Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, Named in Business Insurance’s Annual Best Places to Work in Insurance

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Monterey, Calif., September 10, 2024 – Berkley Design Professional, a division of Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley company, specializing in professional liability insurance for design professionals, announced it has been named in the annual Best Places to Work in Insurance program, which recognizes 100 employers for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work and help their companies grow.

“We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to cultivating an exceptional work environment,” remarked Stephen L. Porcelli, president, Berkley Design Professional. “Every day, our employees embody our entrepreneurial values, giving them a voice and the power to drive meaningful change.”

Berkely Design Professional has been named a Best Places to Work for its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. The company values the input of its employees at all levels, encouraging diverse ideas and opinions and emphasizing personal growth through various learning opportunities. The premium placed on teamwork, ethical conduct, and employee well-being creates an environment where employees feel empowered and valued.

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Condo risks in focus as A&E market tightens

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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.

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Resilient design for a safer, more secure future

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By Andrew D. Mendelson | July 12, 2021

The consequences are undeniable. Global climate change has affected everything from the design and building of roads, bridges, homes and office complexes to the upgrading of our nation’s electrical grids and pipeline systems.

Unfortunately, the forecasts of many of the world’s leading climate research agencies are less than optimistic. According to NASA, the effects of global climate change are likely to continue “over this century and beyond” as the growing intensity and frequency of severe storm events, heat waves and wildfires increasingly wreak havoc on the nation’s infrastructure and ecosystem. In fact, the National Centers for Environmental Information, recently reported that 25 storm-related disasters in the U.S. caused more than a billion dollars in damages each from 2018 to 2019. Of these, the top five combined to cause more than $75 billion in damages.

As a result, a renewed emphasis has been placed on the creation of buildings and infrastructure that not only withstand severe natural events but remain habitable under extreme conditions. Even President Biden’s American Jobs Plan proposed wide-ranging initiatives promising that infrastructure projects developed under the plan would include funding to prevent, reduce and withstand the impacts of the climate crisis.

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