Lockton vs Newfront: Representations and Warranties Insurance

Lockton staffs its RWI practice with former M&A lawyers and offers dedicated claims experts after binding; Newfront places R&W through its Private Equity & Transaction Advisory Group, engaged by requesting a consultation.

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

What Are the Key Differences Between Lockton and Newfront Representations and Warranties Insurance?

Claims Support After Closing vs Diligence Before It

Lockton says dedicated transaction-liability claims experts stay on after binding and cites hundreds of millions of dollars in RWI claims settled for clients. Newfront's Private Equity & Transaction Advisory Group works as an extension of your deal team, with diligence professionals using technology and data analytics to spot exposures and savings during the deal. Choose Lockton if you expect to lean on your broker when a breach claim arises; choose Newfront if you're a PE buyer who wants help finding risks before you sign. [4] [6]

Escrow Replacement vs Companion Transaction Cover

Lockton frames R&W as replacing or bolstering seller indemnity or escrow, with benefits for both sides, and staffs every deal with a former-M&A-lawyer partner and associate available 24/7. Newfront frames R&W as cover for unknown risks and places tax and contingent-liability insurance for known, hard-to-place issues; you start with a consultation form. [4] [6] [5]

What Should You Confirm in Lockton and Newfront Representations and Warranties Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Lockton who your partner, associate and post-bind claims expert will be. [4]
  • Ask Newfront whether tax or contingent-liability cover is quoted with R&W and which insurers it will approach. [6]
  • Ask both whether the policy is meant to replace escrow in your purchase agreement. [4] [6]
  • Get limits, retentions and the insurer from both; neither publishes them. [4] [6]

Lockton puts former M&A lawyers on every R&W deal around the clock and keeps dedicated claims experts involved after closing. Newfront works inside private equity deal teams, using diligence professionals and data analytics to find exposures and placing tax or contingent-liability cover alongside R&W.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    Mergers & Acquisitions

    Beazley · Product overview: buyer and seller protection for inaccuracies in representations or warranties · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Transaction liability insurance | Representation and indemnities insurance

    CFC · What are representations and warranties?; Who should buy representation and warranty insurance?; Available to buyers & sellers; Limited seller security; Is transaction liability insurance available to sellers · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Transactional Risk Insurance

    Coverdash · Transactional risk insurance; representations and warranties coverage; buy-side policies; tax and contingent liability products · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    Representations & Warranties Insurance | Lockton USA

    Lockton · The Certain Solution for Transactional Risk; Why clients consider RWI versus traditional indemnity; Seller/Buyer benefits; Claims · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Get Started Today

    Newfront · Consultation form: schedule a consultation to see how Newfront can reduce your risk · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    Mergers & Acquisitions

    Newfront · Transaction liability: "Our deep expertise across R&W insurance, Tax insurance, and Contingent Liability insurance provides significant protection for clients across unknown risks"; Due diligence; Subject matter expertise; Leadership: Ted Dobos · accessed 2026-09-23

Areas of coverage

Lockton

  • role: Lockton's RWI Practice is staffed with former M&A lawyers and transaction advisors who Lockton says use a Partner/Associate model on every deal to provide 24/7 coverage; Lockton places RWI policies rather than underwriting them. RWI product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Lockton describes RWI as a policy used to replace or bolster a seller indemnity or escrow in an M&A transaction, under which an insurer indemnifies the buyer for losses from an unknown breach of a representation or warranty in the deal agreement. RWI product page as read 2026-09-23. General description of how the product functions, not a specimen policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Lockton frames RWI benefits separately for sellers (faster access to sale proceeds, reduced post-closing exposure, avoiding a guarantee) and buyers (broader protection, faster negotiation, avoiding conflicts in deals with meaningful seller participation), meaning both sides of an M&A transaction are the intended buyers of the product. RWI product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: Lockton says it provides dedicated transaction liability claims experts after a policy is bound, and cites having helped clients settle hundreds of millions of dollars of RWI claims to date. RWI product page as read 2026-09-23. Aggregate claims-settlement figure is company-reported and not independently verified.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The RWI page does not name the insurers underwriting the representations and warranties policies Lockton places. RWI page checked 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗

Newfront

  • role: Newfront places representations and warranties (R&W) insurance through its Private Equity & Transaction Advisory Group, which it describes as operating as "an extension of your deal-team" during M&A transactions. Newfront brokers R&W coverage; it does not underwrite it. Mergers & Acquisitions page's Transaction liability paragraph.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Newfront markets R&W insurance to clients executing mergers and acquisitions, working alongside private-equity deal teams; the reviewed page does not set a minimum deal size or industry restriction. Mergers & Acquisitions page; a practice-wide description, not a stated R&W-specific eligibility threshold.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Newfront describes R&W insurance as protecting clients "across unknown risks" arising from a transaction, distinguishing it from the tax insurance and contingent-liability insurance the same team also places for "hard-to-place transaction risks." The reviewed page does not describe R&W policy exclusions, retention structure or claims-made terms. Mergers & Acquisitions page's Transaction liability paragraph; general description, not a policy form summary.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Newfront says it has relationships with transaction liability insurers but does not name an R&W carrier. As a broker, the insurer varies by deal. Mergers & Acquisitions page's Subject matter expertise section.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • limits: Published limits, retentions or premium rates for R&W coverage were not found on the reviewed page. Mergers & Acquisitions page as read on 2026-09-23; limits and pricing are deal-specific for broker placements.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • services: Newfront says its due-diligence professionals "operate on deal-time identifying key risk exposures, mitigation solutions, and cost-savings opportunities," and that its technology and data-analytics capabilities support the M&A insurance team's work, including transaction-liability placement. Mergers & Acquisitions page's Due diligence and Technology & data-driven results sections; describes the M&A practice generally, not R&W-exclusive services.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You engage Newfront's Private Equity & Transaction Advisory Group for R&W placement by requesting a consultation, which asks for your industry, company details and the service you need rather than issuing an instant quote. General consultation intake, not an R&W-specific application path.company-reportedSource ↗

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