New MGA Founders Specialty Targets Professional Liability Risks

National wholesale insurance broker, Founders Professional, has opened a new managing general agency, Founders Specialty, which will focus on developing products primarily in the professional liability space with key insurance partners.

Founders Specialty will be led by industry veteran, Stephen S. van Wert, who has 17 years of experience in running national professional liability programs for large publicly traded insurance brokers. In this new role, van Wert will help spearhead the development and growth of additional programs under the Founders Specialty banner. The new company is located in Tampa, Fla.

The first program being launched is an admitted lawyers professional liability insurance program for law firms with one to 20 attorneys. The new program will be underwritten by a global specialty insurer, with a national presence in the hard-to-place and excess lawyers professional liability market.

The new lawyers program is currently authorized to place coverage for law firms in the states of Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It is expected to have filings approved shortly in the states of California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Vermont.

The program, which will be automatically available to agents currently working with Founders Professional, and will also be open to new agents on a select basis.

Robb Williams, president of Founders Professional, said the company is currently adding more people to the organization nationwide.

Topics Excess Surplus Insurance Wholesale