Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Hiscox: Professional Liability / E&O Insurance

Hiscox sells professional liability directly online to small businesses in 49 states and DC, noting a specialist broker may be able to help elsewhere. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance targets staffing, consulting, marketing and real-estate firms.

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

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists MPL, technology E&O and lawyers liability in Professional First. Hiscox offers claims-made professional liability online in 49 states and D.C., excluding Alaska, with advisors available by phone.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    Professional First Architects, Engineers and Consultants Professional Liability

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Product Highlights: professional/pollution liability; media, technology and cyber/network security/privacy liability; direct breach/extortion expenses; risk services; primary/excess and project-specific product availability; target professions, lines 6–29. Its combined-form technology feature is not itself a standalone Tech E&O statement. · accessed 2026-09-28

  2. 02
    Professional First Professional Liability

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · U.S. Professional Liability landing page links Professional Liability / Network Security & Privacy, stand-alone Network Security & Privacy, and Architects, Engineers and Consultants PL, lines 6–15; footer copyright © 2026. · accessed 2026-09-28

  3. 03
    Professional First Professional Liability Overview

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · PDF pp.1–2: claims group and reporting; primary blended E&O/Cyber and stand-alone Cyber forms; line capacity statement; named Lawyers PL, Technology E&O, Miscellaneous PL, Media Liability, Network Security & Privacy; named technology-services target types and selection categories; dated 2026-06-03-A. Group capacity not a line policy limit. Source version: 2026-06-03-A. · accessed 2026-09-28

  4. 04
    About Hiscox US Insurance

    Hiscox · Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide

    Hiscox · Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; technology classes including IT consultants and software development · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Professional Liability Insurance for Small Businesses

    Hiscox · Professional liability/E&O product; licensed in 49 states and Washington, D.C. (Alaska excluded); specialist-broker assistance if not licensed in a state; licensed-advisor hours · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    What is Professional Liability Insurance?

    Hiscox · Claims-made description; current-customer claim number described as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    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

  9. 09
    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

  10. 10
    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

  11. 11
    Get business insurance

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

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

What the Published Offering Defines

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists distinct professional lines, including MPL, technology E&O and lawyers liability, with target classes such as staffing, consulting, marketing and real estate. Hiscox sells professional liability directly online to small businesses through its Hiscox NOW catalog; its admitted product is available in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska. For a small firm seeking direct purchase, Hiscox’s stated route is concrete; a specialized business can compare Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s named professional classes. [3] [4]

Buying and Policy Details to Resolve

Hiscox says its admitted professional-liability policies are underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. and describes a claims-made policy with a 24/7 professional-liability claims phone line. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s reviewed record lists professional products and an in-house claims group but not policy-specific insurer details for a proposal. Ask both for the retroactive date, reporting requirements and how defense costs affect limits, especially if you are changing insurers or need prior-work protection. [7] [3]

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

  • Is Hiscox online availability confirmed for your state and profession? [3] [4]
  • Which Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance issuing insurer, retroactive date and claims contact appear in the proposal? [3] [4]

Areas of coverage

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  • coverage: BHSI’s U.S. Professional First overview identifies Lawyers Professional Liability and Miscellaneous Professional Liability alongside Technology E&O and Media Liability. Portfolio catalogue statement; the specific legal/professional class and form must be selected rather than treating the offerings as one policy.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: The overview names staffing firms, management consultants, marketing firms and real-estate firms as targeted customers for Miscellaneous Professional Liability; it separately lists law-firm size bands for Lawyers Professional Liability. U.S. Professional First target statements; class-specific eligibility only.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: For architects, engineers and consultants, BHSI describes a professional-liability form that also addresses pollution, media, technology and cyber/network-security exposures. This is a specialized design-industry combined form, not generic E&O wording or proof that all risks receive each component.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: The Professional First overview describes its in-house claims handling group as experienced in complex, high-value claims and integrated with underwriting. Company-reported portfolio-level claim-service description, not independently measured claims performance.company-reportedSource ↗

Hiscox

  • role: Hiscox Inc., a licensed insurance intermediary, sells professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage directly online to small businesses as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted small-business catalogue. Company-stated online small-business channel.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. Admitted small-business professional liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: Hiscox says professional liability is licensed for sale in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, and that if it does not sell the product online in a buyer's state, a specialist broker may be able to help instead. Company-stated jurisdiction for the online small-business catalogue; the appetite guide's technology classes (IT consultants, software development) illustrate typical buyers but do not guarantee acceptance for any one applicant.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Hiscox describes professional liability as a claims-made policy, meaning a claim is covered only if it is made (and typically reported) while the policy is active, rather than an occurrence policy covering incidents regardless of when the claim surfaces. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The professional-liability pages reviewed do not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; specific figures are shown only on a quote. Public product and FAQ pages as previously reviewed.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy professional liability online, with licensed advisors available by phone during posted hours for questions during the process. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: A professional-liability FAQ tells current customers that the claims phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, separate from the general claims-center hours listed elsewhere on the Hiscox site. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time.company-reportedSource ↗

Ask Kearny Risk to help relate this comparison to your services and contracts.

Contact Kearny Risk