Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Coterie Insurance: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists MPL and other professional lines for defined classes. Coterie Insurance lists profession-specific MPL eligibility, excludes six states and offers per-claim limits from $25,000 to $1 million. 6,5,11

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 Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance page

What Is Coterie Insurance?

Coterie suits small businesses buying through an agent who wants to quote and bind eligible policies from prefilled information; buyers seeking a direct-to-consumer carrier should look elsewhere. Policyholders can manage documents and changes online. 8,9,10

Read the Coterie Insurance profile

Read the Coterie Insurance 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. 12,13,14,15

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance

What the Published Offering Defines

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists Miscellaneous Professional Liability, technology E&O and lawyers liability in its Professional First portfolio, with staffing, consulting, marketing and real-estate firms named as MPL targets. Coterie Insurance lists a much broader set of professions, including accounting, architecture, HR consulting, property management and IT, but notes profession-specific exclusions. A firm should verify its exact services against Coterie Insurance’s class wording and ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance which listed line and appetite apply. 6 11

Buying and Policy Details to Resolve

Coterie Insurance’s MPL is unavailable in DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota and Virginia, and its published per-claim limits range from $25,000 to $1 million. Its policy is claims-made with a basic 60-day reporting extension and optional longer extensions. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s reviewed overview provides neither a limit nor state list. If continuity for prior work matters, compare retroactive dates and extended reporting options before evaluating price. 11 6

What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes

  • Is your state and exact profession eligible under Coterie Insurance’s MPL form? 6 11
  • What Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance limits, reporting extension and retroactive date can be quoted? 6 11

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

-/ 10

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 reviews

Coterie Insurance

7.0/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

Coterie’s BBB complaint record is a concern; its single Trustpilot review is too small a sample to offset that. Ask how complaints and service problems are resolved.[1][5][6]

Read Coterie Insurance reviews

Offering Details

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Coterie Insurance: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaProfessional First Professional Liability portfolioCoterie Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL)
Role in This Line

Confirm in your quote.

Coterie writes Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL) as a claims-made policy sold through agents and brokers to protect a small-business client against third-party claims for errors or omissions in their professional services. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure policy-overview paragraph.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

The MPL brochure names the policy form 'Coterie Professional Liability Errors and Omissions Insurance Declarations' (form code CTPL CWW PL) but does not name the issuing insurer; that appears only on the policy declarations. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure 'Mandatory Countrywide PL Policy Forms' table.

Who It’s For

The overview names staffing firms, management consultants, marketing firms and real-estate firms as targeted customers for Miscellaneous Professional Liability; it separately lists law-firm size bands for Lawyers Professional Liability. 6Company-reported. U.S. Professional First target statements; class-specific eligibility only.

Coterie lists dozens of eligible professions for MPL, including accounting services, architects and engineers, bookkeeping, human resources consulting, interior design, property management, real estate agents/brokers, and technology services/IT consulting, each with profession-specific exclusions in some cases (for example, barbers/beauticians exclude services like electrolysis and tattoo services). 11Company-reported. MPL brochure 'Eligible Professions' and 'Eligible Professions (Continued)' lists.

Coterie says MPL is available in most states but is currently unavailable in DC, IL, MA, MT, ND, and VA. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure 'MPL unavailable' note.

Coverage Features

BHSI’s U.S. Professional First overview identifies Lawyers Professional Liability and Miscellaneous Professional Liability alongside Technology E&O and Media Liability. 6,5Company-reported. Portfolio catalogue statement; the specific legal/professional class and form must be selected rather than treating the offerings as one policy.

For architects, engineers and consultants, BHSI describes a professional-liability form that also addresses pollution, media, technology and cyber/network-security exposures. 7Company-reported. This is a specialized design-industry combined form, not generic E&O wording or proof that all risks receive each component.

Coterie's MPL policy covers economic or financial (non-physical) damages arising from wrongful acts in professional services, such as faulty reports or verbal advice that cause a client financial loss; it is written on a claims-made basis covering incidents reported during the policy period or an extended reporting period, occurring after the policy's retroactive date. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure policy overview and 'Professional Liability Limits of Insurance' definitions.

Coterie's MPL base form excludes bodily injury or property damage claims, fraud or intentional wrongful acts, wrongful termination or discrimination claims, and claims based on contractual liability assumed beyond what would exist without the contract, among other listed exclusions. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure 'Professional Liability Policy Base Form Exclusions' list.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

Coterie offers MPL each-claim limits of $25,000, $50,000, $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000, with the aggregate set at two times the each-claim limit (three times for the $1,000,000 option); the basic policy includes a 60-day extended reporting period, with optional purchased extensions of 1 to 6 years, and up to 6 years of prior-acts (retroactive) coverage. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure 'Available Limits' table and 'Extended Reporting Period'/'Retroactive Date' definitions.

Risk Services

The Professional First overview describes its in-house claims handling group as experienced in complex, high-value claims and integrated with underwriting. 6Company-reported. Company-reported portfolio-level claim-service description, not independently measured claims performance.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

MPL is distributed only through agents and brokers using Coterie's quoting platform; the reviewed brochure does not describe a direct-to-business application path. 11Company-reported. MPL brochure framing as 'for Agents and Brokers'.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Coterie Insurance Comparisons

Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Professional First Professional Liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; U.S. Professional Liability landing page links Professional Liability / Network Security & Privacy, stand-alone Network Security & Privacy, and Architects, Engineers and Consultants PL, lines 6–15; footer copyright © 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Professional First Professional Liability Overview. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; PDF pp.1–2: claims group and reporting; primary blended E&O/Cyber and stand-alone Cyber forms; line capacity statement; named Lawyers PL, Technology E&O, Miscellaneous PL, Media Liability, Network Security & Privacy; named technology-services target types and selection categories; dated 2026-06-03-A. Group capacity not a line policy limit. Source version: 2026-06-03-A. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Professional First Architects, Engineers and Consultants Professional Liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights: professional/pollution liability; media, technology and cyber/network security/privacy liability; direct breach/extortion expenses; risk services; primary/excess and project-specific product availability; target professions, lines 6–29. Its combined-form technology feature is not itself a standalone Tech E&O statement. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Coterie Insurance

  1. Instant Bindable Small Business Insurance Quotes for Agents. Coterie Insurance; Built for Agents and Brokers; online workflow; core lines; endorsements; availability sections. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Allianz X Announces Strategic Investment in Coterie Insurance. Coterie Insurance and Allianz X; September 11, 2025 announcement; MGA role; Series C investment and reinsurance relationship. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  3. Coterie Insurance small business products overview. Coterie Insurance; Product line overview page listing Professional Liability among Coterie's coverages. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  4. Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL) Policy Overview & Product Highlights for Agents and Brokers. Coterie Insurance; Policy overview paragraph; Eligible Professions list; 'Currently unavailable in: DC, IL, MA, MT, ND, and VA'; Professional Liability Limits of Insurance table; Claims-Made Policy Form / Retroactive Date / Extended Reporting Period definitions; Mandatory Countrywide PL Policy Forms; Base Form Exclusions. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. 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.

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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