At-Bay vs 
Harper: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?
Harper is the broker route, with a specialist who builds E&O around your services and issues a certificate the same day when a contract requires it; At-Bay offers its own MPL to licensed insurance professionals.
Harper says it reviews exclusions line by line before purchase; At-Bay publishes a duty to defend and an 80/20 hammer clause in its MPL terms. 6,7,1
What Are the Key Differences Between At-Bay and Harper Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?
Review the Wording or Start With Listed Features
Harper says its “Professional Liability” and “Errors and Omissions” listings refer to the same product, with different names used by industry:
Harper markets the identical policy under two catalogue entries, "Professional Liability" and "Errors and Omissions"; the E&O page states it is the same policy, just named what a given industry calls it. 6,7Company-reported. Coverage directory listing plus the E&O page's own description; a naming convention Harper states about itself, not a distinction between two products.
The labels do not mean you are choosing between different Harper forms. At-Bay lists MPL features such as a duty-to-defend contract and an 80/20 hammer clause, which you can check against your needs. 1
Check Exclusions Before You Buy
Harper says it reviews exclusions line by line because two policies with the same limit can respond differently to a claim. At-Bay describes submission through its producer and does not describe a comparable client policy-review service. If your client contract is strict, ask Harper to identify any wording that fails it. 5 2
Ask for Specific Quote Terms
The reviewed Harper pages discuss pricing factors but do not name the issuing insurer or publish limits. At-Bay’s product page also does not name its current insurer, though it publishes a $5 million ceiling. Ask both for the policy and actual quote details. 5 1
What Should You Confirm in At-Bay and Harper Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?
- Ask Harper which of its two catalog labels applies and request its line-by-line review against your contract. 6
- Ask both which insurer will issue your policy. 5 1
- Request actual limits, retentions, premium and applicable exclusions from each. 5 1
- Confirm whether At-Bay’s broker submission route works for you. 1
At-Bay vs Harper Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Compared
At-Bay vs Harper: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | At-Bay Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL) Insurance | Harper Professional Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Who It’s For | At-Bay says it provides primary MPL for businesses of all revenue sizes with limits up to $5 million, subject to state restrictions and eligibility requirements detailed in a separate MPL appetite guide. 1Company-reported. Current MPL appetite paragraph; the linked appetite guide's specific eligibility requirements were not independently opened for this record. | Harper targets consultants, agencies, tech firms and licensed professionals whose work product is advice, design or a decision, since general liability doesn't cover a client claiming that work caused a financial loss. 5Company-reported. Professional liability page introduction and FAQ distinguishing it from general liability. |
| How to Apply | At-Bay directs MPL submissions to underwriting by email or through automatic quotes on its Broker Platform, which At-Bay describes as a workflow of creating a quote, customizing limits and retentions, and binding the policy. 1,4Company-reported. Current submission instructions and the general broker-platform workflow description; MPL-specific automation details were not separately confirmed. | You request a quote online or by phone; if a client contract requires E&O, Harper says it places coverage matching that requirement and issues the certificate the same day. 5Company-reported. Professional liability page quote form and FAQ 'My client contract requires E&O. What now?'. |
| Coverage Features | At-Bay lists MPL coverage highlights including automatic coverage for acquired subsidiaries, claims-made-and-reported coverage, coverage for independent contractors, disciplinary-proceedings defense, a duty-to-defend contract, personal-injury coverage (including emotional distress), punitive damages where insurable, a professional-services definition written for each insured, and an 80/20 hammer clause. 1Company-reported. Product-page coverage-highlights list; an 80/20 hammer clause is a settlement provision where the insurer pays 80% and the insured pays 20% of costs after the insured declines a recommended settlement. The issued policy and declarations control actual wording, limits and exclusions. | Harper describes coverage for errors and omissions in the work itself, negligence allegations about professional judgment, and legal defense costs, with limits it says are matched to the client contracts that require the policy. 5,6Company-reported. Professional liability page's four coverage tiles; the E&O page adds that claims often surface a year or more after the work was delivered. The issued policy and its exclusions control actual scope. |
| Role in This Line | At-Bay markets MPL as one of its own named insurance products, sold through its disclosed producer, At-Bay Insurance Services LLC, with the product page directed at "properly licensed insurance professionals" submitting business rather than at direct retail buyers. 1,2Company-reported. Current MPL product page and license disclosures; this describes the distribution channel, not who bears the underwriting risk. | Harper places professional liability coverage as a broker, writing the policy around the applicant's actual services rather than underwriting it, and describes a specialist handling the placement. 5Company-reported. Professional liability page introduction and 'Why Harper' section. Harper markets the identical policy under two catalogue entries, "Professional Liability" and "Errors and Omissions"; the E&O page states it is the same policy, just named what a given industry calls it. 6,7Company-reported. Coverage directory listing plus the E&O page's own description; a naming convention Harper states about itself, not a distinction between two products. |
