Got Uncertainty? We can help!

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Robert J. Connor, JD, CIC
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company

February 10, 2022

Uncertainty is all around us. You can’t deny it. If there is anything the past two years have taught us it’s that you never know what’s coming around the corner. This is unnerving and can create anxiety. As human beings, we crave stability and structure – even when we think outside the box. At Berkley Design Professional, we not only acknowledge this uncertainty, we embrace it. We want to help you embrace it too so that together we can transform your uncertainty into opportunity. Doing so enables you and your clients to confidently build a better tomorrow.

This idea of transforming uncertainty, is our Why, our rallying cry and why we are passionate about serving our brokers and policyholders.

Our new vision statement states it more succinctly:

To transform uncertainty into opportunity so you can confidently build a better tomorrow.

Read more »

Berkley Design Professional’s BDP Risk® Learning Management System Wins Both Gold and Silver 2021 Brandon Hall Group Awards

Posted by & filed under News Releases.

Monterey, Calif. (December 15, 2021) – The BDP Risk® Learning Management System (LMS) from Berkley Design Professional (BDP), a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, has won the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award for Learning for the third consecutive year. This year’s Silver Award within the “Best Advance in Custom Content” category reaffirmed Berkley Design Professional’s sustained results in helping design professionals improve their practices and mitigate professional liability claims.

In addition to this highly-coveted honor recognizing self-paced, custom-designed online courses related to workplace learning, the BDP Risk® LMS program also received the Brandon Hall Group 2021 Gold Award for “Best Advance in Creating an Extended Enterprise Learning Program.” The award acknowledges the organization’s successful efforts to attract and retain customers with specialized, impactful content.

“BDP Risk® is a state-of-the art risk management program and LMS platform that helps policyholders avoid professional liability claims, improve management practices, enhance business performance and qualify for premium rating credits,” said Diane P. Mika, vice president and director of risk management education at Berkley Design Professional. “As a result of these widely recognized and value-added benefits, usage of the LMS has helped us attract new clients, retain existing clients and decrease the frequency of claims.”

Read more »

Let’s Write More Express 24!

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

December 9, 2021

Next time your A&E client needs professional liability insurance, think about Express 24 from Berkley Design Professional!

What’s Express 24? For qualifying firms, Express 24 is a 24-month, guaranteed premium policy with an aggregate limit that spans both policy years.* Best of all, it offers design firms substantial limits at a discounted cost!

This makes Express 24 a great solution for any design firm looking to keep their professional liability insurance and lower their cost. In short, it’s comprehensive coverage at a cost savings!

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Now, how exactly does it work? Glad you asked! Let’s take a look at an example:

  • XYZ Architects has an Express 24 policy with limits of $1 million per claim / $3 million aggregate
  • This means they have $3 million dollars in limits to span the 24-month policy period! The maximum paid for each claim would be $1 million dollars. The total amount paid for all claims would be $3 million dollars.

To summarize, Express 24 offers an aggregate limit of no less than two times per claim. The aggregate limit spans the full 24 months. Higher policy limits at discounted prices!

Read more »

Rhonda Navarrete Joins Berkley Design Professional as an Assistant Vice President, Senior Underwriter

Posted by & filed under News Releases.

Monterey, Calif. (December 1, 2021) – Rhonda Navarrete joins Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company as an assistant vice president, senior underwriter. She is responsible for underwriting primary and excess business within the retail Architects & Engineers insurance community, building strong broker relationships and achieving profitable growth for Berkley Design Professional’s architects & engineers professional liability portfolio.

“Rhonda’s extensive experience with the design community, professional liability lines and our network of specialty insurance brokers will serve us well,” says Lawrence G. Moonan, executive vice president at Berkley Design Professional. “Rhonda is a seasoned veteran who understands our culture and the urgency we have around serving the needs of our brokers and policyholders. She will be a welcome addition to our talented underwriting team.”

Ms. Navarrete joins Berkley Design Professional with more than 20 years of experience underwriting Architects & Engineers Professional Liability Insurance. She is a licensed insurance agent in the state of California and holds the designations of Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations. Ms. Navarrete is based in California.

Read more »

Complimentary Webinar: Designing for Uncertainty: Resiliency, Climate Change, and Other 21st Century Perils

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presented by:
Dion N. Cominos, Esq., Firmwide Managing Partner, Gordon&Rees Scully Mansukhani
Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, Senior Vice President, Chief Risk Management Officer, Berkley Design Professional

Thursday, December 9, 2021
10:00 am – 11:30 am Pacific Daylight Time
1.5 AIA Learning Units
1.5 RCEP Professional Development Hours
Health Safety and Welfare Qualified

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

This webinar has been recorded and is available on demand for Berkley Design Professional policyholders and our appointed agents and brokers on the BDP Risk® Learning Management System.

bdp Risk® lms login

In today’s complex design and construction environment, disputes will occur. Often the difference between success The practice of architecture and engineering in the 21st century can be forbidding. Today’s increasingly complicated and uncertain landscape includes climate change, aging infrastructure, pandemics, and a host of other manmade and natural phenomena. The importance of incorporating adaptation strategies and anticipating extreme weather events are just two areas that are shaping the standard of care for design professionals. Through instruction and actual case examples, this webinar offers valuable insights on applying the principles of resilient design for buildings that are able to withstand extreme weather and remain habitable, infrastructure that supports a sustainable ecosystem, and community design that manages stormwater and mitigates wildfire. Participants will learn strategies for facility planning, HVAC, and other design considerations in the post-Covid-19 built environment, and best practices for performing adjacent structure-design, structural condition assessments, and other inspections.

Read more »

Condo risks in focus as A&E market tightens

Posted by & filed under Published Articles.

By Michael Bradford | November 1, 2021

Rising losses are causing underwriters to rethink the way they analyze architects and engineers professional liability risks, and the deadly collapse of a condominium building in south Florida earlier this year is raising further concerns. 

Coverage prices have moved up gradually over the past three years as A&E professional liability losses have become more frequent and severe, sources say.

And while the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, is not expected to immediately have a widespread impact on rates, it is bringing closer scrutiny to condo risks and could eventually lead to coverage restrictions, they say.

“The Surfside condo collapse will heighten awareness around the risks associated with this project type and will likely cause a further tightening for condo projects,” Lawrence Moonan, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Monterey, Calif.-based Berkley Design Professional, a unit of W.R. Berkley Corp., said in an email.

Read more »

Thankful for Insurance? You betcha!

Posted by & filed under BDP Blog.

By Victoria (Tori) Rabadi
Assistant Vice President, Marketing Communications

November 10, 2021

Say the word insurance to almost anyone and watch them roll their eyes while a disinterested look comes over their face. This, my friends, is not the response people in the insurance industry deserve.

Most of us are fortunate and should be thankful we have insurance coverage available to protect and stabilize our lives and businesses if a disaster or unexpected event strikes. As such, a little gratitude and thankfulness is in order.

It would be wise for us to reconsider how we think about insurance. Insurance is amazing! There, I said it and I mean it. Here is why.

Let’s remember that insurance protects people and businesses against financial losses, damages, and injuries associated with unforeseen events. It protects your health, your life, your home, your property, your car, your business and your reputation; any of which should you lose, would be devastating, to say the least. Wow—insurance does all of that? Amazing!

Read more »

Ask an Underwriter

Posted by & filed under Ask an Underwriter.

How many types of loss run reports are available?

We have two loss run report options to choose from:

1. A full loss run with all claims, and claim prevention files (claimant names are displayed).

2. A claim only loss run (claim prevention files are not included and claimant names are not displayed). This type of loss run may be needed when a firm is completing an RFP for a project.

AIA Contract Documents Free Webinar | Top Five Risk Avoidance Strategies for Contractors

Posted by & filed under Events.

Presenter:
Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, Berkley Alliance Managers, SVP, Chief Risk Management Officer

Date: Thursday, November 18, 2021
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST

Construction is a risky business, especially in today’s climate.  Attend a free webinar where expert presenters will review the top 5 strategies contractors can utilize to avoid and mitigate risk on their construction projects.  Presenters will discuss the process for contractors to develop company policies, processes, and protocols to facilitate quality control and financial success, including how to establish a standard process for authorship, review, and approval of proposals and contracts.  The importance of working with design professionals and subcontractors who have experience in the project type; promoting a safe and collaborative work environment; and encouraging thorough communication and sharing of best practices will also be explored during this session.

Read more »

Ask an Underwriter

Posted by & filed under Ask an Underwriter.

How are weighted fees calculated?

For the Prime program: by using an average of 4 years of fees – the current year and the last 3 complete years. Adjustments are made for years that are less than 70% of the following year.

For the Express program: by using an average of 3 years of fees – the current year and the last 2 complete years. Adjustments are made for years that are less than 70% of the following year.

– Barbara Block | Assistant Vice President, Senior Underwriter