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

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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.

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Walter J. Adams, Jr. of Berkley Alliance Managers to Discuss Professional Liability in a Post-COVID-19 World at CLM 2021 Annual Conference

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Albany, N.Y. (July 21, 2021) – Walter J. Adams, Jr., vice president and assistant claims manager at Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, will discuss ways to Get Ahead of the Claim: Professional Liability in a Post-COVID-19 World at the CLM 2021 Annual Conference to be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. During the roundtable discussion scheduled for Thursday, August 12th at 2:00 p.m. EST, Adams will highlight the novel claims faced by design and construction professionals in a pandemic environment and proactive methods to protect against increased exposures.

“Nearly every individual, organization and profession nationwide were impacted by the coronavirus,” says Adams. “Many construction projects were either delayed or canceled, which created incentives to accept less than desirable projects or contracts. This roundtable will profile the many challenges professionals overcame during this time and the risk management strategies that will help them navigate through a post-COVID-19 world.”

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Berkley Design Professional’s BDP Risk® Learning Management System Named Brandon Hall Group 2020 Silver Excellence Award Winner

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Monterey, Calif. (November 17, 2020) – For the second consecutive year Berkley Design Professional (BDP), a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, has won a Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award for Learning for its BDP Risk® Learning Management System. The 2020 Silver Award for “Best Advance in Custom Content” recognizes Berkley Design Professional’s successful efforts to increase client retention and to help design professionals improve their business practices and decrease claim frequency.

“This year we had a remarkable increase in the number of BDP Risk® users and tripled our course participation,” said Diane P. Mika, vice president and director of risk management education at Berkley Design Professional. “But perhaps the strongest indicator of success is our confirmation of the relationship between risk management education participation and a decrease in claims.”

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Andrew Mendelson of Berkley Alliance Managers to Address Evolving Climate Change Standards at the 2020 CLM Virtual Construction Conference

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Albany, N.Y. (September 15, 2020) – Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, senior vice president, chief risk management officer at Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, will participate in the panel discussion, “Weathering the Storm: Evolving Legal Standards in the Era of Climate Change”, held during the 2020 CLM Virtual Construction Conference on Tuesday, September 29 at 11:00 a.m. CDT.

“Climate change threatens the integrity of everything from building envelopes, roads and bridges to communications and utility infrastructures,” says Mendelson. “As a result, codes, standards and regulations are continually evolving to protect against the ever-increasing frequency of severe storms and their potentially disastrous effects. This session will focus on the design and construction of resilient structures that remain habitable, overcome power outages, and manage stormwater and flooding during extreme storm conditions.”

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Berkley Design Professional’s BDP Risk® Learning Management System Named Brandon Hall Group 2019 Bronze Excellence Award Winner

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BrandonHallBronze

Monterey,Calif. (December 10, 2019) – Berkley Design Professional (BDP), a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, has won the Brandon Hall Group 2019 Bronze Excellence Award for Learning for its BDP Risk® Learning Management System (LMS). Awarded within the “Best Advance in Custom Content” category, the coveted honor recognized Berkley Design Professional’s successful efforts to help design professionals improve their business practices and mitigate claims.

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Managing Design-Build Risks From Design Through Construction

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By Gina Armbruster | Friday, August 23, 2019

Design-build has become a widely-used construction project-delivery method due to the ability to complete projects quickly and efficiently while also reducing costs. However, along with these advantages are the increased risks that can confront both contractors and design professionals throughout project lifecycles.

Contractors traditionally warrant and guarantee that their work will conform to the plans and specifications but do not warrant the design or the success of the overall project. On a design-build project, the design-build prime contractor is responsible for the project’s success as a whole and an owner may expect the contractor to warrant the project’s performance. As a result, the design-build prime contractor may have exposure for design errors and omissions on the part of its design professional consultant. 

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Andrew Mendelson of Berkley Design Professional to Address BIM Issues and Best Practices at American Council of Engineering Companies 2019 Annual Convention

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Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA (April 15, 2019) – Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, senior vice president, chief risk management officer at Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, will address Building Information Modeling (BIM) issues and best practices at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2019 Annual Convention & Legislative Summit to be held May 5 – 8, at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.

“When used properly, BIM can improve a design firm’s productivity, quality and project team relationships, as well as increase operational efficiencies from project inception through post-construction facility management,” says Mendelson. “However, users must be aware of the potential legal implications and professional liability risks emanating from unintended use of this emerging technology.”

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Andrew Mendelson of Berkley Design Professional to Address Design Project Scope Creep & Profitability at ACEC 2018 Fall Conference

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Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA (August 21, 2018) – Andrew D. Mendelson, FAIA, senior vice president, chief risk management officer at Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, will explore the methods for identifying and managing design project scope creep at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2018 Fall Conference to be held October 28 – 31, at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The session titled “From Scope Creep to Profitability: Managing Change, Risk, and Your Client’s Expectations” will highlight the triggers of change and the means for preventing process claims, maintaining client relationships and staying profitable. This includes managing scope creep, which occurs when professional design services expand without corresponding fee increases or the realization of additional risk and exposure. The presentation is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 29, 2018 at 3:45 p.m. pacific time.

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Walter J. Adams, Jr. of Berkley Alliance Managers to Discuss Trends in Construction Litigation at DRI Construction Law Seminar

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Albany, N.Y. (April 12, 2018)

Walter J. Adams, Jr., vice president and senior claims examiner at Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company, will discuss the latest Trends in Construction Litigation at the DRI Construction Law Seminar to be held April 25 – 27, 2018 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee.

During the April 26th panel, Adams will examine the cost and scope considerations relating to e-discovery and the litigation issues surrounding liability for construction data breaches, cost considerations and the use of drones. He will be joined by Brian C. Lopez of the Lopez Law Group PLLC and Rachel C. Engelstein of Standard Industries Inc.

Adams handles claims for Berkley Construction Professional and Berkley Design Professional. He has nearly two decades of experience handling Architects and Engineers and Contractor’s Professional Liability claims at leading insurance carriers as well as litigating professional, general, environmental and construction liability cases at various New York-based law firms.

For more information on Berkley Alliance Managers please visit www.berkleyalliance.com.

 

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Berkley Design Professional Offers Per-Project Primary Limits for A&Es

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BY RONIMARIE ACORD, IA Magazine

PRODUCT: Per-project primary limit coverage on architects & engineers professional liability

COMPANY: Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers

BEST RATING: A+ (Superior)

AVAILABILITY: Coverage is available through retail brokers that specialize in working with design firms.

FOCUS: Berkley Design Professional, which specializes in professional liability products and services for the design professional industry, now offers the per-project primary limit coverage as a professional liability coverage option.

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