ACEC Alabama Executive Director Renee Casillas and Roger Guilian, general counsel and vice president at Volkert, join the program to talk about a big legislative victory for the industry in Alabama this spring, winning indemnity protections for engineers and other design professionals in the state.

The new law renders void and unenforceable contractual provisions in three key areas: (i)those that require engineers to indemnify others for damages that are not caused by the engineer; (ii) those that require engineers to defend another party if a defense is not covered by professional liability insurance; and (iii) those that require engineers to name another party as an additional insured on a policy of professional liability insurance. The new law also establishes a statutory standard of care for engineers and voids any more expansive contractual standard of care.

It was a nearly three-year effort by ACEC Alabama and its partners to get this done.