The sluggish U.S. economy has exacerbated a challenging situation for architects, engineers and construction professionals. Not only do they face a landscape marked by fewer projects and greater competition, they also are being pushed by owners to bear contractual responsibility for risks associated with activities outside their controland beyond the scope of their professional purview.On the surface, it might seem good business practice to use negotiating leverage in contracts to try to shift as much project risk as possible to those doing the work.However, a general misunderstanding between owners and their attorneys with respect to the roles and responsibilities among