In Episode 42 of "Talk to Me About A&E," Contract Administration as a Risk Management Tool – Cornerstone #4, Dan Buelow continues his discussion with Mark Blankenship wrapping up this series with the 4th cornerstone of managing A&E risk with a discussion on construction contract administration. Dan and Mark review the core responsibilities of the design professional when providing CA services and discuss best practices design firms should consider in order to effectively manage their risk when on the job site ranging from important contract considerations, documentation practices and communications with project team members and staff.

In Episode 41 of "Talk to Me About A&E," Dan Buelow, Managing Director for WTW A&E is joined by Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E, for this discussion of the third cornerstone: communication and documentation. They discuss the importance of establishing and managing client expectations through effective communication practices, offering a range of examples and tips that can mitigate risk of costly claims and client disputes.

In Episode 40 of "Talk to Me About A&E," Dan Buelow, Managing Director for WTW A&E is joined by Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E, for a discussion on allocating risk by contract, which is the second cornerstone of managing design professional risk. The episode delves into the importance of contractual risk management and how it can help design professionals mitigate potential liabilities.

In this Talk to Me About A&E podcast, Dan is joined by Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E for this discussion on risk identification and evaluation. This is the first in a four-part series on the four cornerstones of managing design professional risk and addresses important "go no-go" considerations and risk mitigation strategies every design firm should consider specific to client selection factors, project selection factors, project team evaluation and contracts.

In this Talk To Me About A&E podcast, we review the recently released ACEC Guidelines on the use of AI by Design Professional Firms. Dan Buelow is joined by Mark Blankenship, Director of Risk Management for WTW A&E and co-chair of the sub committee on AI for the ACEC Risk Management Committee. Dan and Mark discuss the inherent risks of AI when it comes to the design profession and important guidelines firms can adopt in managing this evolving technology – specifically: Governance and Approval Process; Sources and Tools and Guidelines for Practice.

In Part II of this series on the standard of care, Dan continues his discussion with Colleen Palmer and Lou Gale by reviewing specific examples of where contract language can elevate the standard of care – and advice on how to negotiate this language out of a design professional's agreement to ensure a balanced – and insurable agreement. We also discuss how the standard of care is evolving and what design firms should be prepared for to mitigate their risk.

In Episode 36 of "Talk to Me About A&E," Dan is joined by Colleen Palmer, Risk Manager for Beazley, and Lou Gale, GC for the architectural firm SCB, on the Standard of Care. In Part I of this two-part series we begin the first question asked when a design professional is accused of negligence: What was the applicable standard of care - and was it met?

This discussion will include an overview of what every design professional should know when it comes to the standard of care, as well as how best to educate their clients and manage expectations through effective communication and documentation practices.

In episode #35 of Talk To Me About A&E Dan Buelow talks to attorney Jeff Coleman from the Minneapolis law firm Coleman & Ericksen, LLC about the professional liability risks associated with residential projects. Residential Projects are considered one of the riskiest project types for design professionals when it comes to professional liability claims. Dan and Jeff review the specific reasons why residential projects are so risky – especially condominium projects – and what proactive measures firms can take to mitigate their exposures to costly claims and client disputes.

In Episode 34 of "Talk to Me About A&E," Dan Buelow brings back Dale Munhall for a follow up discussion on their two part CA series, "Why we no longer stamp shop drawings". In this episode Dale reviews his "Seven Deadly Words" and discusses the importance of avoiding specific words in contract documents that imply unauthorized changes by architects and engineers. The CA process is often vague and misunderstood and words can create significant liabilities and misunderstandings in contract administration. Dan and Dale discuss the importance of effective communication and documentation in order to maintain the integrity of the original contract terms.

Whether you are buying, selling, merging, acquiring or closing your practice, there are some important considerations for the design professional when it comes addressing your Professional Liability risks and prior acts exposures. Dan Buelow is joined by Doug Hamilton, head of underwriting for Allied World's A&E division to discuss the pros and cons of the specific insurance coverage options every firm should consider.