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

Cowbell distributes Zurich-written EPL for private companies under 250 employees through firms Zurich appoints to distribute the module. Founder Shield markets EPLI to startups hiring their first employees and offers standalone or D&O-packaged options.

Founder Shield is a broker you contact directly, and it matches your industry to carriers rated A- or better. Cowbell's EPL is a module of Zurich Select Plus, open only to private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, and only through appointed wholesale brokers. ^4,^5,^1,²

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Direct Broker Access vs Wholesale-Only Access

Founder Shield is a retail brokerage: you request cover through its website or an advisor, and its team approaches carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for your industry. Cowbell's EPL module is reachable only by appointed Zurich wholesale brokers through the Cowbell platform, so your own broker has to go through one of them. Cowbell's module is also limited to private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Choose Founder Shield if you want to contact a broker yourself or you have 250 or more employees; choose Cowbell if your broker already has wholesale access and you want EPL alongside Select Plus management liability. ¹ ² ⁵ ⁴

Who Each Targets

Founder Shield markets EPLI to first-hire startups, high-turnover retail and hospitality, professional-services firms, technology companies and non-profits with volunteers. It doesn't publish a headcount cap. ³

Packaging With D&O

Cowbell sells EPL as a module inside Select Plus management liability, and Zurich's name for the module includes third-party discrimination. Founder Shield says EPLI is often bought standalone but sometimes packaged with D&O because employee suits frequently name officers. Neither publishes EPL limits. ² ¹ ³

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes?

Ask your broker whether it can reach an appointed Zurich wholesaler; without one, Cowbell's EPL isn't available to you. ¹ ⁴
Ask Founder Shield which carrier it would approach for your industry. Cowbell's module is written by Zurich as a standard (admitted) policy. ⁵ ²
Ask Founder Shield whether third-party discrimination is covered; Zurich's module name includes it. ² ³
Check your headcount and assets against Cowbell's 250-employee and $50 million limits before applying. ¹

Cowbell vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Compared

Cowbell vs Founder Shield: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability	Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Who It’s For	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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.	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. ³Company-reported. EPLI product page.
How to Apply	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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.	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. ^4,⁵Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.
Coverage Features	Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. ¹Company-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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'.	Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. ³Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.
Role in This Line	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. ^1,²Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.	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. ⁴Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line. 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. ³Company-reported. EPLI product page.
Issuing Insurer	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. ^1,²Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.	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. ⁵Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.