Free Webinar with Deltek | Developing a Risk Management Plan for Your Firm

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Andrew Mendelson, FAIA, EVP, Chief Risk Management & CX Officer, Berkley Design Professional
Michael Heinsdorf, PE, Senior Director, Product Alliances, Deltek

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Eastern Time

Register Now

Developing a formal risk management plan is an essential step in proactively protecting your firm from financial risk, and setting your firm up for success.

During this session, our Chief Risk Management Officer, Andy Mendelson, will join Michael Heinsdorf from Deltek with the key steps you can take to reduce your risk with a formal plan at your firm, and explain the importance of understanding what risks can be controlled through legal contracts and insurance products.

Session highlights:

  • Learn how to establish a risk management team to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risk
  • Explore how careful project and client selection can significantly reduce potential risks
  • Gain insights into the importance of understanding the role of legal contracts and insurance products in managing risks effectively
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WTW A&E Webinar: Pre-Construction Services – Cure or Curse?

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Presented by:
Andrew Mendelson, FAIA, EVP, Chief Risk Management & CX Officer, Berkley Design Professional
David Ericksen, Esq., Attorney at Law, Hinshaw Culbertson

Monday, December 11, 2023
11:30 am – 1:00 pm Central Time

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Andy Mendelson, executive vice president and chief risk management officer, will co-present alongside David Ericksen on a WTW A&E webinar, “Pre-Construction Services – Cure or Curse?”, on Monday, December 11.

Third-party review and comment on any design professional’s work product can be uncomfortable. It exposes the design to critique, second guessing and “alternative” views. However, it can also validate and improve the design before any deficiencies lead to economic harm and consequences.

Drawn from real-life cases in the media and courts, this program will highlight the potential risk and risk management opportunities emerging from third-party pre-construction design review by other design professionals, contractors and construction managers. In addition, it will offer corresponding strategies to help you successfully engage in those processes as the designer or the reviewer.

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Retirement Planning for Design Professionals – Are Your Clients Covered for Professional Liability?

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Barbara Block
Vice President, Supervising Underwriter
Berkley Design Professional, a Berkley Company

June 6, 2023

Retirement for a design professional doesn’t just happen, it takes careful planning and preparation. Having a transition plan, a buy-sell agreement, successor development and planning are all considerations, but one area retiring professionals may overlook is having adequate professional liability coverage.

Given the current climate of increasing litigation, simply relying on the design professional’s prior firm to maintain their professional liability insurance policy in addition to having necessary limits to protect their assets in retirement is not necessarily the best or safest option.

When it comes to professional liability coverage for architects and engineers, claims don’t just occur when the project is underway. Claims can arise years after the project is complete and if the design professional is no longer a named insured under their prior firms’ policy, problems can occur.

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Diane Mika Presenting at Society for Design Administration (SDA) EDSymposium23

Posted by & filed under Events.

Managing Risk Through Effective Contracts

Presented by:
Diane P. Mika, Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Diane Mika, senior vice president and risk management officer, will be speaking at the Society for Design Administration (SDA) EDSymposium23.

Mika will present on “Managing Risk Through Effective Contracts” as part of the conference’s Project Administration Workshop.

More details on the event below.

***

Everyone practices project management. Whether getting a building out of the ground, planning a health care open enrollment, an office move, or working a marketing plan, the skills needed to reach your goal rely on project management:  budgeting, scheduling, communicating, and managing people. The role of the project administrator (PA) in managing A/E projects also requires an understanding of project phases, contract administration, document control, financial management, and risk management.

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Free Webinar: Real-Life Ethical Situations in Design and Construction

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Mike Bilderbeck, PE, FASHRAE, Principal Emeritus, Chief Mechanical/Fire Protection Engineer, Pickering Firm, Inc.
Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional
Jennifer Leach, PE, LEED AP, Associate, BR+A
Kristin L. Schaefer, P.E., PhD candidate, University of Houston, Schaefer Engineering 

Thursday, June 22, 2023
10:00 am – 11:30 am Pacific Time
1.5 AIA Learning Units
1.5 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

As construction projects, project delivery, and owner expectations become increasingly complex, it is more important than ever for design professionals to make proper decisions based on professional standards and codes of ethics. In this webinar, presented by a panel of experts, you will review the process of ethical decision-making and explore actual ethical situations and decisions rendered by review boards. 

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Be a Good Neighbor: Strategies to Mitigate Risk of Damage to Adjacent Properties

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

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

May 9, 2023

One of the emerging 21st Century perils for design professionals, particularly for structural and geotechnical/CMT engineers and architects, is the potential impact of new projects on the condition and even the integrity of adjacent properties.

An architect or engineer’s legal duty is to their client according to the scope and terms of the professional services agreement as well as the responsibilities embodied in state statutes for licensed professionals. However, consideration should be given to adjacent property owners during the planning stages and efforts should be undertaken to protect against claims that could be made by other “injured parties” on adjacent properties.

In states where the applicable law embodies the principle of “joint and several liability,” disproportionate responsibility and financial exposure can be allocated to the design professional—even if their actions had very little to do with the cause of damages to an adjacent structure.

Trends in design and construction claims and litigation indicate the casting of an ever-widening net with plaintiffs seeking defendants with deep pockets, such as the professional liability insurance policy and the assets of a firm. Therefore, it’s prudent for design professionals to be proactive in managing risk with respect to potential exposure for damages beyond the property line of the project, especially in dense urban or suburban areas.

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Andy Mendelson Presenting at ACEC Illinois Alternative Project Delivery Workshop

Posted by & filed under Events.

Overview of Types of Alternative Delivery Models

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

Monday, May 15, 2023

Andy Mendelson, FAIA, executive vice president and chief risk management officer, will be presenting at the ACEC Illinois Alternative Project Delivery Workshop with IDOT and Tollway on Monday, May 15.

Andy will give an overview of varying types of Alternative Delivery Models in his presentation. The workshop is located in Lombard, Illinois at Harry Caray’s Ballroom. The workshop will last from 8:30am to 6:30pm.

For more information on the workshop HERE.

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Berkley Design Professional’s 10th Anniversary – Cheers to 10 Years!

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Larry Moonan
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Berkley Design Professional, a Berkley Company

April 17, 2023

April marks the ten-year anniversary of Berkley Design Professional and we couldn’t be more excited! Over the past decade, we have established ourselves as a leader in the A&E marketplace by providing outstanding service to our brokers as well as comprehensive coverage, risk management support and exceptional claims handling for design professionals across the country.

The past ten years have been filled with some challenges and many successes, but throughout it all, our brokers have consistently supported and encouraged us. Our brokers have enabled us to grow and thrive and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment to Berkley Design Professional.

When we first started out, our vision was to create a business that would meet the unique needs of design professionals. Our goal was to provide insurance coverage that was tailored specifically to the risks faced by architects, engineers and other design professionals. Over the years, we have been able to do just that, offering a range of innovative insurance products designed to meet their diverse needs.

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Berkley Design Professional Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Posted by & filed under News Releases.

Monterey, Calif. (April 10, 2023) – Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company is celebrating its 10th Anniversary of providing professional liability insurance for Architects and Engineers.

“This is an exciting milestone for our business. We thank our brokers and employees,” said Larry Moonan, executive vice president, chief operating officer at Berkley Design Professional. “Our success would not have been possible without their support and dedication.”

“As we look back on the past 10 years, we’re especially proud of our entrepreneurial company culture, innovative professional liability coverages, award-winning risk management services and excellent claim services that we’ve created,” said Moonan.

Since its inception, Berkley Design Professional has focused on innovative ways to serve the marketplace by expanding the products and services it offers. In addition, our in-house claims professionals provide responsive, high quality and personalized pre-claims assistance and claims management for our policyholders and brokers. Our robust learning management system, BDP Risk®, has received numerous Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards for learning and training. Berkley Design Professional is also CertifiedTM by Great Place To Work® with more than 95% of employees reporting they are proud to say they work for the business.

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