Aon vs 
Heffernan Insurance Brokers: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?
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 Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan’s technology practice targets mid- and late-stage, venture-funded and pre-IPO companies; early-stage firms seeking a direct online quote should compare digital providers. It also offers claims consulting and workers’ compensation support. 4,5,6
Read the Heffernan Insurance Brokers profile
Read the Heffernan Insurance Brokers Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance page
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional liability can help pay defense costs and covered losses when a client says your advice or service caused financial harm. If customers rely on your work, list every service you provide and check the claims-made reporting and prior-work terms. 8,9,10,11
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Coverage and Policy Design
Aon says its professional-services practice tailors E&O structures to the firm’s needs and names law, accounting and consulting firms as its audience. Heffernan describes E&O as protection for claims that a company’s product or service problem caused a client financial loss. Its small-business division serves sole proprietors through fast-growing companies in fields including construction, health, hospitality, real estate and technology. The two descriptions offer different levels of industry specificity; ask both about your actual service. 3 7
Buying Route and Terms
Heffernan says it shops coverage with insurers, can custom-design a package for industries not listed and asks buyers to contact its small-business team for a quote. Aon likewise describes a brokerage/advisory role. Neither reviewed record publishes E&O limits, retentions or carrier identity for an account. Heffernan’s custom-package route may be useful for an unlisted industry, but the proposed form still determines scope. Compare insurer, insured services and exclusions. 3 7
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
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 reviewsHeffernan Insurance Brokers
Review Score
1 rated source
Heffernan’s available review sample is small and local, with a low Google rating for one office. Check the team that would actually serve your business.[6][7][8]
Read Heffernan Insurance Brokers reviewsOffering Details
Aon vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Aon Professional Liability / E&O brokerage and risk-advisory offering | Heffernan Professional Errors and Omissions Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Aon presents Professional Liability / E&O as a line its Professional Services Practice helps arrange or advise on for professional-service firms. Aon is describing a global brokerage and advisory service, not issuing the underlying policy. The producing legal entity and carrier for any particular placement are not named on this page. 3Company-reported. Aon’s global professional-services practice page. This establishes a marketed brokerage/advisory offering, not policy issuance or account-specific placement. | Heffernan lists errors and omissions among the coverages its small-business division places for clients, shopping the line with insurers rather than underwriting it. 7Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; no dedicated professional-E&O product page was found. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed practice page does not name the insurer or producing legal entity for a specific placement. Ask for both on the quote and binder. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no state-specific placement schedule or buyer quote was reviewed. This does not establish that Aon cannot arrange a placement. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | Aon identifies law, accounting and consulting firms as the audience for its global Professional Services Practice. That audience scope does not establish eligibility for every firm or other business. 3Company-reported. Audience described for Aon’s global professional-services practice. It does not establish U.S. state availability or underwriting eligibility for a placement. | Heffernan's small-business division says it serves sole proprietors through fast-growing companies across industries including construction, food, health care, hospitality, nonprofits, real estate, technology, transportation, and vintners and growers, and will custom-design a package for industries not listed. 7Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; not exclusively E&O-specific, but describes the buyer base for the page listing this coverage. |
| Coverage Features | Aon describes professional liability as addressing professional-services firms’ liability exposure and says it tailors coverage structures to a firm’s needs. It identifies E&O as a commonly used name for professional-liability insurance; actual policy terms are not stated. 3Company-reported. Aon’s marketing description of the brokerage/coverage area. The page is not the insurer’s policy form and does not establish an insured's entitlement to coverage. | Heffernan describes errors and omissions coverage as protecting against claims for problems with a company's product or service that result in a financial loss to a client. 7Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; the page does not list specific exclusions, claims-made versus occurrence form, or endorsements. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed page does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or other placement terms. Confirm these in the quote, bond or issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no quote, bond form or issued policy was reviewed. | The reviewed page does not publish limits, retentions, or premium ranges for errors and omissions coverage. 7Not publicly disclosed. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Risk Services | Aon says its professional-services advisors use industry knowledge, insights, data and tools to support risk-management and human-capital decisions. This is a company-described advisory service, not a claim outcome or policy benefit. 3Company-reported. Company-reported advisory services on Aon’s global practice page; account-specific service scope is not stated. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Heffernan directs small-business buyers to contact the firm's small-business division to request a quote and says it will research and build a custom package for industries not already listed. 7Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23. |
Full Comparison
More Aon vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&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.
- Professional Services Practice. Aon; Named professional-services audiences and global advisory role, lines 125–128; line offerings and explanations lines 131–190; contact link lines 120–122. Global practice page; no U.S. state or account-specific placement schedule. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
- Our Story. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology Company Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Forward-Thinking Business Insurance: basic coverages (general liability, commercial property and auto, workers’ compensation); corporate and executive protection (EPL, D&O, fiduciary responsibility, cyber, kidnap and ransom); alternative risk capabilities; claims, loss control and risk-management services; industry practice links including Technology and Claims Advocacy. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Small Business Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; The types of coverage we can provide include... Errors and omissions protects against claims for problems with your product or service that result in a financial loss; industries served list; Specialty Programs; contact for custom-designed packages. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide
- FAQ: Professional liability insurance. Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16.
