Episode 12: Assessing Design-Build Risk from an Underwriters' Perspective

In Part II of this podcast series on What’s Your Liability IQ? Dan Buelow continues his discussion with two former DPIC claim managers, Laura Gualiardo, Managing Director of Design Professional Liability Claims for Travelers, and Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E.  Dan, Laura and Mark review a number of questions from the DPIC Liability IQ and discuss current trends on a wide range of issues challenging design professionals including risks specific to stamping drawings, defining and managing scope and client expectations, documentation, contract formation, limiting liability, etc.  A fun listen for all levels of staff.   

For this podcast, Dan Buelow has a lively discussion on the DPIC liability IQ with some former DPIC claim managers, Laura Gualiardo, Managing Director of Design Professional Liability Claims for Travelers and Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E. The DPIC liability IQ test was based on DPIC’s Lessons in professional liability written over 25 years ago. Dan’s discussion with Laura and Mark offers some keen insights into a wide range of critical risk management issues still facing architects and engineers today.

In this lively podcast discussion, Dan Buelow addresses four specific emerging contract issues design professionals face: withholding of fees, retaining ownership of documents, informed consent and getting named as an additional insured on the general contractor’s general liability policy. Dan is joined by Lou Gale, General Counsel for the Chicago based architecture firm, SCB and Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW Architects and Engineers. 

Dan Buelow continues his discussion on professional liability (PL) claims with Anthony Carolei, Director of Risk Management for Professional Liability for Hanover's A&E program. PL claims are taking longer to settle and costing more to resolve. Understanding the process, including working with defense counsel, alternative dispute resolution and important coverage features and obligations in a design firm’s professional liability policy is critical.

Dan Buelow talks to Anthony Carolei about what a design firm can expect and should be prepared for when faced with a professional liability (PL) claim against their firm. Anthony, Director of Risk Management for Professional Liability for Hanover's A&E program, has considerable experience in handling complex PL claims and offers some excellent insight and advice on this process.

Dan Buelow continues his discussion with Ryan Brennan, Specific Project Professional Indemnity Lead for HDI Global Insurance Company in part II of this two-part series of insuring single projects.  In this segment Dan and Ryan review the underwriting process that goes into assessing and pricing a PSPL on large complex projects and discuss the history of this coverage, the constriction of the current PSPL marketplace as well as the future outlook for this coverage.

Dan Buelow gets into the weeds with a two-part series on insuring single projects with Ryan Brennan, Specific Project Professional Indemnity Lead for HDI Global Specialty SE. In part I, the discussion includes an overview of specific job excess (SJX) versus project specific insurance (PSPL). Dan and Ryan review the features and benefits of a PSPL from both the design professional’s and owner’s perspective and why this coverage is an important consideration for certain large project types.

Dan Buelow talks to Clark Davis, Partner and Principal Consultant with Cameron MacAllister, respected advisors to architecture and engineering firms. Clark and his group were recently commissioned by WTW A&E to conduct an industry wide survey of design firms across the United States about the impacts of remote/hybrid work on design and technical quality in design practice. Dan and Clark review the results of this nationwide survey from the input of over 200 design firms. 

Dan Buelow continues his discussion with Dale Muhall, Director of Construction Phase Services for LEO A DALY. Part I of this two-part podcast series on shop drawings reviewed Dale’s AIA Best Practices article “Why We No Longer ‘Stamp’ Shop Drawings,” and the misconceptions, risks and errors surrounding basic construction administration procedures. In part II, Dan reviews a series of questions raised by design professionals on this same topic during a recent WTW A&E webinar with Dale.

Seemingly mundane documents such as shop drawings and requests for information have been around for as long as designers have been designing and builders have been building. But costly misconceptions, risks and errors surrounding these basic construction administration procedures still abound. Dan Buelow talks to Dale Munhall, AIA, National Director of Construction Phase Services at LEO A DALY to discuss his Best Practices article “Why We No Longer ‘Stamp’ Shop Drawings."