Beazley vs CNA: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

Beazley advertises private-company D&O limits up to $20 million and lets buyers choose duty-to-defend or pay-on-behalf handling; CNA describes configurable Epack 3 limits. 5,3,9

What Is Beazley?

Beazley’s MediaTech combines technology E&O, media and cyber, while Execuguard offers separate or shared executive-risk limits; small businesses seeking a quick standard quote should compare digital carriers. 1,2,3,4

Read the Beazley profile

Read the Beazley D&O Insurance page

CNA Small Business Insurance: Products, Agents and Service

CNA directs small-business buyers to independent agents and describes CNA Connect as a businessowners policy for more than 600 small-business classes. Issuer and availability vary by policy and state, so confirm both in a quote. 6,7,8

Read the CNA profile

Read the CNA D&O Insurance page

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. 10,11,12

Read the full coverage guide

What Are the Key Differences Between Beazley and CNA D&O Insurance?

Available limits and claims control

Beazley advertises limits up to $20 million, subject to underwriting, with a dedicated Excess Side A option. CNA says Epack 3 supports shared or separate limits and an embedded Side A amount, but its public claim gives no ceiling. Companies seeking larger limits should request comparable quotes and retentions rather than treat Beazley’s advertised maximum as guaranteed. 5 9

How the Difference Affects Your Placement

Beazley offers a choice between duty-to-defend and pay-on-behalf handling and says it pays 100% of covered defense costs. CNA says an experienced claims team supports D&O policyholders. Ask Beazley which handling option is available and CNA how defense counsel and costs are managed. 5 9

What Should You Confirm in Beazley and CNA D&O Insurance Quotes?

  • What limit, retention and Excess Side A amount will Beazley underwrite for your risk? 5
  • How does CNA handle defense counsel and defense costs under the quoted Epack 3 form? 9

Beazley and CNA Review Scores for 2026

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.

Beazley Review Score

5.6/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Beazley’s available customer feedback is mixed, with a 2.8/5 WalletHub rating from 15 reviews. That small, mixed-product sample gives business buyers limited guidance.[3][9]

Read Beazley reviews

CNA Review Score

9.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Customer feedback on CNA is mixed and hard to compare. NerdWallet gave it 4.5 out of 5 for manufacturers, while Trustpilot shows about 1.4 out of 5 from 49 mostly self-selected reviews.[1][5]

Read CNA reviews

Beazley vs CNA D&O Insurance Compared

Beazley vs CNA: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaBeazley D&O – Private CompaniesCNA Epack 3 Private Company D&O
Role in This Line

Beazley underwrites private-company directors and officers (D&O) liability itself, offered as a standalone product on its D&O - Private Companies page and bundled with employment practices and fiduciary liability coverage in its ExecuGuard package policy. 5,3Company-reported. US private-company D&O as described on the two reviewed product pages; does not establish which entity issues a particular policy.

Confirm in your quote.

Issuing Insurer

Neither the D&O - Private Companies page nor the ExecuGuard page names the specific Beazley insurance entity that issues the policy; ExecuGuard states both admitted and non-admitted versions are available, so the issuing carrier depends on the policy placed. 5,3Not found in reviewed sources. Both product pages as read on 2026-09-23; the issued policy's declarations control the actual insurer.

Confirm in your quote.

Who It’s For

The D&O page targets privately held companies of all sizes facing litigation such as employment allegations, fraud and misrepresentation claims, without a stated employee-count or revenue threshold on that page. 5,3Company-reported. Private-company D&O only; ExecuGuard buyers can additionally choose to share limits across D&O, EPL and fiduciary coverages.

CNA states this D&O product is designed for private companies, including small private companies. 9Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company marketing summary only; issued policy forms, underwriting, jurisdictional availability, limits, exclusions and definitions control. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form.

Coverage Features

The D&O product lets the policyholder choose between a "duty to defend" or "pay on behalf" claim-handling structure, and Beazley says it pays 100% of defense costs for covered loss. 5Company-reported. D&O - Private Companies product page; actual defense obligations and cost-sharing are set by the issued policy.

Beazley offers a dedicated additional Excess Side A limit for individual directors and officers, plus an optional employed-lawyers errors-and-omissions extension. 5Company-reported. D&O - Private Companies product page; availability and pricing of the extension depend on underwriting.

CNA’s private-company D&O summary describes coverage for covered company and individual claims and identifies Side A, Side B and Side C protection. 9Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company marketing summary only; issued policy forms, underwriting, jurisdictional availability, limits, exclusions and definitions control. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form.

Limits and Retentions

Beazley advertises private-company D&O limits up to US $20 million, on either an admitted or non-admitted (surplus lines) basis; actual limits and retentions are set by underwriting and appear on the declarations. 5,3Company-reported. Advertised maximum capacity, not a guaranteed quote amount.

CNA says Epack 3 D&O can use shared or separate limits and offers an embedded Side A limit option. 9Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Availability of options is subject to underwriting and policy wording. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form.

Risk Services

D&O policyholders get pre-approved choice-of-counsel flexibility, and law-firm insureds can access a bespoke executive-risk wording through Beazley's related Practice Protect product. 5Company-reported. D&O - Private Companies product page; scope and terms of the Practice Protect wording were not independently reviewed.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

Beazley lists a downloadable EPL renewal application as a tool on the D&O page and names regional Executive Risk underwriters and brokers as contacts, but the reviewed page does not describe a self-service online quoting flow for new D&O business. 5Company-reported. D&O - Private Companies product page as read on 2026-09-23; buyers typically work through a broker or underwriter contact.

Confirm in your quote.

Claims Support

Beazley illustrates its D&O claims approach with a securities class-action and shareholder derivative-action scenario in which its claims team worked with the insured's defense counsel toward a dismissal, avoiding a settlement; this is a single company-reported example, not audited claims-outcome data. 3Company-reported. ExecuGuard page scenario section; outcome statistics are not independently verified.

CNA says an experienced claims team supports policyholders with D&O claims. 9Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company-reported service description; not an outcome guarantee. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form.

Related Pages for Beazley vs CNA D&O Insurance

D&O Insurance Pages for Beazley and CNA

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Beazley vs CNA

Other D&O Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Beazley vs CNA D&O Insurance

Sources About Beazley

  1. MediaTech for Small Businesses. Beazley; Opening product description; What we offer: E&O (Tech and Professional), Media, Cyber coverage includes; How can we help; SME placement paragraph; Tools & Resources. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary). Beazley; What we offer: separate or shared limits among EPL, D&O and fiduciary; Limits up to US $20,000,000, both admitted and non-admitted available; Examples or Scenarios: California securities class action/derivative action. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  3. Virtual Care. Beazley; Available Coverages; Who we can help; Where is this offered. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. D&O - Private Companies. Beazley; What we offer; How can we help: duty to defend/pay on behalf, 100% defense for covered loss, Excess Side A limit, private placement coverage, Practice Protect for lawyers; Up to US $20,000,000; Tools & Resources: EPL_RenewalApp. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources About CNA

  1. Insurance for Small Businesses. CNA; Insurance for Small Businesses, lines 38-50 and 65-67 (CNA Central and agent route); lines 79-106 (product and stated appetite lists); page footer line 132 (CNA registered service mark). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. General Disclaimer. CNA; General Disclaimer paragraphs 1 and 5 (HTML lines 24 and 28): CNA describes Continental Casualty Company and its relevant affiliates; references to CNA may include one or more CCC affiliates; each particular policy/product/service is the responsibility only of the specific CNA company that issues or supplies it. Footer line 57 identifies CNA Financial Corporation as trademark registrant. Re-read 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Private Company Directors & Officers Liability | CNA. CNA; pp. 1–2: covered claims, Side A/B/C, limits, eligibility and claims. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources for the D&O Insurance Guide

  1. Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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