Coalition vs Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Both involve Zurich paper, but Coalition sells Executive Risks EPL through brokers while Cowbell’s module is only for appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers.

What Is Coalition Insurance?

Coalition offers cyber insurance and technology E&O alongside cyber risk-management services. Its U.S. products are distributed through insurance producers, with separate admitted and surplus-lines routes and an executive-risk product suite. ^1,^2,^3,⁴

Read the Coalition profile

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell is a specialty-insurance platform and agency focused on cyber risk for small and midsize businesses. Its U.S. catalogue also includes combined Technology E&O and cyber products and a Zurich management-liability offering distributed through appointed wholesalers. ^6,^7,⁸

Read the Cowbell profile

What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Employment practices liability insurance addresses claims alleging workplace wrongdoing, such as discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination. ¹⁰

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Two Zurich-Linked Paths

Coalition designs Executive Risks EPL and names Zurich American Insurance Company as the admitted carrier, with unaffiliated non-admitted placements also possible. Cowbell operates the platform for Zurich’s Select Plus management liability product; Zurich underwrites, and both say the modules including EPL are on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich’s Select Plus page names the module “Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability,” which is broader than the “EPL” shorthand on Cowbell’s FAQ. ⁵ ⁴ ⁹ ⁸

Size Caps

Coalition’s eligibility is private and not-for-profit U.S. organizations with up to 1,000 employees, up to $500 million in assets, and up to $500 million in plan assets. Cowbell targets private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, in industries such as retail, hospitality and manufacturing. ⁴ ⁹

Who Can Buy It

Coalition sells Executive Risks only through appointed insurance brokers, not direct to buyers, and lists HR hotline, training and handbook tools. Cowbell’s EPL module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform API; it is not sold directly to businesses. Neither Cowbell page publishes EPL limits; Coalition says limits up to $10 million per line may be available. ⁴ ⁹ ⁸

What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

Confirm whether you can reach Cowbell’s module only through a Zurich E&S wholesaler, versus Coalition through an appointed broker. ⁹ ⁴
Compare headcount and asset caps: 1,000 employees / $500 million (Coalition) versus under 250 / $50 million (Cowbell). ⁴ ⁹
Ask whether third-party discrimination is granted on Coalition’s form the way Zurich names it on Select Plus. ⁸ ⁴
Get numeric EPL limits from Cowbell; Coalition’s $10 million figure is a stated maximum, not a quoted limit. ⁹ ⁴

Offering Details

Coalition vs Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Coalition Executive Risks — Employment Practices Liability (EPL)	Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability
Role in This Line	Coalition designs and distributes EPL as one of four coverages in its Executive Risks product suite, sold through appointed brokers. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks product page as read on 2026-09-23.	Employment practices liability (EPL) is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites. Zurich's own page names this module 'Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability,' broader than the plain 'EPL' shorthand Cowbell's FAQ uses. ^9,⁸Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.
Issuing Insurer	Coalition's disclaimer names Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC 16535) as the admitted carrier for Executive Risks, and says Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. also places Executive Risks with unaffiliated insurers on a non-admitted basis, so the carrier for a specific EPL policy depends on the placement route. ⁵Company-reported. U.S. Disclaimers page as read on 2026-09-23.	Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including EPL, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this EPL module. ^9,⁸Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.
Who It’s For	Coalition says Executive Risks products, including EPL, are available to private and not-for-profit U.S. organizations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with up to $500 million in assets, up to 1,000 employees, and up to $500 million in plan assets. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks FAQ as read on 2026-09-23.	Cowbell targets this EPL module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across industries such as retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. ⁹Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.
Coverage Features	Coalition says EPL coverage protects against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks product page as read on 2026-09-23; exclusions and limitations apply per the page footer, and the issued policy controls actual terms.	Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. ⁹Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'. Cowbell says EPL claims are the most common type of management liability claim overall, most frequently alleging discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, or retaliation for a legally protected activity such as filing a complaint or whistleblowing. ⁹Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'.
Limits and Retentions	Coalition says limits up to $10 million per coverage line may be available for Executive Risks products, including EPL, subject to exclusions and limitations. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks FAQ as read on 2026-09-23; not a quoted or bindable limit for any specific applicant.	Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes EPL limit or retention amounts. ^9,⁸Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.
Risk Services	Coalition says Executive Risks policyholders, including EPL buyers, get a customized risk assessment, a hotline for assistance with HR-related issues, employee training, and a handbook builder, which are specifically relevant to reducing employment-practices exposure. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks page and FAQ as read on 2026-09-23.	Not described in the reviewed sources.
How to Apply	Coalition distributes Executive Risks, including EPL, only through appointed insurance brokers rather than direct to buyers. ⁴Company-reported. Executive Risks product page as read on 2026-09-23.	This EPL module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. ⁹Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

Full Comparison

More Coalition vs Cowbell Comparisons

Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Coalition

Tech E&O Insurance Coverage. Coalition; Who needs Technology Errors & Omissions coverage? (organizations that provide a technology product or service for a fee); Combine Technology Errors & Omissions coverage with Active Cyber Insurance; Coalition Advantage. Accessed 2026-09-16.
U.S. Producer Compensation. Coalition; Insurance Producers; Base Commission; Contingent Commission; Business Production Incentive Programs; Non-Insurance Products. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Are there any differences between Coalition’s admitted and surplus lines products? Coalition; Cyber insurance coverage offered by Coalition: Coverage availability; Coverage offering. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Executive Risks. Coalition; Product Offering: Employment Practices Liability (EPL) — protects against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and more; FAQ: What type of businesses do you protect?, What limits do you offer?, What resources do you have for policyholders? Accessed 2026-09-23.
U.S. Disclaimers. Coalition; Admitted Executive Risk: insurance products offered by Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. acting on behalf of unaffiliated insurance companies and, on an admitted basis, on behalf of Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC # 16535). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Cowbell

Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
Prime Tech Product Overview. Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus. Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' and 'What is the most common management liability claim?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises. Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (EPL definition); FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?' (EPL claim types); Target industries list. 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.