Founder Shield vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Employment Practices Liability Insurance

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. ⁷Company-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. ⁶Company-reported. EPLI product page.

Heffernan places employment practices liability (EPL) coverage as part of its corporate and executive-protection lineup within its general business-insurance brokerage. It shops and places the policy with insurers rather than underwriting it. ¹⁰Company-reported. Business Insurance Brokerage page listing; no policy form or dedicated EPL product page was found.

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. ³Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.

The reviewed pages do not name the insurer or insurers that issue EPL policies Heffernan places. ¹⁰Not publicly disclosed. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23.

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. ⁶Company-reported. EPLI product page.

EPL appears in three separate parts of Heffernan's site: the general business-insurance page, the home-care agency practice, and the family-office/financial-firm practice, indicating it is offered to a range of business types rather than one narrow niche. ^10,11,12Company-reported. Direct practice-page listings; the pages do not publish a minimum size or industry restriction for EPL specifically.

Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. ⁶Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.

In a 2016 article, Heffernan advisor Tanner Fornesi says EPL policies are modular and recommends buyers specifically request wage-and-hour coverage, a 100% hammer clause (so the insurer, not the policyholder, bears settlement costs above an offer the policyholder declines), and an immigration claim endorsement. ¹⁴Company-reported. 2016 educational article about EPL coverage generally, not a current Heffernan product specification; endorsement availability depends on the carrier and current market terms.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

The same 2016 article says wage-and-hour EPL sublimits were then commonly $100,000, with some carriers offering $150,000 to $250,000 for additional premium. ¹⁴Company-reported. Market commentary in a 2016 article, not a current quote or a limit Heffernan guarantees today.

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. ^7,3Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.

The reviewed pages describe no EPL-specific application or online quote process; buyers reach the coverage through Heffernan's general business-insurance brokerage contact route. ¹⁰Not found in reviewed sources. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Heffernan's published claims-advocacy services cover workers' compensation, general liability, auto, and property claims; the page does not list employment-related claims handling as part of that service. ¹³Not found in reviewed sources. Claims Advocacy page as read on 2026-09-23; does not establish that EPL claims receive no support, only that this page does not describe it.