What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?
BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 1,2,3,4
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance D&O Insurance page
What Is Chubb?
Chubb fits technology firms seeking DigiTech ERM or small businesses with up to $30 million in revenue seeking a BOP; buyers wanting an instant direct purchase should compare online carriers. Agents can quote eligible small accounts, with a faster cyber route. 7,8,9
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. 12,13,14
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Defined limits and IPO features
Chubb lists a $500,000 sublimit for evaluating security-holder derivative demands, an optional extra $500,000 Side A limit, and guaranteed quotation for an IPO. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes government investigations, including informal inquiries of insured individuals without sublimits, and shareholder derivative-action costs. A private company preparing to go public should compare these defined transition features with BHSI’s investigation terms and the actual limits offered. 10 10 5
Company size and access to quoting
Chubb underwrites ForeFront Portfolio 3.0 for smaller privately held companies and allows agents and brokers to quote and issue it through Chubb Marketplace. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance names large commercial and financial firms as its D&O target accounts. That stated audience difference matters to an early-stage private firm: ask Chubb whether the product fits its profile and BHSI whether its account size meets appetite. 10 11 5
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Confirm whether Chubb’s $500,000 derivative-demand amount is additional or within the aggregate and whether its IPO quotation feature applies to your transaction; request BHSI’s investigation sublimits in writing. 10 10
- Ask Chubb’s agent about Marketplace eligibility and ask BHSI whether a smaller private company fits its stated target-account segment. 11 5
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.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Review Score
No reviews found
The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]
Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviewsChubb
Review Score
5 rated sources
Chubb earns 5/5 from NerdWallet, which reports fewer-than-expected commercial property and liability complaints. Customer ratings are mixed across products and locations.[1][4][7][8][9]
Read Chubb reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Executive First D&O Liability Insurance | Chubb ForeFront Portfolio 3.0 Directors & Officers and Entity Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Chubb underwrites D&O and Entity Liability directly through ForeFront Portfolio 3.0, describing this specific version as designed for directors and officers of smaller, privately held companies. 10Company-reported. ForeFront Portfolio 3.0 D&O and Entity Liability product page. |
| Who It’s For | The D&O page names large commercial and financial firms as target accounts. 5Company-reported. U.S. target-account description, not a complete eligibility rule or acceptance commitment. | Chubb aims this D&O product at smaller private companies and offers separate versions for not-for-profit and healthcare organizations in its ForeFront Portfolio. 10,11Company-reported. ForeFront Portfolio 3.0 D&O page opening description; ForeFront Portfolio page coverage list. |
| Coverage Features | The U.S. Executive First D&O page describes coverage for government investigations, including informal investigations of insured individuals without sublimits. 5Company-reported. U.S. D&O product-page summary; the actual policy, definitions, exclusions, conditions, insureds, and state forms control. BHSI says its D&O product covers plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs for shareholder derivative actions and company costs to investigate derivative demands or actions where no demand is made. 5Company-reported. U.S. D&O product-page summary; do not read as all derivative-action costs covered under every issued policy. | Chubb lists a broad definition of Insured covering the parent organization, subsidiaries, directors or officers (including foreign equivalents), advisory board members and volunteers worldwide; automatic not-for-profit outside-directorship coverage; a broad definition of Claim including written demands, civil and criminal proceedings, and extradition requests; and civil fines and penalties coverage where insurable, including FCPA civil penalties. 10Company-reported. Coverage Highlights list; subject to the policy as issued. Chubb says the policy uses a streamlined insured-versus-insured exclusion with exceptions (including financial impairment, former executives after one year, and whistleblower and employment claims) and conduct exclusions that require final non-appealable adjudication before they apply. 10Company-reported. Coverage Highlights list, exclusion-related bullets. Chubb says the policy provides private-placement and failed-IPO coverage, a full Side A carve-back to the pollution exclusion, and a guaranteed IPO quotation including coverage for road-show presentations. 10Company-reported. Coverage Highlights list. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | Chubb publishes two specific sublimits: a $500,000 sublimit for security-holder derivative-demand evaluation costs, and an optional additional $500,000 Side A dedicated limit for executives. Overall policy limits are not published and depend on the issued policy. 10Company-reported. Coverage Highlights list. |
| Risk Services | BHSI describes full choice of defense counsel for the D&O product. 5Company-reported. Company-reported product feature; applicable policy terms and any state-specific requirements remain controlling. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Agents and brokers can quote and issue the ForeFront Portfolio, including its D&O and Entity Liability coverage, through Chubb Marketplace. 11Company-reported. ForeFront Portfolio page quoting section. |
Full Comparison
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Sources
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
- At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Executive First Directors & Officers Liability Insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights: government investigations, shareholder derivative actions, late-notice qualification, defense counsel selection; Top Targets: large commercial and financial firms, lines 6–19. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Executive First Private Company Portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights: D&O, EPL, Fiduciary, Commercial Crime and Employed Lawyers in one comprehensive form; shared or separate limits to $50m; EPL First services. Top Targets: private companies at $10m+ revenues and listed industries, lines 11–25. Portfolio limit is not a separate line limit. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Chubb
- Insurance For Technology Companies. Chubb; Industry overview; Who we serve; Products and services: commercial package insurance (BOP, Benchmarq, Customarq), E&O/Cyber, Financial Lines, workers’ compensation, auto and umbrella; dedicated underwriting, claims and risk engineering. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Terms Of Use. Chubb; Acceptance of Terms identifying Chubb Group Holdings Inc.; surplus-lines producer restriction; products not available to all users or jurisdictions; Chubb Limited safe-harbor language; Internet Portals for Chubb Business. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Cyber Insurance Coverage & Products. Chubb; Cyber insurance product catalog: Cyber ERM, DigiTech ERM (technology E&O, media and cyber) and Pro ERM (non-licensed professional services); Marketplace quoting for eligible risks under $100 million revenue; first- and third-party coverage summaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- ForeFront Portfolio 3.0: Directors & Officers and Entity Liability Insurance. Chubb; Coverage Highlights: Directors & Officers (D&O) and Entity Liability list, including Insured definition, sublimits, Side A coverage, Claim definitions, conduct and insured-v-insured exclusions, IPO coverage. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- The ForeFront Portfolio. Chubb; ForeFront Portfolio's seven coverages; Directors & Officers and Entity Liability listed for private companies, not-for-profit and healthcare organizations; Chubb Marketplace quoting. Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.
