Founder Shield vs
Lockton Product Liability Insurance
Founder Shield places product liability with A-rated carriers for manufacturers and e-commerce; Lockton brokers custom product-liability and companion recall structures globally.
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a commercial insurance broker for venture-backed and growing businesses. Buyers can request coverage through its online portal and work with advisors on insurer selection, policy changes and claims reporting. 1,2,3,4,5
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. 8,9,10
What Is Product Liability Insurance?
Product liability insurance addresses liability for injury or damage associated with a defective product that a business manufactures, wholesales, distributes or sells. 13,14,15,16
Key Differences in Product Liability Insurance
A-Rated Panel Versus Global Market Design
Founder Shield and Lockton both broker product liability rather than underwriting it. Founder Shield says it places this line only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client’s industry, after a website or advisor request. Lockton lists product liability on its General & Product Liability page and designs custom structures with insurers across the global market. Neither Lockton’s reviewed pages nor Founder Shield’s product page name the issuing insurer for a given account. 7 3 11
Recall Next to Liability
Lockton lists product recall coverage alongside product liability on the same page, so a manufacturer client can have Lockton place both the liability program and a related recall-expense program. Founder Shield describes manufacturing defects, design defects and inadequate labeling as product-liability scenarios covering defense fees, settlements or judgments, and medical costs, without listing a companion recall program on the reviewed page. 11 6
Who They Name
Founder Shield markets the line to manufacturers, distributors, and retail/e-commerce companies that make or sell physical products. Lockton says it serves global manufacturers, business-to-business service providers and consumer-products companies among others, alongside REITs, contractors and healthcare companies. 6 11
Services Gap Versus Structure Design
The reviewed Founder Shield page does not describe risk-management or product-safety services Founder Shield itself provides for this line. Lockton’s pages describe designing custom structures with insurers rather than a self-serve application. 6 11
What to Confirm in Product Liability Insurance Quotes
- Ask Founder Shield which A-rated carrier it approached for your industry. 3
- Ask Lockton which markets it used for the liability layer and whether a recall program is quoted with it. 11
- Compare limits and retentions on both placements; neither set of reviewed pages publishes figures. 6 11
- If you are a global manufacturer, confirm whether Lockton’s custom structure or Founder Shield’s A-rated placement is what you are being offered. 11 3
Offering Details
Founder Shield vs Lockton Product Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Founder Shield Product Liability Insurance | Lockton General & Product Liability Insurance Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Product 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. | Lockton lists product liability on its General & Product Liability page and brokers it rather than underwriting it, designing custom structures with insurers across the global market. 11Company-reported. General & Product Liability page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Product 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. | Neither page names the insurers Lockton places product liability coverage with. 11,12Not publicly disclosed. General & Product Liability and Casualty pages checked 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Founder Shield markets product liability to manufacturers, distributors, and retail/e-commerce companies that make or sell physical products. 6Company-reported. Product Liability Insurance product page. | Lockton says it serves global manufacturers, business-to-business service providers and consumer products companies among others on this page — the segments most exposed to product liability risk — alongside REITs, contractors and healthcare companies. 11Company-reported. General & Product Liability page as read 2026-09-23. Example industries, not a complete eligibility matrix. |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists manufacturing defects, design defects and inadequate labeling as scenarios the policy responds to, covering defense fees, settlements or judgments, and medical costs. 6Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. | Lockton lists product recall coverage alongside product liability on the same page, meaning a manufacturer client can have Lockton place both the liability program and a related recall-expense program. 11Company-reported. General & Product Liability page as read 2026-09-23. A capability list, not a specimen policy. |
| Risk Services | The reviewed page does not describe risk-management or product-safety services Founder Shield itself provides for this line; it notes only that insurers generally may offer such services. 6Not found in reviewed sources. Product Liability Insurance product page, checked 2026-09-23. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Product 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. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More Founder Shield vs Lockton Comparisons
Other Product Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Quote Portal. Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- 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.
- 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.
- Claims. Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Product Liability Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is Product Liability Insurance?; Who Needs Product Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does Product Liability Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. 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.
- US > General & Product Liability. Lockton; Tailored solutions intro; industries named (global manufacturer, business-to-business service provider, consumer products company, REIT, contractor, healthcare company); liability solutions list including Product liability and Product recall. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Casualty Insurance. Lockton; Casualty Insurance Solutions list: Auto, Cargo, General & Product Liability, Umbrella & Excess Liability, Workers' Compensation. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Product Liability Insurance Guide
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Facts + Statistics: Product liability. Insurance Information Institute; Product liability insurance opening definition (manufacturer, distributor, or seller; defective condition causing personal injury or damage); Product recall insurance sentence. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Product liability, recall and contamination insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Product liability opening (design/manufacture/distribute/sell; injury, property damage or death; added to GL or stand-alone); What could go wrong? (roles; directions/warnings); Covering the costs of a product recall; Contamination insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial General Liability Coverage: premises, products liability and completed operations; major exclusions including damage to your work, impaired property, sistership liability and failure to perform; Limits of Insurance products and completed operations aggregate; glossary Sistership Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.





