Embroker vs 
Lockton D&O Insurance
Embroker quotes D&O online with published startup limit bands; Lockton places D&O programs that can extend to trustees, volunteers, spouses and estates.
What Is Embroker?
Embroker is a business insurance broker and online platform serving startups, technology companies and professional-services firms, with proprietary programs and broker-assisted placements. 1,2,3
What Is Lockton?
Lockton is a privately held insurance brokerage that arranges commercial risk, employee benefits and retirement programs. US pages describe a technology practice and intermediary placement with insurers, not Lockton as the policy’s insurer. 5,6,7
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. 9
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Platform Policy Versus Designed Program
Embroker sells D&O as a standalone policy with an online quote and may package it with cyber and workers’ compensation or bundle it into a management liability program. Lockton designs and places D&O programs rather than underwriting them, citing market intelligence, coverage-design precision and emerging risks such as AI-related litigation and event-driven claims. 4 8
Who Is an Insured
Lockton says coverage it places can extend to trustees, employees, independent contractors, staff, committee members, volunteers, the corporate entity, majority-owned subsidiaries, spouses or domestic partners, and estates or heirs. Embroker markets D&O to companies with a board, VC-backed startups and nonprofits, and describes Side A covering individuals when the company cannot indemnify them, without listing that extended insured roster. 8 4
Published Retentions Versus Embedded Claims Counsel
Embroker publishes illustrative limit and retention ranges by funding stage. Lockton’s D&O page does not publish limits; it instead describes a Professional & Executive Risk Claims team that integrates insurance and claims counsel within the broking team from the start of the relationship. Embroker lists intra-company, criminal, prior-knowledge and antitrust exclusions that Lockton’s page does not enumerate. 4 8
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Ask Lockton which additional insured classes would be scheduled and which insurers it would market to. 8
- Ask Embroker whether limits share an aggregate with EPLI and fiduciary. 4
- Ask how Lockton’s embedded claims counsel would work compared with Embroker’s claims handling. 8 4
- Check Embroker’s listed exclusions on the specimen. 4
Offering Details
Embroker vs Lockton D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Embroker Directors and Officers Insurance | Lockton Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Embroker sells D&O as a standalone policy and offers to package it with cyber and workers' compensation; it also says EPLI, D&O and related coverages are sometimes bundled into a management liability program. 4Company-reported. Product-page description; not a statement about the issuing insurer. | Lockton designs and places D&O programs rather than underwriting them, saying effective coverage requires market intelligence, coverage-design precision and staying ahead of emerging risks like AI-related litigation and event-driven claims. 8Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The D&O page does not name the insurers Lockton places D&O coverage with. 8Not publicly disclosed. D&O product page checked 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Embroker markets D&O to any private or public company with a board of directors, startups that have received or are about to receive venture capital funding, and nonprofit corporations, saying VC and private equity investors commonly require it before funding. 4Company-reported. Product-page eligibility and 'Why Do Startups Need D&O Insurance?' sections; not a guarantee of coverage for a particular company. | Lockton says D&O coverage it places can extend beyond directors and officers to trustees, employees, independent contractors, staff, committee members, volunteers, the corporate entity, majority-owned subsidiaries, spouses/domestic partners, and estates/heirs. 8Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. Describes who can typically be covered under a program Lockton structures, not a guarantee for any specific client. |
| Coverage Features | Embroker lists coverage for misuse of company funds, misrepresentation of company assets, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to comply with workplace laws and lack of corporate governance. 4Company-reported. Product-page What's covered section; the issued policy and declarations control. Embroker says the policy excludes lawsuits between members of the same company, criminal or deliberately fraudulent activity, prior-knowledge claims, and claims against directors actively engaged in antitrust violations. 4Company-reported. Product-page What's not included section. Embroker structures its D&O policy with three insuring agreements: Side A covers individual directors and officers when the company cannot indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnifying its leaders, and Side C covers the company itself when it is sued for financial mismanagement. 4Company-reported. Product-page 'What are Side A, B, and C insuring agreements?' section; specific policy structure, not a claim about every insurer's D&O form. | Lockton explains a traditional D&O program in three parts it says it can structure: Side A (direct coverage to individual directors/officers when the company can't indemnify them), Side B (reimbursing the company for indemnifying its D&Os), and Side C (entity coverage, generally limited to securities claims for public companies but broader for private and nonprofit organizations). 8Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. General educational description of program structure, not a specimen policy form. |
| Limits and Retentions | For its startup package, Embroker publishes illustrative D&O/EPLI/fiduciary limit and retention ranges by funding stage, from roughly $1-2 million in limits with a $10-25k retention for companies raising up to $10 million, up to $8-10 million in limits with a $25-75k retention for companies raising $100-250 million. 4Company-reported. Product-page cost table for the Embroker Startup Package; actual limits, retentions and premiums depend on underwriting. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | Embroker offers an online quote for D&O coverage through its digital platform, describing underwriting factors including revenue, industry risk and claims history. 4Company-reported. Product-page 'Quick quotes' feature and cost-factor list; no quote was requested during this research. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Claims Support | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Lockton says its Professional & Executive Risk Claims team integrates experienced insurance and claims counsel within the broking team from the start of the relationship, rather than treating claims advocacy as a separate profit center. 8Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. |
Full Comparison
More Embroker vs Lockton Comparisons
Other D&O Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Embroker
- Embroker. Embroker; Industry navigation; quote and sign-in links; coverage options; footer availability qualification. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms And Conditions. Embroker; Introduction; §§2A–B Insurance services, 13 Applications and quotes, 15 Insurance companies and underwriting guidelines, 16 Certificates, 21 Surplus lines products, 22 Payments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Embroker Access. Embroker; EMIS announcement; appointed-broker quoting, binding and issuance; product links; footer identifies Embroker Insurance Services, LLC. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Directors & Officers Insurance Coverage: D&O Explained. Embroker; Why it's essential; Who needs this coverage; What is Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance?; What's covered; What's not included; What are Side A, B, and C insuring agreements?; What does Directors and Officers insurance cost? Accessed 2026-09-23.
Lockton
- Lockton United States. Lockton; Opening description of independent insurance brokerage for risk, benefits and retirement; Ask an Expert link to contact-us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology. Lockton; Industry introduction; cyber liability heading; dedicated technology team; listed services including claims advocacy, contract review, directors and officers liability, and international program design; 24/7 service model. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- US Terms of Business. Lockton; Opening entity definition; Surplus Lines; Use of a Particular Insurer; Compensation Disclosure; servicing, claims handling and renewal language in Confidentiality section; Intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- D&O Insurance. Lockton; What is D&O insurance?; Side A/B/C coverage components; Who can be covered under a D&O program?; Claims management. Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.
