August, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: Mark Landis at Schnabel Engineering and Kevin Lugo at MBP

Date: Thursday, August 16, 2018

Topic:  Restoration of Hope Mills Dam

Presentation: PDF

Summary: The original Hope Mills Dam, located in southeastern North Carolina, was constructed in the late 1830s to provide power to four nearby cotton mills. The dam was breached and rebuilt between 1923 and 1924. The second dam overtopped in 2003. A third dam was constructed five years later, but in 2010, it failed as well. The design-build team, which was selected in 2014, elected to remove the remains of the 2008 structure and build a new dam and labyrinth spillway. Mr. Landis and Mr. Lugo will talk about some of the challenges encountered during the construction to include water management of a 100-year flood and, 10 days later, a 500-year flood at the site.

Mark Landis, PG, PE – Mark is the Lead Engineer in the Greensboro Office of Schnabel Engineering.  He has an undergraduate degree in Geology and a Master of Civil Engineering. Mark has over 35 years of experience in geology, geophysics, and geotechnical engineering.  Mr. Landis is currently the PM on Asheville’s primary water supply dam upgrades and a new 1100-acre offline storage reservoir in Virginia. Mark was the Engineer-of-Record for the Hope Mills dam reconstruction.
 
Kevin Lugo, PE, CCM – Kevin is a Vice President in the Raleigh Office of MBP. He has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Lugo has over 25 years of varied engineering and management experience in heavy construction (power, highways, bridges, subways, water treatment, and utilities) and buildings (higher education, K-12 schools, hotels, plants, offices, housing, and military facilities).

June, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: Tommy Rose, Metalplate Galvanizing, Southeast Regional Sales Manager

Date: Thursday, June 21, 2018

Topic: Galvanizing 101

Presentation: N.A.

Summary: This presentation covers everything from the galvanizing chemistry and longevity expectations to QC and defect identification.  This will be a good opportunity to better understand steel construction from a fabricator's perspective.

Mr. Rose has been in the galvanizing business for 18 years: two years as a Plant Foreman and 16 years in sales.  He has hosted over 70 galvanizing seminars in the last 16 years for over 1,600 architects, engineers, steel fabricators, and end users. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Galvanizers Association from 2008-2016, served as President from 2012-2014, and is currently the Market Development Chairman. Since 2012, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Metallically Stabilized Earth and for the past year he has served on the T-8 Sub Committee on Galvanizing for AASHTO (Bridge Committee).

May, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: Commander (Ret) Joe Angell, PE, F.SAME

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2018

Topic: Civil Engineering in the Federal Work Space

Presentation: PDF

Summary: The program will discuss the types of relationships civil engineers typically find themselves in and how projects are purchased by the various federal agencies, how civil engineers support the design and design-build teams, and how professional licensing is different than most other disciplines.

Mr. Angell served 20 years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer and retired from active duty in 2003. Since retirement, he worked in the consulting industry specializing in winning and performing design and design-build services on contracts with the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, and the Department of Homeland Security.  He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Pennsylvania State University with a Master’s degree in Construction Management.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of North Carolina and Connecticut.  He is currently a Senior Project Manager with Apogee Consulting Group in Cary, North Carolina and specializes in execution of design and design-build services with numerous federal and local agencies.

Location:  This luncheon will be held at the beautiful NC State University Club at 4200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606.  You can contact the NC University Club at (919) 828-0308 if you need assistance locating their establishment.

Costs:
$25 for ASCE Members
$30 for Non-ASCE Members
$10 for ASCE Life Members, Students, and Unemployed ASCE Members.

If you are paying at the door, please bring cash or a check made out to "ASCE NC Eastern Branch".

RSVP:  Our online system handles all registrations and payments.  You can register and pay for the event online using your credit card. Even if you don't want to pay online, please use the online system to register. There are no additional fees, accounts, or passwords to remember. The online system will also allow you to specify your meal preference (Omnivorian or Vegetarian). Upon arrival at the event, just check-in at the registration table using your name.

We understand your schedule may change and you might not be able to make it to the event. Cancellations with refunds can be honored up until 12:00pm (noon) two days prior to the event. If you are neither able to attend nor cancel in time, you may send a replacement.

To help Professional Engineers in attendance acquire 15 Professional Development Hour (PDH) units per license renewal period in accordance with 21 NCAC 56.1703, we offer one PDH certificate after the presentation.

April, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: Greg Eades, Facility Operations Branch Chief at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018

Topic: Beneficial Use of Air Handling Unit Condensate for Laboratory HVAC Energy and Water Recovery in Hot and Humid Climates

Presentation: N.A.

Summary:  Despite considerable research into water conservation by reusing air handling unit (AHU) condensate in hot and humid climates, relatively few studies explore the potential for energy conservation by capturing and using waste energy. This presentation describes the methodology used to analyze and predict AHU condensate’s energy and water recovery potential by presenting a case study for a 100% outside air laboratory building located in Raleigh,  North Carolina. Results indicate up to 10% energy and 31% water savings utilizing this approach.

Mr. Eades currently serves as the Facility Operations Branch Chief for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Research Triangle Park, North Carolina Campus. He has also held a variety of engineering positions for the State of North Carolina, the private sector, and the United States Air Force. His bachelors and masters degrees in Civil Engineering are from North Carolina State University. Mr. Eades is a North Carolina registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager.

March, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: Henry Petroski, Professor at Duke University

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018

Topic: Infrastructure in Perspective

Presentation: N.A.

Summary: Mr. Petroski discussed the background, status, and future of selected aspects of our infrastructure and the funding for such things in the context of technology, finance, and politics.  Despite the seemingly endless discussions about and the maturity of our aging infrastructure, there remain numerous research and practical challenges for all involved to meet in bringing the old up to twenty-first century standards and in supplementing it with visionary new systems and subsystems, including self-healing pavements, smart bridges, and autonomous vehicles.

February, 2018 Luncheon

Speaker: James A. Rispoli, P.E., Senior Executive Advisor at PT&C

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2018

Topic: Engineering Ethics - Case Studies

Presentation: PDF

Summary: Jim will discuss several situations involving ethics that could be typical of the types of things professional engineers must deal with in their engineering positions.  Each situation could have resulted in significant risk to workers on the site, and/or the public, had not the facts been found and the situation resolved.  Each of the situations Jim will discuss involved activity in engineering and construction projects, or facilities operations; two were personally known to him, and his examples have significant coverage of the events found in on-line sources.

James Rispoli is a licensed professional engineer in five states, an American Academy of Environmental Engineers' Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and a member of the National Academy of Construction, and a Professor of Practice at the North Carolina State University. Additionally, he serves as a senior executive advisor for PT&C, LLC, an ENR-ranked engineering firm with over 25 years' experience serving owners in both operations and construction roles. Mr. Rispoli served as an Assistant Secretary of Energy from 2005 through 2008, nominated by the President and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

November, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: David Evans @ NCBELS

Date: Thursday, November 16, 2017

Topic: NCBELS - Rules of Professional Conduct

Presentation: N.A.

Summary: The program will provide attendees a Board update covering licensing trends; enforcement matters, including non-licensed practice; Engineering Committee activities; engineering exams; and CPC compliance.  Attendees will be engaged to test their knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct given various scenarios faced by Professional Engineers.  This will be followed by a discussion of common factors in violation cases as well ethical considerations in professional practice.

David joined the staff of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in 1998. As the Board's Assistant Executive Director, he supervises investigations of engineers, surveyors, corporations, and non-licensed practices.  David also oversees business licensure and compliance, continuing professional competency, license renewals, and the Board's regular program of enforcement and education.  David previously conducted criminal investigations in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Investigator.  He is a past Chairman of the Committee on Law Enforcement for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.  David has a B.A. in History and Social Science from Eastern Connecticut State University.

October, 2017 Luncheon

Event cancelled.  No presentation.

September, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Morven MacLean, WSP

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2017

Topic: GoRaleigh Station Renovation

Presentation: PDF

Image via Morven MacLean

Summary: The GoRaleigh Station renovation project celebrated completion with a ribbon cutting event on May 23, 2017.  The Moore Square Transit Station had been in operation since 1988 with constrained bus operating capabilities due to an unfortunately dated facility.  The renovation has transformed the transit facility in downtown Raleigh with functional improvements and the creation of a modern, inviting, and attractive public space.   WSP USA Inc. served as the prime designer and performed construction administration for the City of Raleigh.  This presentation will address the design team’s approach, discuss the project’s challenges, and provide an overview of construction and the new operating capabilities of the renovated transit station.

Morven MacLean, LLB is a project manager with the Transit and Rail Technical Center of WSP.  Her experience lies with the planning and delivery of large capital rail and transit projects.  Morven is a native of Scotland with a degree in undergraduate Scottish Law.

August, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Brian Ceccarelli, Talus Software

Date: Thursday, August 17, 2017

Topic: The Yellow Change Interval – Physics in Opposition

Presentation: PDF
Red Light Camera #1:  AVI | M4V
Red Light Camera #2:  AVI | M4V
Red Light Camera #3:  AVI | M4V
Left Turn Animation #1: AVI | M4V
Left Turn Animation #2: AVI | M4V
Right Turn Animation: AVI | M4V

Summary: This presentation starts with William Potts, the Detroit police officer who invented the yellow traffic signal light in 1920, then moves on to Alexei Maradudin, the University of California physicist who invented the equation traffic engineers use today to set the duration of the yellow light.  Engineers have been using his equation since 1965, applying it universally to all types of traffic motion approaching an intersection.  But Maradudin’s equation accommodates the kinetics of only one case of traffic movement.   The equation conflicts with the kinetics of the rest.  By traffic engineers applying his equation universally, the engineers induce a systematic failure into every traffic signal, a failure causing reasonably-perceptive drivers to unwillingly run red lights.  The driver experiences this failure by either stepping on the gas, by slamming on the brakes or by consigning himself to run a red light, the latter option occurring frequently when decelerating for turning and avoidance maneuvers.  The failure does cause crashes.  The presentation concludes with a word about the compatibility between engineering, physics and man-made laws.

Brian Ceccarelli is a licensed professional engineer (software engineering) in the State of North Carolina.  Mr. Ceccarelli current owns his own company and works on various software projects.  Mr. Ceccarelli has designed and built applications for NASA’s Mars Observer spacecraft, applications for calculating stresses in copper mines in the Congo and Chile, and CAD/CAM applications for the US defense industry.  Ceccarelli took an interest in transportation engineering when the Town of Cary, North Carolina bestowed upon him a red light camera ticket.  Mr. Ceccarelli since has been published in Traffic Technology International, has been an expert panelist in traffic signal timing for the Institute of Transportation Engineers 2015 International Convention, and a speaker at the International Autonomous Vehicles Symposium in Stuttgart, Germany.  Mr. Ceccarelli has a B.Sc. in physics and is a member of ASCE, ITE, and IEEE.

June, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Kate Pearce, AICP, Senior Planner, City of Raleigh, Project Manager Dorothea Dix Park

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017

Topic: Dix Park:  The Creation of America’s Next Great Public Space

Presentation: PDF

Summary:  The City of Raleigh’s acquisition of the Dorothea Dix Campus presents an unprecedented opportunity to create America’s next great public park. Kate Pearce, Senior Planner, with the City of Raleigh will share the story of the evolution of the property and provide a window into the upcoming planning process.

About the presenter:  Kate Pearce is the Senior Planner for Dorothea Dix Park for the City of Raleigh.  As the project manager, she is responsible for the stewardship, use, and future planning of the park.  Prior to joining the City, she worked as both an urban planning and business management consultant.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a MBA from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She also has completed certificate courses at the London School of Economics, Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, and the Central American Institute for International Affairs.

May, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Todd King, PLS, LEED AP, Business Development @ McKim & Creed

Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017

Topic: Proof of Concept Tests of Unmanned Aerial Surveys for Coastal Surveys

Presentation: PDF

Summary:  Nearly 130 million people live in communities that depend on accurate beach monitoring surveys to analyze storm damage, plan and predict maintenance and renourishment activities, and secure emergency funding for restoration. McKim & Creed and ESRI co-hosted a proof of concept (POC) along ~100 acres of North Carolina coast to study the feasibility of using low-cost, commercial, unmanned aerial systems (UAS)— drones—to collect accurate data for beach monitoring surveys without disturbing bird nesting habitats. This presentation will summarize the findings of this award-winning POC that compared the accuracy, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and environmental impact of terrestrial LiDAR, aerial LiDAR, conventional surveying, and UAS.

About the presenter: Todd King, PLS, is a licensed surveyor and a certified remote pilot airman under FAA Part 107. He has worked with McKim & Creed as a land surveyor, a civil technician, and, currently, as a business developer. Todd has owned and sold two successful start-up companies, and is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in applied mathematics.

March, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Amanda Good & Jeff Dale, Kimley-Horn

Date: Thursday, March 16, 2017

Topic: How Connected and Automated Vehicles Will Change the Face of Civil Engineering

Presentation: PDF

Summary: Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) are changing the ways we think about transportation. This presentation will include a high level overview of CAV and the potential impacts to how civil engineers will approach infrastructure needs related to the Transportation Industry.

Amanda Good has 13 years of experience, including 9 years with Kimley-Horn, focusing on systems engineering, state/regional ITS planning, and operations support. Amanda is a certified Project Management Professional and possesses an in-depth background in systems software requirements, testing, and deployment. She is currently serving as a software oversight resource for the SANRAL ITS DBOM project as well as a senior systems professional for the Johannesburg Road Agency Next Generation Arterial Management System Software, ConOps, and Training project. In addition, Amanda has worked on several connected and automated vehicle projects including Michigan DOT, Dubai SDT project, and NCDOT Automated Vehicle Roadmap. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Appalachian State University, a Master of Science in Marine Science from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina State University.
 
Jeff Dale is civil engineer focusing in transportation operations. His 21-year career includes experience in ITS planning, ITS design, Transportation Systems Management a& Operations (TSMO), and Strategic Planning. He spent the first 9 years of his career with the North Carolina DOT, after which he joined Kimley-Horn. Jeff's area of expertise includes stakeholder collaboration and project development focused on needs based solutions. These efforts result in a variety of deliverables including strategic planning tools, organizational structures and staffing plans, standard operating procedures and guidelines, high level and detailed design documents, and performance based operational strategies. Jeff graduated from North Carolina State University with his Bachelor of Science, and he is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina, Michigan, and New York.

January, 2017 Luncheon

Speaker: Jeff Moore

Date: Thursday, January 19, 2017

Topic: Bonner Bridge Update

Presentation: PDF

Summary: The Bonner Bridge is a critical connection from Hatteras Island to the rest of the Outer Banks.  The presentation included the history of the Bonner Bridge project, a project overview, some of the design requirements, as well as the construction methods and challenges associated with construction of the new bridge.

About Mr. Carter:Jeff Moore has worked for PCL for over 30 years throughout the country managing project in the Denver, Tampa, Seattle and Raleigh divisions.  His diverse background includes managing both design-build and bid build projects including precast segmental, bascule, AASHTO girder bridges, major and minor interchange projects.  He has also managed rehabilitation projects of moveable structures.  He graduated with a Civil Engineering Technology degree from University of Southern Colorado and a master's degree in Construction Management from Florida International University in Miami.

November, 2016 Luncheon

Speaker: Kevin Carter, P.E.

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016

Topic: Durham's 3,000,000 gallon Elevated Water Storage Tank

Presentation:  Not available 

Summary: Between 2008 and 2014, as part of the City of Durham's water distribution system Capital Improvements Program, the City's Department of Water Management completed the planning, site selection, hydraulic modeling, design, regulatory and environmental permitting, bidding, and construction of the very complex combination of a 3,000,000-gallon elevated water storage tank and 5 million gallon/day water booster pumping station to service three different water systems, all located in its base.
 
This would also be the first new elevated water storage tank built by the City of Durham in over 20 years, and was definitely going to be a giant. The tank site is located just east of the city at the intersection of Miami Boulevard and Angier Avenue.
 
In 2008, the city embarked on selecting a consultant for the project. As Vice President and Senior Project Manager for Kimley-Horn's Water Resources Department, Mr. Carter performed all the services required for this extremely rare and unique elevated water storage tank project.
 
The tank's planning necessitated significant coordination with multiple city departments, including the Durham City/County Planning Department, City of Durham Engineering Department, and the City of Durham Department of Water Management who was the actual the facilitating department for the project.
 
Unique requirements included an extensive geotechnical analysis to determine if the tank site would accommodate a tank of the proposed style and capacity, and if so, what type of foundation would be required.
 
The project's construction took almost two years to complete at a cost of approximately $6 million.

About Mr. Carter:
He is the President and CEO of K. F. Carter Engineering Company, PLLC located in Durham, North Carolina. He has over 38 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of some of the largest and most complex civil engineering and utility infrastructure projects constructed anywhere in the Southeast.
 
Kevin has primarily served major municipalities such as the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Burlington, Greensboro, Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Columbia, Charleston, and Savannah, and local authorities such as OWASA and CFPUA.
 
Kevin received his BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1978, and immediately following graduation started his engineering career by moving to the very small, quaint, and rural bedroom community of Cary.
 
Kevin is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia.

October, 2016 Presentation

Speaker: Christina Devine, Virginia Tech 

Date: Tuesday, October 18th, 2016

Topic: Flint Michigan Water Crisis

Presentation: Not available

Summary: In April of 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan switched from purchasing water from Detroit, Michigan to treating the Flint River water for potable water. Flint residents immediately noticed issues with their water. However, they were repeatedly told by government officials that their water was safe to drink.  Flint resident LeeAnne Walters, contacted Dr. Marc Edwards and his team at Virginia Tech in late July 2015. The Flint Water Study Team was officially launched in August 2015. Since its launch, the Virginia Tech team has made several trips to Flint to meet with local residents, collect water samples, and learn more about the issue. Lab tests were also performed at the team's labs in Blacksburg Virginia. This presentation will provide an overview of the Virginia Tech Flint Water Study team's efforts combining ethics engineering, citizen science, laboratory experiments, investigative science, and social media to confirm the high lead levels in Flint's water. All results have been posted to: http://flintwaterstudy.org/ 
 
Speaker:  Christina Devine received her bachelor's degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech in December 2014. She began working with Dr. Marc Edwards and his research group in the Spring of 2015 as a graduate research assistant in the Civil Engineering department at Virginia Tech. Her main research project is autogenous repair of potable water pipelines through smart precipitation of calcium carbonate. The goal of this project is to find an innovative and in-situ solution to repair the leaks in the pipelines. She has been a member of Virginia Tech's Flint Water Study team since its start in August 2015.

September, 2016 Tour

Speaker: Chad Nye, Skanska

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2016

Topic: Raleigh Union Station, 510 West Martin Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

Presentation: None.

Summary: Working together in a joint venture, Clancy & Theys, Skanska, and Holt Construction are the contractors working to build a new Union Station for the City of Raleigh.  Located at 510 W. Martin Street in downtown Raleigh, this new Amtrak station will replace the existing station on Cabarrus Street, one of the busiest stations in the southeast US.

• The project reuses an industrial building that has been vacant since 2005. The 26,000-square-foot building will provide 9,200 square feet of passenger areas.
• The concourse between the station and boarding platforms will be at grade with natural light except for a short distance where it passes under one track and then up onto the center island platform.
• The 920 foot-long passenger platform will include a canopy to offer passengers protection from the elements. The center island platform will allow them to board trains on either side. The platform will also be level with the train doors, so passengers will not need steps or wheelchair lifts.
• The current station layout causes passenger trains to block the mainline railroad track when passengers are boarding. This forces freight and other passenger trains to stop and wait until a passenger train in front of them moves on before they can travel through the station area. The new facility will have two dedicated tracks specifically for trains that are stopping at Raleigh Union Station. This removes passenger trains from the mainline tracks, which allows freight and other passenger trains to bypass the station

August, 2016 Luncheon

Speaker: David Charters, P.E. & Willie Noble, P.E. 

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2016

Topic: Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project

Presentation: PDF

Summary: GoTriangle's presentation on the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (D-O LRT) Project will provide a general overview and status update of the project. The environmental clearance process and the development of the Environmental Impact Statement within Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines will be explained. GoTriangle will describe the Durham-Orange Corridor, present the D-O LRT Project's alignment, and review the key activity centers connected along the 17-mile alignment. The presentation will include the anticipated operating scenario and projected ridership.
 
GoTriangle will explain the benefits that the connected communities will derive from the implementation of the light rail project. GoTriangle will provide a technical definition of the project including typical sections and renderings, and describe the Rail Operations & Maintenance Facility. The presentation will conclude with the proposed project schedule, a discussion of the current funding status, and the next steps GoTriangle will take to advance the project into the Engineering phase.

David is the Manager for Design and Engineering for GoTriangle having joined the transit agency in 2014 after over 30 years with a consulting engineering firm. David received his BSCE degree from Lehigh University, and his MSCE degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of ASCE, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. David worked on TTA's Regional Rail Project from 2003 through 2006, and numerous other transit projects, including those in Baltimore, Norfolk, northern Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC.
 
Willie is a project engineer for GoTriangle. He is licensed in Indiana and North Carolina. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a concentration in structural engineering. Willie has over 35 years of experience in structural engineering and construction/project management. He has spent the past 20 years in the transportation/transit industry where he has worked on heavy rail, light rail, and streetcar projects. Willie has been a member of the American Society of Professional Engineers (ASCE) since 1978 and is also a charter member of ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute.

Sponsor:  Falcon Engineering

July, 2016 Luncheon

Speaker: Annette Lucas, P.E. with the North Carolina DEQ 

Date: Thursday, July 21, 2016

Topic: Stormwater Management in North Carolina:  Lots of Changes

Presentation: PDF

Summary:
DEQ is comprehensively updating North Carolina's Stormwater Management Program and, as a result, designers will have more flexibility than before when designing creative and cost-effective stormwater management implementations.  The state stormwater rules will be reorganized for ease of understanding and the Stormwater Design Manual will be completely revised too.   In addition, the website has been updated.  Ms.Lucas discussed these changes, how they may affect you, and how you can stay informed throughout the year.

Annette M. Lucas, P.E. works for the state's Stormwater Permitting Program where she oversees the stormwater design standards. She holds a B.S. degree from Duke University in public policy studies and a M.S. degree from N.C. State University in civil engineering.  Annette has worked for NC DEQ for 15 years.  Her work experience also includes private consulting, NCDOT, and NC State University.

May, 2016 Luncheon

Speaker: Kathryn F. Taylor with K&L Gate

Date: Thursday, May 19, 2016

Topic: Building A Strong Foundation for Avoiding Catastrophic Losses

Presentation:  Not Available

Summary:  The presentation focused on the steps engineering businesses can take to avoid or limit losses arising out of professional activities. Specifically, three areas where engineering businesses can stop or limit losses before they start are: (1) striking and managing good contracts that appropriately allocate risk to the owner and various design and construction contractors; (2) risk management processes; and (3) obtaining the benefit of the insurance coverage for which you've paid.

Topics covered included:

• Contractual provisions allocating risks for delay and the legal limits of liquidated damages for delay;
• Contractual indemnity and limitation of liability provisions
• How choice of forum impacts you more than you think it does
• Professional liability implications of "scope creep"/ "mission creep"
• The legal trend towards fiduciary duties for design professionals
• Mistakes commonly made in obtaining insurance coverage for losses or suits

About the speaker:
Kathryn F. Taylor represents clients in high-stakes litigation in State and Federal courts across the United States. Her broad experience includes litigating breach of contract, fiduciary duty, fraud and misrepresentation, professional negligence, class actions, consumer fraud, breach of warranty and reinsurance matters. Ms. Taylor has represented numerous Fortune 50 companies in complex cases, and has effectively managed all aspects of complex litigation, including electronic preservation and discovery issues, selection and preparation of technical and damages experts, consolidation and coordination of multiple lawsuits across jurisdictions, discovery, mediation and settlement conferences, and trial. She has extensive experience litigating IT outsourcing disputes, particularly on behalf of State and Local government contractors. Ms. Taylor also has extensive experience litigating issues relating to derivatives and over-the-counter commodities trading, reinsurance industry financials and private equity transactions. Her clients have included companies in the technology consulting industry, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, private equity investors, major automotive manufacturers, and reinsurance brokers and underwriters.