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
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. 6,7,8,9,10
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. 13,14,15
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Market Context and Segment Pages
Founder Shield's D&O page describes a typical market base layer of $5–10 million combined across Side A, B, and C, while stating that actual limits are set on the quote rather than naming an amount it offers. Counterpart publishes separate private-company and nonprofit D&O pages; its private-company page includes illustrative coverage and limit examples. Buyers should keep market context and product illustrations separate from proposed terms and request the actual schedule from each placement. 11 3 4
Placement and Carrier Selection
Founder Shield describes Side A, B, and C: direct protection for leaders when the company cannot indemnify them, reimbursement to the company for indemnification, and entity coverage. Counterpart's private-company page describes management-claim protection and illustrative coverage and limit examples, with a separate page marketed to nonprofits. A board should compare the proposed insured-person and entity provisions rather than assume that general program descriptions define its policy. 11 3 4
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
Counterpart and Founder Shield Review Scores for 2026
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 Review Score
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 reviewsFounder Shield Review Score
Review Score
1 rated source
Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.[1][4]
Read Founder Shield reviewsCounterpart vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance Compared
Counterpart vs Founder Shield: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Private Company and Nonprofit Directors & Officers Liability | Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Counterpart describes itself as distributing insurance through its producer and surplus-lines broker and says businesses access the program through a wholesale broker. 1,5Company-reported. The cited pages do not map a particular insurer to a D&O quote or state. | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. 12Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. 8Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. |
| Who It’s For | Counterpart publishes a private-company D&O product page and a separate D&O page for not-for-profit organizations. 3,4Company-reported. Separate product pages show different marketed segments; eligibility depends on the proposed risk and insurer review. | Founder Shield targets D&O at public and private businesses, venture-backed companies (it says almost every institutional term sheet requires the coverage), and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. 11Company-reported. Directors & Officers Insurance product page. |
| Coverage Features | The private-company D&O page describes protection for management-liability claims and includes illustrative coverage and limit examples. 3Company-reported. Illustrations and summaries are not policy terms or an available limit commitment. Counterpart separately markets D&O for not-for-profit organizations. 4Company-reported. The retained page summary does not establish a particular nonprofit’s eligibility or the terms of its policy. | Founder Shield describes a three-part structure: Side A pays individual directors/officers directly when the company cannot or will not indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnification it pays, and Side C provides entity coverage for the company itself. 11Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | Founder Shield's page describes a typical market base layer of $5 million to $10 million in combined A-B-C coverage, but does not publish a specific limit Founder Shield itself offers; actual limits are set on the quote. 11Company-reported. General market description on the product page, not a stated Founder Shield minimum or maximum. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You request Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. 12,8Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. |
Related Pages for Counterpart vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance
D&O Insurance Pages for Counterpart and Founder Shield
Other Coverage Lines Compared for Counterpart vs Founder Shield
Other D&O Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for Counterpart vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance
Sources About Counterpart
- 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.
- 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.
- Private Directors & Officers Liability Insurance. Counterpart, Inc.; Retained provider source: product page sections on covered organizations, coverage, example limits/retentions and capacity; prior access 2026-09-28. Direct reopen failed in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Not-for-Profit Directors & Officers Insurance. Counterpart, Inc.; Retained provider source: product page sections on nonprofit eligibility, coverage and underwriting partners; prior access 2026-09-28. Direct reopen failed in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 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.
Sources About Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Startup Insurance. Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach? Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year? Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms of Service. Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Directors & Officers Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is D&O Insurance; Who Needs D&O Insurance Coverage; What Does D&O Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Sources for the 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.
