Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs USI Insurance Services: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes informal investigation and derivative costs; USI reviews D&O gaps and places ExecuSafe for small and midsize businesses. 5,10

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 USI Insurance Services?

USI suits software and hardware companies from seed stage through IPO seeking consultative broker support; buyers wanting a self-serve quote should compare digital agencies. Insurer commissions are typical and contingent compensation may also apply. 7,8,9

Read the USI Insurance Services profile

Read the USI Insurance Services 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. 12,13,14

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in D&O Insurance

Advice and program review

USI brokers D&O, reviews existing management-liability policies for gaps, and can place its named ExecuSafe package. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance presents Executive First D&O and describes investigation and derivative-action costs. A small or midsize business may use USI’s review to identify missing protection, while a larger commercial account can ask BHSI whether its target profile fits; compare each actual form and issuing insurer. 10 10 5

Limit benchmarking and investigation costs

USI describes D&O claims involving breach of duty, misrepresentation, securities suits, and creditor lawsuits, and cites a technology-client benchmarking case that reduced excess limit and premium. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance names government inquiries and shareholder derivative-action costs, along with full defense-counsel choice. A company should compare USI’s limit analysis with BHSI’s investigation terms and confirm the policy’s Side A, B, and C structure. 10 8 5 5

What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

  • Ask USI whether ExecuSafe uses a shared aggregate and how it benchmarks limits; ask BHSI for the offered Side A, B, and C limits and sublimits. 8 5
  • Confirm whether USI’s quote is issued by a third-party insurer and compare its investigation and derivative terms with BHSI’s wording. 10 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

-/ 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

USI Insurance Services

6.4/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

USI’s public feedback is too sparse and office-specific for a firmwide verdict. Check the local team’s responsiveness and experience with your type of business.[4][6][8]

Read USI Insurance Services reviews

Offering Details

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs USI Insurance Services: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaExecutive First D&O Liability InsuranceUSI ExecuSafe Directors & Officers Liability Program
Role in This Line

Confirm in your quote.

USI is a broker for D&O coverage. It says it helps clients identify D&O exposures, review any existing management liability policies for gaps, and place coverage, including through its own named endorsement package, ExecuSafe. 10Company-reported. ExecuSafe article's "How USI Can Help" section.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

USI does not name the insurer that underwrites ExecuSafe or other D&O placements on the pages reviewed; it describes ExecuSafe as an endorsement package it applies to policies placed with the market. 10Not publicly disclosed. ExecuSafe article and Technology/Business Services practice pages as read on 2026-09-23.

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.

USI targets small- and medium-sized businesses for ExecuSafe, saying many either skip D&O coverage or buy insufficient limits because their brokers do not help them identify the exposure. Its Technology practice separately places D&O for software, hardware and communications clients from seed stage through IPO. 10,8Company-reported. ExecuSafe article eligibility framing and Technology practice client description.

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.

USI says D&O insurance is meant to protect a company's leadership from personal loss in a lawsuit, since the corporate veil does not shield directors and officers from personal liability for the business's actions and debts. It lists breach of contract, breach of duty, misrepresentation, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, securities lawsuits and creditor lawsuits as common claim types the coverage responds to. 10Company-reported. ExecuSafe article's description of D&O purpose and claim types; actual insuring agreements and exclusions are set by the issued policy.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

USI cites a 2016 Chubb survey that found 43% of private companies carry no D&O coverage, with an average private-company D&O claim cost of $450,000, but the article does not publish USI's own placed limits, retentions or premium ranges for ExecuSafe. 10Not publicly disclosed. Third-party statistic cited by USI to illustrate exposure, not USI's own placement data.

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.

USI's Technology practice cites a case study where its benchmarking analysis showed a software company was buying more D&O limit than peers with similar risk profiles, and says the resulting change saved the client more than $100,000 per year in D&O premium. 8Company-reported. Single case study on the Technology practice page; company-reported outcome, not independently verified.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

USI directs small- and medium-sized businesses interested in ExecuSafe to email Select.Business@usi.com; its Technology and Business Services practices separately route inquiries to pcinquiries@usi.com or a local USI office. 10,8,11Company-reported. Contact instructions on the ExecuSafe article and the Technology and Business Services pages.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs USI Insurance Services Comparisons

Other D&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. 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.
  6. 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.

USI Insurance Services

  1. The Power of ONE. USI Insurance Services; History, client-count, nationwide office, and P&C / benefits / personal risk / retirement description. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Technology Insurance. USI Insurance Services; USI's Technology Practice provides risk management advisory and insurance placement for: ...Directors & Officers Liability...; CASE STUDY: USI Benchmarking Saves Software Company $100,000 in D&O Premiums. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  3. Commissions and Fees. USI Insurance Services; Licensed-producer authority, insurer-paid commission default, contingent compensation, and client request right. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks. USI Insurance Services; JULY 5, 2023 article; common D&O claim types (Breach of Contract, Breach of Duty, Misrepresentation, Unfair Competition, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets, Securities Lawsuits, Creditor Lawsuits); Creditor Suit and Competitor Disputes scenarios; How USI Can Help; ExecuSafe endorsement packs. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  5. Business Services. USI Insurance Services; USI advises clients...and provides solutions for...Directors & Officers Liability... Accessed 2026-09-23.

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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