---
title: "Counterpart vs Founder Shield: Employment Practices Liability Insurance"
description: "Counterpart publishes a dedicated EPL page and illustrative limits; Founder Shield targets first hires and several employment-heavy industries through broker placement."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/employment-practices"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-30"
comparison-pair: "counterpart-vs-foundershield"
provider-a: "counterpart"
provider-b: "foundershield"
coverage-line: "employment-practices"
---

Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication.

[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/employment-practices)

## Agent Guide

**What this page is:** Focused comparison of Counterpart and Founder Shield for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources.

**Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for Employment Practices Liability Insurance questions about Counterpart versus Founder Shield. For all lines together use the parent pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide.

**Questions this page answers:**
- Counterpart vs Founder Shield for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: how do they differ?
- Which is better for Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Counterpart or Founder Shield?
- What does Counterpart or Founder Shield publish about Employment Practices Liability Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)?
- What should I confirm in a quote for Employment Practices Liability Insurance from Counterpart or Founder Shield?

**Key facts:**
- Line: Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Providers: Counterpart and Founder Shield.
- Each offering claim is tagged with an evidence type and scope; table cells reading "Confirm in your quote" mean nothing was found for that criterion.
- Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one, so fetch or cite the alphabetical URL.

**Limits (do not over-claim):**
- It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business.
- "Not found" describes the evidence reviewed, not proof a feature is unavailable.
- Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here.

**Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date in the Sources section; last updated 2026-09-30. Editorial policy: /editorial-policy.

**Related pages:**
- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield) — parent: all coverage lines for this pair
- [Employment Practices Liability Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices) — coverage explainer for this line
- [Counterpart profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/counterpart) — provider profile (evidence)
- [Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield) — provider profile (evidence)
- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/fiduciary) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/general-liability) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [AIG vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-counterpart/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [AIG vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-foundershield/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [Alliance Risk vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-counterpart/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [Amelia Risk vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-counterpart/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)
- [Amelia Risk vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-foundershield/employment-practices) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line)

# Counterpart vs Founder Shield: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Counterpart publishes a dedicated EPL page and illustrative limits; Founder Shield targets first hires and several employment-heavy industries through broker placement.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Counterpart and Founder Shield for Employment Practices Liability Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

Counterpart describes employment-related allegations and illustrative terms. Founder Shield names startup and industry audiences and places EPL through its brokerage team. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance")

## 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](https://yourcounterpart.com/ "Counterpart | Agentic Insurance™") [2](https://yourcounterpart.com/about "About Counterpart")

[Counterpart profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/counterpart)

## 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. [5](https://foundershield.com/ "Founder Shield") [6](https://foundershield.com/startup-insurance/ "Startup Insurance") [7](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [8](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/ "What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?") [9](https://foundershield.com/terms-of-service/ "Terms of Service")

[Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield)

## 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. [12](https://www.iii.org/article/employment-practices-liability-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") [13](https://asset.trvstatic.com/download/assets/epl-3001.pdf/2c354eaa63ca11eeacdd06e978c86228 "Employment Practices Liability Coverage") [14](https://asset.trvstatic.com/download/assets/lia-3001.pdf/e79a6b6c63ca11eeaa7806e978c86228 "Liability Coverage Terms and Conditions")

## Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance

### Advisory Services

Founder Shield targets startups hiring their first employees, retail and hospitality businesses, professional services, technology companies, and nonprofits with volunteers. Counterpart publishes a dedicated EPL page without a specific segment list in its reviewed claims. If your workforce falls into one of Founder Shield’s named groups, ask what underwriting details shape eligibility and compare Counterpart’s appetite for the same operations. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance")

### Workforce Modeling

Founder Shield says buyers request coverage through its site or an advisor, after which its placement team approaches carriers; it does not bind coverage directly. Counterpart describes distribution through a wholesale broker. The routes may involve different intermediaries, so identify the proposed insurer and ask for the actual form and limits before comparing the headline coverage descriptions. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") [11](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us")

## What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

- Ask Founder Shield which carrier will issue the policy and what limit, retention, and covered-person terms are proposed. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance")
- Ask Counterpart which wholesale broker and insurer are involved and replace illustrative figures with the quote schedule. [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Counterpart Employment Practices Liability | Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Counterpart says insurance is offered through its producer and surplus-lines broker and describes wholesale-broker distribution. [1](https://yourcounterpart.com/ "Counterpart | Agentic Insurance™") [4](https://knowledge.yourcounterpart.com/en/articles/4438791-how-can-i-get-insurance-through-counterpart "How can I get insurance through Counterpart?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: This does not identify the carrier for an EPL placement..) | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. [11](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line..)<br><br>Founder Shield says EPLI is often purchased standalone but is sometimes packaged with Directors & Officers coverage, since employee-related suits frequently name corporate officers personally. [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page..) |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability 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. [7](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements..) |
| Who It’s For | Counterpart publishes a dedicated Employment Practices Liability product page within its business-insurance catalogue. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: The source summary does not establish a size, industry, state or applicant acceptance rule..) | Founder Shield markets EPLI to startups hiring their first employees, retail and hospitality businesses with high turnover, professional-services firms, technology companies, and non-profits with volunteers. [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page..) |
| Coverage Features | Counterpart’s EPL page lists employment-related allegations as examples of the exposure its product addresses. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: The retained page description does not supply the policy’s complete covered-claim definition or exclusions..) | Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. [10](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/ "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Counterpart labels its published EPL limit and retention figures as illustrative examples. [3](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli "Employment Practices Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Examples are not guaranteed or quoted terms; the assigned source record does not preserve a universal numeric offer..) | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You request Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability 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. [11](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [7](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices): EPLI can address covered workplace claims from applicants and workers; claim timing, defense arrangements, limits and exclusions shape your protection.
- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/fiduciary)
- [Counterpart vs Founder Shield General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/general-liability)
- [AIG vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-counterpart/employment-practices)
- [AIG vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-foundershield/employment-practices)
- [Alliance Risk vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-counterpart/employment-practices)
- [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Counterpart Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-counterpart/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-foundershield/employment-practices)

## Sources

### Counterpart

1. [Counterpart | Agentic Insurance™](https://yourcounterpart.com/). 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](https://yourcounterpart.com/about). 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](https://yourcounterpart.com/products/epli). 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?](https://knowledge.yourcounterpart.com/en/articles/4438791-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.

### Founder Shield

5. [Founder Shield](https://foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
6. [Startup Insurance](https://foundershield.com/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.
7. [How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/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.
8. [What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/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.
9. [Terms of Service](https://foundershield.com/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.
10. [Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://foundershield.com/coverage/employment-practices-liability-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Is EPL Insurance?; Who Needs EPL Insurance Coverage?; What Does EPL Insurance Cover?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
11. [About Us](https://foundershield.com/about-us/). Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Employment Practices Liability Insurance Guide

12. [Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/employment-practices-liability-insurance). Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
13. [Employment Practices Liability Coverage](https://asset.trvstatic.com/download/assets/epl-3001.pdf/2c354eaa63ca11eeacdd06e978c86228). 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.
14. [Liability Coverage Terms and Conditions](https://asset.trvstatic.com/download/assets/lia-3001.pdf/e79a6b6c63ca11eeaa7806e978c86228). 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 2026-09-30. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

## Counterpart Reviews

Review Score: not enough ratings.

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.



Reviewed 2026-09-29. [Read the sourced review](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/counterpart/reviews).

## Founder Shield Reviews

Review Score: 7.4 / 10 from 1 rated source, equally weighted.

Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.

- Trustpilot: TrustScore 3.7 (5 stars); 1 reviews. Trustpilot profile for foundershield.com; one US customer review, categorized as insurance broker/business insurance. Period: Review 2023-03-14; none in prior 12 months. Checked 2026-09-25. [foundershield.com Reviews | Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/foundershield.com)

Reviewed 2026-09-25. [Read the sourced review](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield/reviews).

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/counterpart-vs-foundershield/employment-practices.md)
- [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers)
- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)