January 27, 2026
In every professional services agreement, design professionals accept not only professional exposures, but they also often create or accept commercial exposures through the contract’s language. Client-generated contracts often include onerous cost-recovery provisions that exceed the normal legal liability of firms in their provision of professional services. Few contracts are balanced, fair, and focused on a productive relationship.
Prudent design professionals succeed by adding contractual provisions that protect their business interests and reduce their professional liability exposures. One of the best ways of doing so is using AIA document B101-2017, which gives design firms leverage to collect their fees and limits their professional liability exposure so they can better manage their risks.
This webinar describes the legal basis for professional liability claims, analyzes the statistics and trends of claims, including who brings them against design professionals, and discusses how firms can protect their assets and remain viable by managing their exposures, including through the purchase of professional liability insurance. The discussion uses the language of the standard AIA agreements to mitigate both professional and contractual risks.
You can also download a highlight sheet of the webinar.
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You can also read our article, "Protecting design firms: A comprehensive checklist for managing contractual risks," to learn more about how the standard AIA documents can help firms, especially smaller firms, manage their contractual and professional liability exposures. (Access limited to current Victor insureds and brokers)