The most expensive problems are often the ones you can’t see. In this episode of Fortune Favours the Brave, we uncover the unseen world beneath construction projects with guests Giles Tagg and Alessandro Morgan-Gianni from DAC Beachcroft, and Thomas Jones from Howden.

We explore:

• How hidden ground conditions lead to seven‑figure claims
• Why sinkholes signal deeper geotechnical risks
• Practical ways engineers and developers can protect projects through better scope, evidence, and documentation

You’ll also hear about a real case involving chalk ground—where negligence was proven but caused no recoverable loss due to causation.

Key topics include:

• What geotechnical engineers do and why uncertainty persists
• How sinkholes form and why images can mislead
• Sampling limits, borehole density, and value engineering trade‑offs
• Common claims: settlement, heave, contamination, drainage failures
• Defence strategies using early expert evidence and causation analysis
• Direct and indirect losses - from remediation to finance costs
• The Tilehurst case and its causation outcome
• Practical risk controls: scope, reliance, records, liability limits
• How climate change and planning reform increase claims exposure
• Predictions for more sinkholes, landslips, and multi‑party disputes

What happens when those who care for others need help themselves? Understand how care providers can ensure they prioritise staff wellbeing and what the risk and insurance impacts are when these initiatives are not put in place.

Hosted by Richard Lawson, Senior Account Executive at Howden Health & Care, our latest care sector podcast dives into the critical yet often overlooked world of care workers. With the expertise of Karolina Gerlich, CEO of the Care Workers’ Charity and Sabrina Meetaroo, Associate Director, Head of Risk & Claims Advocacy, Howden Health & Care.

We discuss the essential work that The Care Workers’ Charity does to support the social care workforce and the key findings from their Wellbeing Report published earlier this year. The conversation then moves to workforce wellbeing and the connection this has on business and operational risk.

Finally, we provide a summary of the future developments within the care sector and what providers need to continue to do to help their workers meet the complex challenges that they face.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in URS Corporation Ltd (Appellant) v BDW Trading Ltd (Respondent) [2025] UKSC 21 has been highly anticipated and is now regarded as one of the most significant construction law rulings in recent years. It marks the Court's first major interpretation of both the Defective Premises Act 1972 and Building Safety Act 2022.

Morgan Taylor, Claims and Technical Executive at Howden, and Jonathan Carrington, Senior Associate at RPC, examine the background to the case, the Court’s findings, and the potential implications for construction and property professionals moving forward.