Counterpart vs Cowbell: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Counterpart describes a dedicated EPL product distributed through wholesale brokers. Cowbell’s Zurich Select Plus module has stated size thresholds and an API route for appointed wholesalers. 3,8

What Is Counterpart Insurance?

Counterpart describes a broker-focused platform for small businesses and lists management and professional liability programs. Buyers should compare the named profession, carrier, state, policy wording and any package component on the actual quote. 1,2

Read the Counterpart profile

Read the Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance page

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 5,6,7

Read the Cowbell profile

Read the Cowbell 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. 9,10,11

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Quote Route

Counterpart says its EPL is offered through its producer and surplus-lines broker via wholesale brokers. Cowbell describes EPL as a Zurich-underwritten Select Plus module for private companies under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Buyers should check those thresholds against their current and projected size before pursuing the Cowbell route. 3 8

HR Services

Cowbell says appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access the EPL module through its platform API; it is not sold directly to businesses. Counterpart also uses wholesale distribution, but the reviewed claim does not describe the same platform restriction. Ask your broker whether they are appointed for each route and how the quoted EPL wording handles third-party discrimination. 3 8

What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Cowbell’s appointed wholesaler to confirm eligibility and identify the Zurich policy issuer for the module. 3
  • Ask Counterpart which wholesaler will place the EPL policy and provide the actual carrier and form. 8

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.

Counterpart

-/ 10

Review Score

No reviews found

We found no independent customer rating of Counterpart, so it has no Review Score. Its Trustpilot page shows no reviews, and BBB has no matching business.[7][10]

Read Counterpart reviews

Cowbell

2.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]

Read Cowbell reviews

Offering Details

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

CriteriaCounterpart Employment Practices LiabilityCowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability
Role in This Line

Counterpart says insurance is offered through its producer and surplus-lines broker and describes wholesale-broker distribution. 1,4Company-reported. This does not identify the carrier for an EPL placement.

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. 8,7Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

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. 8,7Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.

Who It’s For

Counterpart publishes a dedicated Employment Practices Liability product page within its business-insurance catalogue. 3Company-reported. The source summary does not establish a size, industry, state or applicant acceptance rule.

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. 8Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.

Coverage Features

Counterpart’s EPL page lists employment-related allegations as examples of the exposure its product addresses. 3Company-reported. The retained page description does not supply the policy’s complete covered-claim definition or exclusions.

Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. 8Company-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. 8Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'.

Limits and Retentions

Counterpart labels its published EPL limit and retention figures as illustrative examples. 3Company-reported. Examples are not guaranteed or quoted terms; the assigned source record does not preserve a universal numeric offer.

Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes EPL limit or retention amounts. 8,7Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

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. 8Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

Full Comparison

More Counterpart vs Cowbell Comparisons

Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Counterpart

  1. Counterpart | Agentic Insurance™. Counterpart, Inc.; Current homepage: Quote Online CTA; brokers/small-business audiences; product list; performance claims; legal/footer qualifications, rendered lines 2–52, 55–70, 98–100, 282–287. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. About Counterpart. Counterpart, Inc.; Carrier disclosure and Our Story; underwriters named at line 13; company focus lines 22–36. Financial-strength note says ratings are as of 2024-02-26. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Counterpart, Inc.; Retained provider source: product page lists eligibility, employment allegations and illustrative limits/retentions; prior access 2026-09-28. Direct reopen timed out in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. How can I get insurance through Counterpart? Counterpart Knowledge Center; Retained source: article describes wholesale-broker referral route; prior access 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

  1. Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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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