Building Information Modeling ("BIM") has been described as having the potential of fundamentally changing the building process—the design, the delivery, and even the communication between project team members. And, with the ever-increasing use of BIM, the number of professional liability claims is expected to decline.

Sue E. Yoakum, AIA, Of Counsel with the Donovan Hatem Professional Practices Group, led a discussion on the risks and rewards of BIM for design professionals, focusing on the potential liability issues of BIM, and how to minimize the associated risks, including

• Setting expectations
• Ownership vs. Leadership
• Cooperation vs. Contention
• Risk Allocation

Sue was joined by Mark J. Tamaro, P.E., of Thornton Tomasetti, who reviewed a recent project—the Washington Nationals Stadium—that included an extensive use of BIM during the design process. Mark's experience managing the BIM aspects of the stadium offers a first-hand look at the complexities, and efficiencies, of BIM as it is used by today's design professionals.