch, Esq., Associate, Burke Cromer Cremonese, LLC

Tuesday, February 6, 2024
10-11 AM Pacific
12-1 PM Central
1-2 PM Eastern

Register Now

This webinar addresses the legal and practical effects of the myriad accessibility laws, rules, and regulations on the industry. The webinar panelists will discuss the complex, overlapping statutory and regulatory framework that governs this area of law, and will review current cases from around the country. 

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Berkley Design Professional’s BDP Risk® Learning Management System Wins Gold in 2023 Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards

Posted by & filed under News Releases.

Monterey, Calif. (December 5, 2023) – The BDP Risk® Learning Management System (LMS) from Berkley Design Professional (BDP), a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, has won a Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award for Learning for the fifth consecutive year. This year’s Gold Award for “Best Advance in Custom Content” recognizes Berkley Design Professional’s success in increasing user engagement with the addition of learning plans tailored to specific roles or topic areas.

This highly-coveted honor, which recognizes self-paced, custom-designed online courses related to workplace learning, marks the sixth Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award for the BDP Risk® Learning Management System (LMS) program.

“BDP Risk® is a state-of-the-art risk management program and LMS platform that provides policyholders with valuable educational resources to help them prevent professional liability claims, improve management practices, enhance business performance and qualify for premium rating credits,” said Diane P. Mika, senior vice president, risk management officer at Berkley Design Professional. “By adding curated learning plans based on policyholders’ interests, experience level and role, BDP Risk® enables them to complete a series of courses suited to their professional development and risk management needs.”

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Celebrating a Decade Together!

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

November 14, 2023

As the leaves change and the year comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the journey of Berkley Design Professional. As you know, this year marks a significant milestone for us – our 10th Anniversary!

A decade ago, we embarked on a mission to provide outstanding service and expertise in the A&E professional liability insurance industry. Today, we’re proud to have achieved and surpassed many of our goals, thanks to your support and trust.

A Look Back

Over the past ten years, we’ve faced challenges, celebrated successes and forged lasting relationships. From our humble beginnings to becoming an industry leader, our growth story has been nothing short of remarkable. We’ve introduced innovative solutions, expanded our reach and most importantly, served thousands of satisfied clients.

Our Gratitude

Our success would not have been possible without our dedicated team and you, our valued brokers. Your feedback, loyalty and partnership have been the cornerstone of our achievements. As we celebrate this milestone, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each one of you. Your belief in our vision and services has propelled us to new heights.

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Design/Construction Standards and Building Codes Evolving to Address Climate Change

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Andrew Mendelson, FAIA
Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Management & CX Officer
Berkley Design Professional, a Berkley Company

October 23, 2023

Climate change is already having a significant impact on the design and construction industry and this impact is only going to grow in the years to come. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires and tornadoes are becoming more frequent and severe and buildings and infrastructure are increasingly being damaged or destroyed.

In response to these challenges, building codes and construction standards are changing to address climate and extreme weather concerns. Local, State and Federal agencies are also working to update design and building requirements, a meaningful factor in the evolution of the standard of care for professionals in the industry.

Changes to building codes and construction standards

One of the most significant changes is an increasing focus on resiliency. Resilient buildings are designed to withstand extreme weather events and quickly regain functionality when damaged.

Specific changes include:

  • Higher wind load requirements: Buildings in areas prone to hurricanes and other high-wind events are compelled to withstand higher wind speeds.
  • Flood-resistant design: Buildings in flood zones are required to be elevated above the floodplain and to have flood-resistant materials and construction methods.
  • Wildfire-resistant design: Buildings in areas prone to wildfires are required to utilize fire-resistant materials and to create site features such as defensible perimeters and flame-resistant plantings.
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Free Webinar: Project Risk Engineering for General Contractors

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Andrew Mendelson, FAIA, EVP, Chief Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional
Timothy Brashear, P.E., Officer and VP, Construction Services, Rimkus

Thursday, November 2, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time
1.0 AIA Learning Units 
1.0 RCEP Professional Development Hour

Register Now

This one-hour webinar was developed to provide participants with a working knowledge of the due diligence and risk engineering recommended practices for a robust and formal risk assessment, project selection, and risk transfer process for construction projects. 

A comprehensive risk engineering process is necessary to determine the bid, preconstruction, design development, construction, delivery, and warranty risks associated with a project and to enhance a contractor’s ability to achieve an on-time, in budget, fit for purpose, project delivery.

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Complimentary Webinar: Could This Happen to You? A Compendium of Claim Tales and Lessons Learned

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Complimentary Webinar: Could This Happen to You? A Compendium of Claim Tales and Lessons Learned

Presented by:
Diane P. Mika, Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional
Cindy Russell, Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Examiner, Berkley Alliance Managers
Michael Cecere, Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Examiner II, Berkley Alliance Managers
Liz Molina, Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Examiner, Berkley Alliance Managers
Derek E. Steffen, Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Examiner, Berkley Alliance Managers

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time
1.5 Health, Safety, and Welfare AIA Learning Units 
1.5 Technical, Health, and Safety RCEP Professional Development Hours+

Berkley DP policyholders who participate in this program can qualify for a 15% Risk Management Education credit. Contact your agent for further information*

Register Now

This program tells the tale of four claims. Each will be presented by a Berkley DP claims examiner who will set the stage by describing the project type, delivery method, and parties involved, followed by the problems that arose and technical factors that led to the claim. The resolution and lessons learned for each case will be revealed, including the impact of the design professionals’ errors and omissions on the project and its owners/users. These valuable insights will help participants examine and improve their business practices and project controls to avoid similar situations.

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Andy Mendelson Presenting at 2023 ACEC Fall Conference

Posted by & filed under Events.

Risky Business: Making the Go/No-Go Decision on Design-Build Projects

Presented by:
Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, EVP, Chief Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional

Monday, October 16, 2023

Andy Mendelson, FAIA, executive vice president and chief risk management officer, will be presenting at the 2023 ACEC Fall Conference in Austin, Texas on Monday, October 16.

Andy will present “Risky Business: Making the Go/No-Go Decision on Design-Build Projects”.

Session Description

Because Design-Build is a more risky form of project delivery, it is essential to establish a Go/No-Go process to objectively evaluate your opportunities. Analyzing and understanding the conditions of the project and the capabilities of the design-build team are critical to making informed decisions in the pursuit and implementation of these projects. This practice-focused workshop addresses the identification of key factors in making the Go/No-Go decision on Design-Build projects, and offers a flexible yet strategic approach that encourages active thought and discussion to reach a reasonable conclusion.

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