Foundershield vs Marsh: Intellectual Property Insurance

Marsh says it can place five types of IP insurance, including its IP Protect product, plus risk-strategy support; Founder Shield places defense and enforcement cover with carriers rated A- or higher on the AM rating scale.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

Marsh is the fit if you need to explore trade-secret value, contingency or IP-backed financing among five placement types. Founder Shield is the fit if you want defense and approved enforcement with a stated A- or better carrier floor.

What Are the Key Differences Between Founder Shield and Marsh Intellectual Property Insurance?

Five IP Solutions Versus Defense and Approved Enforcement

Founder Shield places IP cover with carriers rated A- or better and describes defense plus enforcement subject to underwriter approval. Marsh lists IP Protect and options for contingency, trade-secret value and IP-insured financing, backed by its in-house IP practice. Choose Marsh if you need trade-secret valuation, contingency or IP used as loan collateral; choose Founder Shield if you need defense and approved enforcement with a stated carrier-rating floor. [4] [5] [7]

Two Components Versus Named Product Types

Founder Shield describes defense coverage and enforcement coverage that funds, with underwriter approval, a suit against an infringer to recoup lost income. Marsh says it can place defensive IP insurance, offensive IP insurance, specific contingency insurance, trade secret value insurance, and IP-insured financing securing an IP asset pledged as loan collateral. Marsh describes IP Protect as covering losses related to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with trade secrets available by optional endorsement. Founder Shield's reviewed page does not describe trade-secret value insurance or IP-insured financing. [5] [7]

Patent Holders Versus Specialist Strategy Work

Founder Shield targets companies holding one or more patents, businesses vulnerable to competitor infringement claims, and companies at risk of accidentally infringing another party's IP. You request coverage through its website or an advisor; the placement team approaches carriers. Marsh says its IP specialists help clients identify IP risks and support risk-management strategies addressing programmatic fundamentals, beyond placing a policy. If you want that consulting layer around the binder, Marsh describes it; Founder Shield describes a market approach. [5] [3] [4] [7]

What Should You Confirm in Founder Shield and Marsh Intellectual Property Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Marsh whether the quote is IP Protect, offensive cover, contingency, trade-secret value, or IP-insured financing, and what Ambridge's role is. [7]
  • Ask Founder Shield which A- or better carrier is quoting and whether enforcement needs underwriter approval. [4] [5]
  • Confirm whether trade secrets are base cover, an endorsement, or a separate Marsh product. [7] [5]
  • Get defense and enforcement limits from both. [5] [7]

Areas of coverage

Founder Shield

  • role: Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Intellectual Property Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Founder Shield targets IP coverage at companies holding one or more patents, businesses vulnerable to competitor infringement claims, and companies at risk of accidentally infringing another party's IP. Intellectual Property Insurance product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield describes two components: defense coverage (legal costs and judgments if the policyholder is accused of infringement) and enforcement coverage (funding, with underwriter approval, to sue an infringer and recoup lost income). Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Intellectual Property 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. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You request Founder Shield Intellectual Property 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. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

Marsh

  • role: Marsh says it is one of the only brokers with in-house IP expertise, a proprietary IP insurance product, and proprietary relationships with multiple specialty underwriters in the IP space; MMA also lists IP within its executive and professional liability practice. Marsh intellectual property page and MMA executive and professional liability page.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Marsh describes IP Protect, a product it says it released in 2019 and that is backed by Ambridge Partners, as providing coverage for losses related to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with trade secrets available by optional endorsement. Intellectual property page, Our expertise and solutions section.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Marsh says it can place five types of IP insurance: defensive IP insurance (protecting the insured's own IP from external attack), offensive IP insurance (covering enforcement litigation costs), specific contingency insurance, trade secret value insurance, and IP-insured financing (securing an IP asset pledged as loan collateral). Intellectual property page FAQs; general descriptions, not specific policy forms.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Marsh names Ambridge Partners as the entity backing its IP Protect product; the page does not clarify whether Ambridge Partners is the issuing insurer or an underwriting manager, and does not name insurers for its other IP products. Intellectual property page as read on 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Marsh says its IP specialists help clients identify and clarify IP risks and support development of risk management strategies addressing programmatic fundamentals, beyond just placing a policy. Intellectual property page opening description.company-reportedSource ↗

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    Intellectual property insurance

    CFC · Opening; Defense; Pursuit of infringers; Contractual indemnity; US-facing product offering · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Intellectual Property Insurance application form — US

    CFC Underwriting Limited · Sections 1–2 pp.1–2; Section 3 pp.3–4; Section 4 p.4; Section 6.1 p.5; Section 6.2 p.6 · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    About Us

    Founder Shield · “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    Intellectual Property Insurance

    Founder Shield · What Is Intellectual Property Insurance?; Who Needs Intellectual Property Insurance Coverage?; What Does Intellectual Property Insurance Cover? · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    IP Infringement Insurance Application

    Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corporation · p.1 specimen request; Section 1 pp.2–4; Defense Section 2 pp.5–6; Enforcement Section 3 pp.7–9 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Intellectual Property

    Marsh · Opening positioning; Our expertise and solutions: IP Protect, Intellectual Property-Insured Financing, Edison IP; FAQs: What are the different types of intellectual property insurance? · accessed 2026-09-23

  8. 08
    Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance

    Marsh McLennan Agency · Our policies include D&O, E&O, EPL, commercial crime/fidelity, network security privacy risk/cyber, fiduciary, media liability, IP, architects and engineers, lawyers professional, and kidnap and ransom · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    Small Business Insurance

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Other types of business liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  10. 10
    Intellectual property insurance (UK guidance)

    UK Intellectual Property Office · About IP and insurance > types of products; exclusions/excess/co-insurance; claims process and legal representation · accessed 2026-09-16

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