At Bay vs Nationwide: Professional Liability / E&O Insurance

At-Bay publishes a $5 million ceiling on its miscellaneous professional liability and takes submissions from licensed producers; Nationwide directs buyers to contact an agent or request a quote, with eligible classes depending on underwriting.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-30

What Are the Key Differences Between At-Bay and Nationwide Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Limits and Form Features

At-Bay publishes primary miscellaneous professional liability limits up to $5 million and lists automatic coverage for acquired subsidiaries, independent contractors, disciplinary-proceeding defense, a duty-to-defend contract and personal-injury coverage. Nationwide describes E&O for claims alleging errors or omissions in professional services but its overview does not publish a limit or comparable form features. A buyer can compare At-Bay’s stated ceiling and feature list with the specific limit, defense obligation and endorsements in a Nationwide proposal. [4] [7]

Submission Route

At-Bay directs licensed insurance professionals to submit MPL business and offers underwriting submissions by email or automatic quotes through its Broker Platform, where brokers can customize limits and retentions and bind. Nationwide directs buyers to contact an agent or request a quote. For a broker, At-Bay describes a specific platform workflow; a Nationwide buyer should confirm which agent handles the quote and what steps are needed to bind. [2] [7]

What Should You Confirm in At-Bay and Nationwide Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask At-Bay whether your state and profession meet the MPL appetite guide, and confirm the selected limit, retention and 80/20 hammer clause. [4]
  • Ask Nationwide for the professional-services definition, limit, defense arrangement and treatment of independent contractors and acquired entities. [7]
  • Confirm whether the At-Bay submission is eligible for automatic platform quoting and which producer must submit it. [2]

At-Bay describes broker-submitted miscellaneous professional liability for businesses of all revenue sizes, with limits up to $5 million and features including independent-contractor coverage and disciplinary-defense coverage. Nationwide describes professional E&O for service providers, with exact eligibility set by underwriting.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    At-Bay Doubles Miscellaneous Professional Liability Appetite

    At-Bay · September 28, 2023 release: final paragraph before Media Contacts · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Broker Platform

    At-Bay · How it works: Create a quote, Customize your quote, Bind your policy, Manage renewals; FAQs · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Licenses

    At-Bay · Producer introduction; agency and surplus-lines footer naming At-Bay Insurance Services LLC · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    MPL Insurance: Coverage Highlights & Appetite

    At-Bay · MPL Coverage Highlights list; MPL Appetite paragraph; Send us your submissions; "material on this page is intended for use solely by properly licensed insurance professionals" · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    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

  6. 06
    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

  7. 07
    Errors and Omissions Insurance

    Nationwide · E&O page; professional-services liability and coverage overview. · accessed 2026-09-30

  8. 08
    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

  9. 09
    Get business insurance

    U.S. Small Business Administration · Six common types of business insurance table · accessed 2026-09-16

Areas of coverage

At-Bay

  • role: At-Bay markets MPL as one of its own named insurance products, sold through its disclosed producer, At-Bay Insurance Services LLC, with the product page directed at "properly licensed insurance professionals" submitting business rather than at direct retail buyers. Current MPL product page and license disclosures; this describes the distribution channel, not who bears the underwriting risk.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: The current MPL product page does not name the insurer that issues the policy. A September 2023 press release named United Specialty Company in connection with MPL, but that historical reference does not establish the current issuing insurer for a new MPL quote. Reviewed MPL page as of 2026-09-23 and the September 2023 press release; restates the existing provider fact that MPL's current issuer is unresolved, distinct from the August 2023 Cyber/Tech E&O transition to At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company paper.not-foundSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: At-Bay says it provides primary MPL for businesses of all revenue sizes with limits up to $5 million, subject to state restrictions and eligibility requirements detailed in a separate MPL appetite guide. Current MPL appetite paragraph; the linked appetite guide's specific eligibility requirements were not independently opened for this record.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: At-Bay lists MPL coverage highlights including automatic coverage for acquired subsidiaries, claims-made-and-reported coverage, coverage for independent contractors, disciplinary-proceedings defense, a duty-to-defend contract, personal-injury coverage (including emotional distress), punitive damages where insurable, a professional-services definition written for each insured, and an 80/20 hammer clause. Product-page coverage-highlights list; an 80/20 hammer clause is a settlement provision where the insurer pays 80% and the insured pays 20% of costs after the insured declines a recommended settlement. The issued policy and declarations control actual wording, limits and exclusions.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: At-Bay publishes an MPL limit ceiling of up to $5 million, with state restrictions that are not detailed on the product page itself. Current appetite paragraph; this is an advertised ceiling, not a guaranteed available limit for any specific applicant.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: At-Bay directs MPL submissions to underwriting by email or through automatic quotes on its Broker Platform, which At-Bay describes as a workflow of creating a quote, customizing limits and retentions, and binding the policy. Current submission instructions and the general broker-platform workflow description; MPL-specific automation details were not separately confirmed.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

Nationwide

  • role: Nationwide describes offering professional errors omissions for the audience stated on the cited product page. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Professionals and businesses providing services to others as described by Nationwide; exact eligible classes depend on underwriting. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The cited product page describes E&O insurance for claims alleging errors or omissions in professional services, as described on Nationwide's product page. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred.not-disclosedSource ↗

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