Building Better Business Summit

When:

May 21, 2026 at 8:00am – 2:00am EDT

People:

Jeffrey Bright, Daniel Schneider and Amanda Szmuc

Location:

Hyatt Regency Princeton

102 Carnegie Center Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540

ABC New Jersey’s Building Better Business Summit brings together construction industry experts and business leaders for a day focused on helping contractors strengthen and grow their businesses. Designed as a one-stop resource for owners, managers, and office professionals alike, this event will cover the topics that directly impact your bottom line and daily operations.

Designed for company owners, leadership teams, and office professionals, including HR, finance, and operations staff, this event serves as a one-stop resource for the issues that impact daily operations and long-term success. Sessions will address topics such as employee benefits and health insurance, hiring and workforce challenges, prevailing wage updates, and other key business considerations facing today’s contractors.

Session 2 (10:00 – 10:55 AM)

Managing Economic Volatility in Construction Projects: Legal and Practical Strategies for Contractors

This panel discussion provides contractors with actionable strategies to navigate market instability. Moving beyond theory, the program focuses on practical risk management, from negotiating effective price escalation clauses to handling material delays and scheduling pressures. Attendees will learn to strengthen contracts, protect payments, and master documentation techniques that preserve claims without damaging owner relationships. It is an essential guide to surviving—and thriving—in a volatile economic landscape.

Meet the Speakers: 

Portrait of Jeffrey Bright Portrait of Daniel Schneider portrait photo of Amanda Szmuc
Jeffrey Bright Daniel Schneider Amanda Szmuc

Firm Highlights

  • Events
    AIA Tri-State Conference
    Princeton will serve as the backdrop for three days of connection, learning, and design leadership. From keynotes to tours to the Tri-State Design Awards, this year’s conference is designed to go far beyond education sessions. Kick off the week with pre-conference intensives and individual state component Design Award celebrations, followed by three days of education, inspiration, networking, and design excellence at the 2026 AIA Tri-State Conference—featuring pre-conference intensives, three keynote speakers, 25 education sessions, curated tours, an expo, spec academies, and the AIA Tri-State Design Awards—bringing together architects and design professionals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and celebrate the best of the profession. G2. Designing Secure Practices: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Contractual Provisions, and Insurance Risks for Architects (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Architects and design professionals increasingly rely on cloud platforms, BIM software, and digital tools to manage sensitive data, creating cybersecurity and privacy risks. A single incident can trigger liability claims, regulatory obligations, reputational harm, and insurance challenges. Yet many firms underestimate how contracts, insurance, and internal practices intersect during a breach. This program offers legal and insurance perspectives on cyber risk in architecture, examining liability exposure, risky contract provisions, and mitigation strategies. A cyber insurance expert will explain policy responses, coverage gaps, coordination with professional liability, and best practices for aligning insurance with contractual risk and protecting firms from evolving cyber threats. Learning Objectives: Identify key cybersecurity and data privacy risks faced by architecture firms and explain how these risks can impact professional liability and project outcomes. Analyze common contractual provisions to determine which clauses may increase exposure to cyber incidents and propose strategies to mitigate these risks. Evaluate the scope and limitations of cyber insurance policies, including coordination with professional liability coverage, to determine how a policy would respond in a breach scenario. Develop actionable risk management strategies by integrating legal, contractual, and insurance considerations to protect sensitive client and project data.
  • Blog Posts
    Law, Love, and Life's Battles: Facing Breast Cancer
    What happens to a marriage and a family when a breast cancer diagnosis changes everything? In this episode of Love Ends, Law Begins, hosts Fara Rodriguez and Stephanie Lehman have a deeply personal conversation about breast cancer, marriage, family, and the challenges that can come with a serious illness. This episode is especially meaningful for Fara, who shares her own recent breast cancer diagnosis and journey. She opens up about discovering a lump, receiving her diagnosis, undergoing a double mastectomy and subsequent treatments, and navigating the emotional impact of cancer while continuing to work and care for her family. Fara and Stephanie discuss how a cancer diagnosis can affect a marriage in unexpected ways—from changing family roles and creating new caregiving responsibilities to putting pressure on finances, health insurance, and household responsibilities. They explore how illness can either bring couples closer together or create additional challenges, particularly when one spouse becomes the primary caregiver or when the family is dealing with fear and uncertainty. The conversation also addresses the unique challenges of parenting during an illness, including how to talk to children about a cancer diagnosis and how divorced parents may need to adjust parenting schedules and responsibilities when one parent becomes sick. From navigating medical expenses and insurance coverage to balancing work, parenting, caregiving, and intimacy, Fara and Stephanie offer a candid look at the ways illness can reshape relationships and family dynamics. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this episode provides an honest and personal conversation about facing cancer while navigating marriage, family, and the many practical challenges that come with a serious diagnosis. In this episode, you'll hear about: • Fara's personal breast cancer diagnosis and journey • How a cancer diagnosis can affect a marriage • The challenges of becoming a caregiver to your spouse • How illness can bring couples closer together—or create new challenges • Talking to children about a parent's cancer diagnosis • How divorced parents can navigate parenting responsibilities when one parent becomes ill • The financial impact of illness and the loss of household income • Health insurance and medical coverage considerations • How medical expenses can create additional financial strain • The importance of support from family, friends, and caregivers • Balancing work, parenting, treatment, and recovery • How illness can affect intimacy and marital dynamics • The importance of supporting children through a parent's illness • Why communication and cooperation matter during a health crisis • Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the importance of mammograms