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

Founder Shield markets EPLI to startups hiring their first employees and says it can be packaged with D&O. Lockton designs EPL programs for organizations that hire people and says typical policies cover defense costs and damages.

Lockton documents broader EPL: third-party harassment, immigration claims, punitive damages where insurable, and a separate wage-and-hour policy. Founder Shield covers the core employee claims and places only with insurers rated A- or better, aimed at first-hire startups and high-turnover employers. ^4,^1,³

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

Broad Placed Grants and Wage-and-Hour vs Core Employee Claims

Both broker EPL rather than underwrite it. Lockton says a typical policy it places covers defense of employee claims and official investigations, third-party discrimination or harassment, punitive damages where insurable, and immigration-related claims, and it sells wage-and-hour cover separately because EPL usually excludes it. Founder Shield lists defense, settlements and judgments for wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation only. Choose Lockton if you face wage-and-hour, immigration or customer-harassment risk; choose Founder Shield if you're a startup making first hires and need the core cover. ⁴ ¹

Any Employer vs Startups and High-Turnover Businesses

Lockton says any organization that hires people faces employment risk, regardless of size, industry, location, union status or contractor use. Founder Shield targets first-hire startups, high-turnover retail and hospitality, professional services, tech companies and nonprofits with volunteers, and places only with insurers rated A- or better by AM Best, a measure of financial strength. Lockton's EPL page names no insurers. ⁴ ¹ ³

Claims Counsel From Day One vs Online Request and Placement

Lockton puts insurance and claims counsel on the broking team from the start, so you have a claim strategy before a charge is filed. Founder Shield starts with a website or advisor request, then its placement team approaches insurers; it doesn't describe in-house EPL claims counsel. ⁴ ² ³

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

Ask Lockton whether wage-and-hour is a separate policy, what sublimit applies, and whether third-party and immigration cover are on the quote. ⁴
Ask Founder Shield which A-rated insurer is quoting and whether D&O should sit with EPLI, since officers can be sued personally. ³ ¹
Ask Lockton how the form treats punitive damages; Founder Shield's page doesn't address them. ⁴ ¹
Ask Lockton how its claims counsel will work with the insurer's defense lawyers if a charge is filed. ⁴

Founder Shield vs Lockton Employment Practices Liability Compared

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

Criteria	Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance	Lockton Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Insurance Brokerage
Who It’s For	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. ¹Company-reported. EPLI product page.	Lockton says any organization that engages people for hire, regardless of size, industry, location, union participation or use of independent contractors, faces employment-related risk and should consider EPL insurance. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23.
Coverage Features	Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. ¹Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.	Lockton says a typical EPL policy it places covers legal defense costs for employee claims and official employment investigations, third-party discrimination or harassment claims from non-employees, punitive damages where insurable, and immigration-related employment claims. It separately offers standalone wage-and-hour coverage for claims like misclassification and unpaid overtime, since wage-and-hour claims are typically excluded from EPL policies. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23. Describes typical policy features Lockton places, not a specimen form for any one client.
Role in This Line	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. ²Company-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. ¹Company-reported. EPLI product page.	Lockton designs EPL insurance programs for clients as their risk advisor and broker; it does not underwrite the coverage it places. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23.

Criteria

Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Lockton Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Insurance Brokerage

Who It’s For

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. ¹Company-reported. EPLI product page.

Lockton says any organization that engages people for hire, regardless of size, industry, location, union participation or use of independent contractors, faces employment-related risk and should consider EPL insurance. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23.

Coverage Features

Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. ¹Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.

Lockton says a typical EPL policy it places covers legal defense costs for employee claims and official employment investigations, third-party discrimination or harassment claims from non-employees, punitive damages where insurable, and immigration-related employment claims. It separately offers standalone wage-and-hour coverage for claims like misclassification and unpaid overtime, since wage-and-hour claims are typically excluded from EPL policies. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23. Describes typical policy features Lockton places, not a specimen form for any one client.

Role in This Line

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. ²Company-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. ¹Company-reported. EPLI product page.

Lockton designs EPL insurance programs for clients as their risk advisor and broker; it does not underwrite the coverage it places. ⁴Company-reported. EPL product page as read 2026-09-23.