Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Heffernan Insurance Brokers: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?
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 Employment Practices Liability Insurance page
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. 6,7,8
Read the Heffernan Insurance Brokers profile
Read the Heffernan Insurance Brokers Employment Practices Liability Insurance page
What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?
EPLI can help pay covered defense costs and losses when applicants or workers allege discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination or other workplace wrongdoing. If you employ people, check the claim definition, defense costs and prior acts. 13,14,15
Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Portfolio Design and Capacity
Heffernan’s discussion points to wording choices that can materially change the buyer’s protection: wage-and-hour treatment, settlement control, and immigration claims. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s reviewed portfolio summary confirms the EPL component but does not describe those specific terms. Request each insurer’s form and endorsements rather than inferring coverage from the product name. 5 12
Buyer Fit and Practical Support
Heffernan’s discussion is from 2016 and reports wage-and-hour sublimits then commonly at $100,000, with some carriers offering $150,000 to $250,000 for additional premium. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance advertises portfolio limits up to $50 million, shared or separate. The figures are not comparable; confirm current pricing and the EPL-only allocation on live quotes. 5 12
What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability 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.
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 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
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Employment Practices Liability in Executive First Private Company Portfolio | Heffernan Employment Practices Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | BHSI lists Employment Practices Liability within its Executive First Private Company Portfolio comprehensive form with D&O, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and employed-lawyer insurance. 5Company-reported. This is portfolio marketing and does not show that EPL must be purchased with every other component. | Heffernan places employment practices liability (EPL) coverage as part of its corporate and executive-protection lineup within its general business-insurance brokerage. It shops and places the policy with insurers rather than underwriting it. 8Company-reported. Business Insurance Brokerage page listing; no policy form or dedicated EPL product page was found. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed pages do not name the insurer or insurers that issue EPL policies Heffernan places. 8Not publicly disclosed. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | BHSI identifies private companies with at least $10 million in revenue among portfolio target accounts. 5Company-reported. This is the portfolio’s target segment, not an eligibility guarantee for an EPL quote. | EPL appears in three separate parts of Heffernan's site: the general business-insurance page, the home-care agency practice, and the family-office/financial-firm practice, indicating it is offered to a range of business types rather than one narrow niche. 8,9,10Company-reported. Direct practice-page listings; the pages do not publish a minimum size or industry restriction for EPL specifically. |
| Coverage Features | BHSI explicitly includes Employment Practices Liability in the listed portfolio form. 5Company-reported. The source identifies the line but does not describe covered allegations, exclusions or terms. | In a 2016 article, Heffernan advisor Tanner Fornesi says EPL policies are modular and recommends buyers specifically request wage-and-hour coverage, a 100% hammer clause (so the insurer, not the policyholder, bears settlement costs above an offer the policyholder declines), and an immigration claim endorsement. 12Company-reported. 2016 educational article about EPL coverage generally, not a current Heffernan product specification; endorsement availability depends on the carrier and current market terms. |
| Limits and Retentions | BHSI advertises shared or separate portfolio limits up to $50 million. 5Company-reported. A portfolio-wide maximum is not an EPL limit or a quote. | The same 2016 article says wage-and-hour EPL sublimits were then commonly $100,000, with some carriers offering $150,000 to $250,000 for additional premium. 12Company-reported. Market commentary in a 2016 article, not a current quote or a limit Heffernan guarantees today. |
| Risk Services | The portfolio page says policyholders can access EPL First, an online repository of HR training and compliance resources and an attorney helpline. 5Company-reported. The page describes portfolio services; it does not state the helpline’s scope or availability for every policyholder. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed pages describe no EPL-specific application or online quote process; buyers reach the coverage through Heffernan's general business-insurance brokerage contact route. 8Not found in reviewed sources. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | Heffernan's published claims-advocacy services cover workers' compensation, general liability, auto, and property claims; the page does not list employment-related claims handling as part of that service. 11Not found in reviewed sources. Claims Advocacy page as read on 2026-09-23; does not establish that EPL claims receive no support, only that this page does not describe it. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Comparisons
Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons
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 Private Company Portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights, lines 11–15: D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and Employed Lawyers in one comprehensive form; shared or separate limits up to $50 million; EPL First HR resources and attorney helpline. Top Targets, lines 16–25: private companies with at least $10 million revenue and listed industries. Reopened 2026-09-30. 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; Corporate and executive protection, such as employment practices liability, directors and officers liability, fiduciary responsibility, cyber liability, and kidnap and ransom are also available through our comprehensive business insurance programs. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Home Care Business Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; We offer comprehensive coverage for: Workers' Compensation Insurance, General and Professional Liability, Employment Practice Liability, Business/Owned Auto, Non-owned and Hired Auto, and more. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Family Office. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Coverage for Family Offices, Trustees & Financial Firms: Family office liability, D&O, Professional liability, Employment practices liability insurance, Workers' compensation, Employee benefits, Trustee liability, Property and auto, Fiduciary liability, Fidelity/financial institution bond, Cyber, Crime, General liability, Excess liability. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Claims Advocacy. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Services We Offer: Workers' Compensation Claims Expertise; Medical Triage Services; General Liability, Auto & Property Claims Support; Online Risk Management & HR Support; Streamlined Vendor Compliance. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; May 18, 2016 article by Tanner Fornesi, Assistant Vice President, Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Wage and Hour coverage, 100% Hammer Clause, Immigration Claim Endorsement. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance Guide
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Employment Practices Liability Coverage. Travelers; I.A/II.A p.1; III.A.4–6 p.7; II.F Employment Claim, PDF p.2; I.B p.1; II.U–V p.5; II.L p.3; III.A.9 and A.13, pp.7–8; III.B.2 p.8; IV.A Settlement, PDF pp.8–9. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Liability Coverage Terms and Conditions. Travelers; III.F–H p.6; III.O pp.8–9; III.F p.6; III.B–D, PDF pp.3–5; III.E–F, PDF pp.5–6. Accessed 2026-09-16.
