Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs 
Pie Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Pie names four specific claim types and a criminal-prosecution exclusion for E&O; Heffernan's page describes the coverage in general terms.
What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, Walnut Creek–headquartered retail brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits, and related services. Its technology practice markets to mid- and late-stage companies, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms. 1,2,3
What Is Pie Insurance?
Pie Insurance sells and administers small-business commercial insurance, with affiliated carriers writing its workers’ compensation program and outside carrier partners supporting selected other products. Businesses can start a workers’ compensation quote online or use an agent, then manage documents, certificates, billing, audits and claim reporting through Pie’s service channels. 5,6,7
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also called professional liability insurance, addresses claims that professional services or advice caused a client financial loss. What's covered depends on the services actually scheduled in the policy, not the product label alone. 9,10,11,12
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
How Specifically Each Describes Coverage
Pie describes errors and omissions insurance as covering legal fees, costs, and damages for claims that a business's advice or services caused harm, naming inaccurate advice, misrepresentation, negligence, and violation of good faith as covered claim types, and states the policy does not protect against criminal prosecution:
Pie describes errors and omissions insurance, also called professional liability insurance, as covering legal fees, costs, and damages for claims that a business's advice or services caused harm, including claims of inaccurate advice, misrepresentation, negligence, or violation of good faith, but says it does not protect against criminal prosecution. 8Company-reported. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23; the issued policy controls actual insuring agreements and exclusions.
Heffernan's reviewed page describes the coverage more generally, as protecting against claims for problems with a product or service that result in a client financial loss, without naming specific claim types or exclusions. 4
Which Professionals Each Names
Pie names architects, contractors, attorneys, engineers, consultants, marketers, counselors, and real estate agents as professionals who often carry E&O insurance. 8 Heffernan names a different, broader small-business list, spanning construction, food, health care, hospitality, nonprofits, real estate, technology, transportation, and vintners and growers, and offers to build a custom package for industries not listed. 4
Starting a Quote
Pie directs buyers to contact the company to start an E&O quote through its website. 8 Heffernan directs buyers to contact its small-business division directly, a similar first step, though Heffernan's page additionally describes custom-designing a package when a client's industry isn't already on its list. 4
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
- Ask Pie which of its unnamed carrier partners would underwrite your specific policy. 8
- Ask Heffernan which claim types and exclusions apply to the policy it places, since its page names neither. 4
- Ask Pie whether the coverage extends to regulatory or licensing-board proceedings, given its stated criminal-prosecution exclusion. 8
- Ask both firms for the policy limit and retention, since neither publishes figures. 8 4
Offering Details
Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Pie Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Heffernan Professional Errors and Omissions Brokerage | Pie Errors and Omissions Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Heffernan lists errors and omissions among the coverages its small-business division places for clients, shopping the line with insurers rather than underwriting it. 4Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; no dedicated professional-E&O product page was found. | Pie says it helps small businesses get the best errors and omissions coverage 'from our insurance carrier partners,' identifying itself as an intermediary rather than the underwriter for this line. 8Company-reported. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The reviewed page refers only to 'our insurance carrier partners' and does not name a specific insurer for Pie's errors and omissions product. 8Not publicly disclosed. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Heffernan's small-business division says it serves sole proprietors through fast-growing companies across industries including construction, food, health care, hospitality, nonprofits, real estate, technology, transportation, and vintners and growers, and will custom-design a package for industries not listed. 4Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; not exclusively E&O-specific, but describes the buyer base for the page listing this coverage. | Pie names architects, contractors, attorneys, engineers, consultants, marketers, counselors, and real estate agents as professionals who often carry E&O insurance, and notes some states or clients require proof of coverage. 8Company-reported. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23; not an exhaustive eligibility list. |
| Coverage Features | Heffernan describes errors and omissions coverage as protecting against claims for problems with a company's product or service that result in a financial loss to a client. 4Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; the page does not list specific exclusions, claims-made versus occurrence form, or endorsements. | Pie describes errors and omissions insurance, also called professional liability insurance, as covering legal fees, costs, and damages for claims that a business's advice or services caused harm, including claims of inaccurate advice, misrepresentation, negligence, or violation of good faith, but says it does not protect against criminal prosecution. 8Company-reported. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23; the issued policy controls actual insuring agreements and exclusions. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed page does not publish limits, retentions, or premium ranges for errors and omissions coverage. 4Not publicly disclosed. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23. | The reviewed page does not publish limits, deductibles, or premium ranges for errors and omissions coverage. 8Not publicly disclosed. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| How to Apply | Heffernan directs small-business buyers to contact the firm's small-business division to request a quote and says it will research and build a custom package for industries not already listed. 4Company-reported. Small Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23. | Pie directs errors and omissions buyers to contact the company to start a quote through its website. 8Company-reported. Errors and Omissions product page as read on 2026-09-23. |
Full Comparison
More Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Pie Insurance Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
- Our Story. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology Company Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Forward-Thinking Business Insurance: basic coverages (general liability, commercial property and auto, workers’ compensation); corporate and executive protection (EPL, D&O, fiduciary responsibility, cyber, kidnap and ransom); alternative risk capabilities; claims, loss control and risk-management services; industry practice links including Technology and Claims Advocacy. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Small Business Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; The types of coverage we can provide include... Errors and omissions protects against claims for problems with your product or service that result in a financial loss; industries served list; Specialty Programs; contact for custom-designed packages. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Pie Insurance
- Legal. Pie Insurance; State Licenses; footer disclosure naming producer and workers’ compensation versus third-party underwriting roles. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Workers’ Comp Insurance For Small Businesses. Pie Insurance; Get a workers’ compensation quote online; insurance made for your small business; quote inputs; coverage description; quote-time and savings qualifications; AM Best link. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Online Account Tutorial. Pie Insurance; Payment-method updates; instant and custom certificates; policy information; document access; agent-handled custom certificate qualification. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Errors and Omissions Insurance. Pie Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance hero: also known as professional liability insurance...; professions that often carry E&O; What's typically covered by errors and omissions insurance? Inaccurate advice, Misrepresentation, Negligence, Violation of good faith; Make sure you're covered: Start now. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide
- FAQ: Professional liability insurance. Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16.
