Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Zurich U.S.: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance says its U.S. Executive First D&O coverage reaches government investigations, including informal investigations of insured individuals, without sublimits. Zurich U.S. describes protection for directors’ personal assets and covered company legal costs, but its reviewed summary does not specify investigation treatment. 5,9
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
Zurich U.S. Business Insurance: Products, Access, and Claims
Zurich U.S. serves Middle Market businesses and large or national accounts with commercial property-casualty and specialty insurance. Buyers can explore product lines and work through an agent or broker; the insurer named on a quote or policy identifies which Zurich company underwrites that coverage. 7,8
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
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
What the Published Terms Emphasize
That distinction matters before a regulator sends a formal demand. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s description expressly includes informal investigations; Zurich’s public summary leaves the trigger and any applicable sublimit to the proposed form. Ask both insurers to show the investigation wording and confirm when defense costs begin. 5 9
A Second Decision Point
Zurich says every member of its D&O claims team is an attorney with current-litigation and global-exposure knowledge. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance instead documents full choice of defense counsel. A buyer weighing claim support should compare who manages the claim and how counsel selection works, since an attorney-led team and insured choice address different parts of the process. 5 9
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Ask Zurich whether informal individual investigations receive defense coverage and under what trigger. Ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance how its counsel-choice provision coordinates with panel counsel and whether your organization fits the named large commercial or financial account focus. 5 9
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 reviewsZurich U.S.
Review Score
No reviews found
The available Zurich review evidence is mixed and comes from distinct populations: a car-rental-business editorial rating, broad global and U.S. review-platform snapshots, and a BBB business-profile grade. These are not a representative measure of every Zurich commercial policy or claim.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Zurich U.S. reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S.: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Executive First D&O Liability Insurance | Zurich Directors and Officers Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Zurich lists coverage options for publicly traded, private and nonprofit companies, including IPOs. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; exact underwriting company may vary by policy and state; directors and officers liability; United States. Company-reported product description; actual coverage, underwriting, limits and state availability are governed by issued policy terms. |
| 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. | Zurich D&O can help protect directors’ and officers’ personal assets and address covered company legal fees and costs. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; exact underwriting company may vary by policy and state; directors and officers liability; United States. Company-reported product description; actual coverage, underwriting, limits and state availability are governed by issued policy terms. |
| 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. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | Zurich says every member of its D&O claims team is an attorney with current-litigation and global-exposure knowledge. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; exact underwriting company may vary by policy and state; directors and officers liability; United States. Company-reported product description; actual coverage, underwriting, limits and state availability are governed by issued policy terms. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S. Comparisons
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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.
Zurich U.S.
- About Us | Zurich U.S. | Commercial Insurance. Zurich U.S.; About Zurich U.S.; customer and industry description; FAQ on U.S. product focus. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Agents and Brokers | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Agent/broker route and locator. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Management Liability Insurance | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Management liability, D&O, crime, fiduciary, EPLI. Accessed 2026-09-28.
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.
