AIA Trust Week 2024:
September 23-27

Back by popular demand, AIA Trust Week is back : A FREE full week of two daily webinars; a total of 10 sessions and 15 learning units!

Join us to explore what you need in order to Start your firm, Run your firm, and also – when the time comes – transition your firm to new ownership.   This informative week will not only follow information we provide to you for every stage of your career in our guides, but also will feature informative sessions on all of the amazing benefits that are such a great member value you have as an AIA member.   Learn from former Trustees, plan providers including Victor/CNA, Equitable, Gallagher, LegaLine and even some guest sessions by our friends at the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)  and well known firm Lee/Shoemaker- 10 learning sessions, each offering 1.5 AIA CEU, one great week.

Course descriptions follow the listing below or read about each session when you select the course to register.

Register below:

Course Descriptions:  

Starting your own firm (1.5 LU)
Speakers:  Al Rubeling, Jr., FAIA and Brad Benjamin, AIA

Description: Starting your own firm is a challenge.  Structuring it to be sustainable is a formidable task.
Whether newly registered or just tired of practicing in someone else’s firm, you may dream about running your own firm. To make that dream a reality—and not a nightmare—you need to examine the issues involved in getting started (the practical, professional, technical, legal, and insurance issues) and in staying solvent.
You must understand the concepts of the business context of practice, professional integrity, client satisfaction, and loss prevention. Join former Trustees and AIA leaders Al Rubeling, FAIA and Brad Benjamin, AIA to delve into everything from making the decision to start, addressing legal and ethical issues, marketing and operations, legal issues of running a firm, and other risk management items to consider.

AIA Trust | All about your AIA member benefits (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Elizabeth Wolverton, MPA

Description:  It’s been said the AIA Trust is “the best kept secret at AIA” but what exactly does that mean? What does it do? A complimentary member benefit that has been available to AIA members since the 1950’s the AIA Trust is here to offer members insurance options, legal solutions, retirement options, and to also serve as the risk management arm of the Institute. Join AIA Trust’s ED to walk through our new and improved website launching this Fall, learn about all the options for you and your firm. At every stage of your career, the AIA Trust has something to help; make sure you know about all of your benefits!

Protecting Profitability – Managing Professional and Contractual Exposures (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Frank Musica of Victor Insurance

Description:  In every professional services agreement, architects accept not only professional exposures but create or accept commercial exposures through the contract language used. 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.
Professional liability claims happen. In any year, an average of about one-quarter of all design firms insured by the CNA professional liability insurance program experiences a claim alleging harm from the negligent performance of professional services. While only about a third of these claims end up with an insurance payment to rectify harm or to pay for a cost, a loss, or damage, all claims take a design firm’s time, affect the firm’s profitability, and impair the firm’s reputation.

Some architects succeed in adding provisions that protect their business interests and reduce their professional liability exposures. The standard AIA B101 includes ten valuable provisions that confine the exposure of the architect; in the B103 there are at least a dozen.

This webinar describes the legal basis for professional liability claims, analyzes the statistics and trends of claims including who brings them against architects, and how firms can protect their assets and remain viable by managing their exposures including through the purchase of professional liability insurance. The webinar discussion uses the language of the standard AIA agreements in the Architects Contract Documents program to suggest alternative provisions and actions, architects might take to mitigate both professional and contractual risks.

Fundamentals of Design-Build Done Right® for Designers (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Rick Del Monte, FAIA, DBIA; Dana Pomeroy, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP; Virginia McAllister, RA, NCARB, DBIA, LEED, NCIDQ

Description:

Running Your Firm (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Amy Slattery, AIA, Hugh Hochberg, AIA, and Jane Walton

Description: You have started your practice and are building a client base and reputation in your community. Now what? Hear from industry leaders and consultants to gain insights on leading your firm in a proactive, productive, and purposeful way. 

Selecting benefits for you and your firm (1.5 LU)
3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
Speakers: Michael Murphy of Gallagher Affinity

Description: For small-business owners, the importance of employee benefits is a significant factor when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. The majority of workers prefer attractive types of employee benefits—like insurance, paid time off, and a retirement plan—more than pay raises. Whether you’re competing for talent or keeping the high performers you already have, small-business employee benefits are essential for making your staff feel valued and supported. Get a high level overview of the benefits offered through Gallagher and ask questions about what might be a good fit for you and your firm!

Pitfalls of the profession (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Peter L. Stacy, Esq. of LegaLine

Description:  Join Peter Stacy, Esq. of LegaLine and W&D Law, LLP to walk through pitfalls to avoid for you and your members when:
• Negotiating and interpreting contracts – identification of key provisions not just professional services agreements but agreements for special events, vendor contracts and leasing.
• Navigating through dispute resolution with clients, employees, and contractors
• Understand options to collect past dues or disputed fees
• Consider hiring or firing an employee
• Corporate Governance and Communications
• Determine whether a lawyer needs to hired

The Case for Robust Teaming Agreements (1.5 LU)
Speakers:  Rachel John, Esq, Assoc. DBIA; Rob Barbera, PE, DBIA; Sean Gellhaus, PE, DBIA; Scott Martin, PE, DBIA; Holly Stone, PE

Description:  Teaming Agreements – the legal arrangement that covers the pre-award phase of design-build project pursuits – are one of the most important, variable – and least understood – elements of the design-build process. Too many teams skip this important step or give it short shrift, jumping into the project pursuit phase without aligning on how their firms will work together, share risk, share stipends and costs and fairly cope with project realities. A well-crafted Teaming Agreement can pave the way for a successful pursuit, efficient negotiation of the Subsequent Agreement, and seamless project delivery.

DBIA’s National Design Professionals’ Advisory and Engagement Committee have heard and shared many stories of design-build projects gone wrong. One common thread of unsuccessful projects: inadequate, one-sided, or non-existent teaming agreements. In this interactive session, committee members – each with decades of successful design build experience – will share their perspectives and recommendations about why and how to achieve effective Teaming Agreements. The panelists will share their distinct perspectives from their different project roles.

Facilitated by industry legal expert Rachel Johns, the panel will tackle key questions such as:

1. How is a Teaming Agreement going to help my firm achieve success?
2. Which Teaming Agreement provisions are indispensable?
3. What are the risks of failing to negotiate a robust Teaming Agreement?
4. How do you execute an early Teaming Agreement when so many things are unknown?

Master Planning Your Succession Strategy (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Jonathan C. Shoemaker, Esq.; Taylor T. Dolan, Esq. of Lee/Shoemaker

Description:  While architects develop master plans for the built environment, they often fail to develop succession plans for their own architectural practice. This program will review the different types of succession plans implemented by design firms; demystify the vocabulary used by lawyers, CPAs, and business advisors associated with transition planning; highlight the regulatory and licensure challenges unique to the design industry; and identify strategies to be considered when developing a succession plan for an architectural practice. Though lessons learned from advising dozens of architects and engineers through both internal transition plans and external transition plans, this program will help frame the issues architects should consider when developing a succession plan for their own architectural practice.

Business killers (1.5 LU)
Speakers: Stephen B. Dunbar III, JD, CLU of Equitable

Description: You are invited to participate in an interactive webinar about the six common mistakes that could be eroding the value of your practice. You will come away with a risk assessment tool that can be used as a guide to produce a plan to identify any areas of practice management that need attention. As a participant, you will also be eligible to work with an Equitable advisor to develop a financial plan, at Equitable’s expense. Whether you are planning to become an owner or partner or already are one, you will gain valuable insight into practice management.