What Is Aon?
Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe brokerage for certain insurance programs, while its Middle Market page describes a dedicated practice for mid-sized organizations across North America. The public materials reviewed do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular placement. Ask which entity will produce each line and which insurer will issue the policy; request jurisdiction details for the proposed placement and ask how compensation and claim notice work for your account. 1,2
What Is Gallagher?
Gallagher’s technology specialists serve startups through global enterprises, while its executive-risk team supports IPO and M&A needs; small firms seeking one simple digital quote should compare online agencies. 4,5,6,7,8
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
D&O insurance can help pay covered defense costs and losses from claims against company leaders over management decisions. If your organization has a board or executives, check whether the company itself is insured and whether legal bills reduce the limit. 9,10,11
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Broker Advocacy and Claim Support
Gallagher describes D&O claims advocacy as a broker service. Aon says its brokerage and claims teams collaborate during coverage negotiations and uses insurer-selection analytics. Neither service makes the carrier’s claim decision. Ask each broker who leads support after notice and how counsel and wording disputes are handled. 3 6
Coverage Design and Market Analysis
Aon explains Side A, B and C, including different public and private structures. Gallagher describes D&O placement but not a universal policy form. The quote should specify the sides insured, entity coverage, aggregate and defense-cost treatment. 3 6
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Ask Gallagher to define claims advocacy and compensation; ask Aon for carrier, Side A/B/C terms and the proposed claims contact. 3
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Aon
Review Score
3 rated sources
Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]
Read Aon reviewsGallagher
Review Score
3 rated sources
Gallagher has strong Trustpilot feedback and a favorable historical large-commercial survey result. Neither directly measures today’s US small-business service.[2][4][6]
Read Gallagher reviewsOffering Details
Aon vs Gallagher: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Aon Directors and Officers Liability brokerage and risk-advisory offering | Gallagher Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Aon markets D&O broking and advisory services, including insurer selection and program design. It does not issue the described coverage or name the carrier for a buyer’s placement. 3Company-reported. Aon’s official global product/capability page. The statement is limited to Aon’s marketing of brokerage or advisory services, not policy issuance. | Gallagher's Executive and Financial Risk practice places D&O liability insurance and advises on program design; it does not underwrite the policy, which is issued by a carrier selected during placement. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed page does not identify the insurer or the legal producing entity for a specific placement. Ask Aon to identify both for the quoted risk. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote, binder or policy was reviewed. This does not establish that no insurer or producing entity is available. | The executive-and-financial-risk page does not name the insurer that would issue a given client's D&O policy; it says Gallagher weighs carrier qualifications and performance data alongside a client's own insurer history and preferences when deciding which carriers to approach. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page. |
| Who It’s For | Aon describes D&O services for public and private companies and discusses executives, directors, managers and board members. This is a target-audience description, not an underwriting eligibility schedule. 3Company-reported. Audience stated by Aon on its global capability page; this does not establish a specific applicant’s eligibility or placement availability by U.S. state. | Gallagher specifically markets D&O placement and advisory support to special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) around their IPO and de-SPAC process, and to companies going public through an IPO or direct listing. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page, SPAC and IPO subsections. |
| Coverage Features | Aon explains D&O policies generally through Side A individual protection when company indemnity is unavailable, Side B reimbursement when the company indemnifies a director or officer, and Side C entity coverage, with different descriptions for public and private companies. It notes exclusions can apply; an issued policy determines the actual scope. 3Company-reported. Aon’s broker-authored explanation of the insurance line. It does not establish an individual insured’s policy entitlement; the insurer’s form, endorsements and declarations control. | Gallagher says its D&O team constructs policies addressing lawsuits from shareholders, employees, competitors, suppliers and government bodies, and can evaluate an existing D&O program against the market. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page; a service description, not a specific policy's insuring agreement. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed page does not state a standard buyer-specific limit, retention or deductible for this placement. Confirm amounts, sublimits and conditions in the quote and issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote or policy form was reviewed. | The executive-and-financial-risk page does not publish D&O limits, retentions or premium ranges. 6Not publicly disclosed. Checked the group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page. |
| Risk Services | Aon says its brokerage and claims teams collaborate on coverage negotiations and describes insurer-selection analytics and a D&O Risk Analyzer. Those are broker services, not an insurer claim decision or guarantee. 3Company-reported. Company-reported brokerage and advisory services. Account-specific service terms are not stated. | For SPACs and IPOs, Gallagher describes bundling D&O coverage before and after the IPO with related lines such as representations and warranties, E&O, cyber, tax and contingent liability coverage, plus risk-management and claims support at each stage. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page, SPAC subsection. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | Gallagher says its Executive and Financial Risk practice has a dedicated claims-advocacy team with in-house attorneys specializing in these lines, and that it uses quantitative benchmarking, including measuring the judicious use of Side-A-only D&O coverage, to guide more precise coverage structures. 6Company-reported. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice summary; describes a support service, not a guarantee of claim payment. |
Full Comparison
More Aon vs Gallagher Comparisons
Other D&O Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Aon
- Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) Liability Insurance. Aon; D&O audience and coverage explanation, lines 123–160; insurer-selection, brokerage and claims collaboration, analytics and industry specialization, lines 171–189; contact link at top. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Gallagher
- Technology Insurance. Gallagher; Introduction; Solutions and coverages for the technology industry: Technology errors and omissions including cyber, Intellectual property insurance, Product liability, Employee benefits; Data-driven insights; global network. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Insurance for Technology & IT Businesses. Gallagher Small Business; Protection for IT Professionals & Their Technology-Based Businesses; recommended coverage menu, including Surety Bond Programs; Connect With An Advisor. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Executive and Financial Risk Insurance. Gallagher; Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability insurance section; Special-Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) section; IPO and direct listings section; Executive and Financial Risk Practice Summary. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Legal Information. Gallagher Small Business; Producer identification immediately above Quick Links. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Woodruff Sawyer Is Now Gallagher. Gallagher; Opening; Executive and Financial Risk consulting; Continued access to client portals; contact form. Accessed 2026-09-16.
D&O Insurance Guide
- Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; Header p.1 and VI.A pp.6–7. Accessed 2026-09-16.
