Insurance for Professional Services

What it covers:
This protects your organization from lawsuits, fines and penalties arising out of a hacking attack or data breach. It can also reimburse the company for its direct expenses such as breach notification costs, credit monitoring, data restoration and forensic analysis.

Why you need it?:
If you collect any sort of personal or organizational information, have a “login” feature on your site, integrate with another organization’s systems in any way, have employees who could fall for a phishing scam, generate online content such as blog posts or even simply rely heavily on email communications, you need cyber liability insurance. Fintech companies who regularly process transactions are highly visible targets for hackers and, as such, should be protected.

What it covers:
Protects the company and its intellectual property. Policies can work two ways: 1. Defense policies provide legal defense costs if you are sued for an IP infringement 2. Abatement policies help cover the cost of enforcing your own IP rights

Why you need it?:
IP litigation is common and expensive. Companies in innovative, disruptive and/or competitive spaces may face suits from both competitors and patent trolls. For the latter, just having this policy in-force can act as a deterrent. In the case of competitors who may have a more valid claim, the policy provides much needed capital so that the company’s balance sheet doesn’t have to take the hit. (Not to mention the benefit of partnering with an experienced claims team who can guide you through the process).

What it covers:
Protects the company and key individuals from liability related to the management of the organization. Companies that indemnify their executives against certain covered claims can turn to their D&O policy for reimbursement. In addition, if the organization itself is named in a suit, the policy would defend the entity.

Why you need it?:
Ensures the company and its leadership is protected from legal liability related to allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and other management-related claims. It provides the capital required to absorb certain legal costs without mortgaging the future of the entire organization.

What it covers:

Covers the company if an act, error, or omission committed in the course of the company’s performance of professional services is alleged to have caused a financial loss for a third party.

Why you need it?:

Complex litigation is expensive and, between contract law and the unpredictability of client service, there’s a lot that can go wrong. The policy responds to the threat of professional service disputes by paying legal fees and judgments/settlements from a lawsuit for an alleged failure in the provision of professional services.

What it covers:
Covers the organization from some of the fundamental risks that come with running an technology organization, such as ‘slip and fall’ claims, damage to a third party’s property, products liability claims, damage to rented space, and personal or advertising injury claims.

Why you need it?:
It forms the foundation of any risk management program. On top of protecting the company from legal liability caused by bodily injury or property damage, this coverage is usually required in contracts like office leases and vendor agreements.

What it covers:
Protects the organization and its management by paying the costs of defending against certain suits from employees or investigations from government agencies. Common claims include allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination.

Why you need it?:
If you or the organization itself is named in such a claim, the coverage would defend you and pay the judgment or settlement against you. Keep in mind how easy it is for an employee to start an action that requires a legal defense.

What it covers:
Protects the company from loss caused by certain illegal activities. Unlike many other commercial insurance policies, it has nothing to do with defending against lawsuits from third parties. This policy instead reimburses the company itself for loss of money, securities or other tangible property that it directly experiences.

Why you need it?:

Most businesses are exposed to the risk of criminal activity. This insurance protects your company from crimes committed within the company itself as well as crimes committed by people or other factors outside of your company. Common claims include:

• Employees stealing money from the company or clients.
• Inadvertently accepting forged checks or counterfeit money.
• Non-employees stealing from the company’s office or from the premises of the company’s bank.
• Robbery of valuables while in transit under the care of a messenger or armored car.
• Computer and wire transfer fraud.

What it covers:
Provides a legally required coverage protecting employees if they are physically injured or get sick while on the job. Legal requirements vary state-by-state.

Why you need it?:

Fines could be imposed on any company that doesn’t comply with their state’s workers’ comp laws. Employers liability coverage also provides valuable legal defense costs if a lawsuit develops in connection with the injury or illness.