Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Gallagher: Commercial Crime Insurance

Gallagher arranges Fidelity and Crime cover with outside carriers for small businesses, starting from an advisor request form; Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance's one-form portfolio names private companies with $10 million or more in revenue as targets.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-30

Crime coverage

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  • role: BHSI describes Executive First Private Company Portfolio as one comprehensive form combining D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and employed-lawyer insurance. Portfolio marketing establishes a listed product structure, not a buyer’s entitlement or standalone availability.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: BHSI identifies private companies with at least $10 million in revenue among the portfolio’s target accounts. Portfolio-level target, not a guarantee that a particular applicant qualifies for the crime component.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The portfolio page advertises shared or separate limits up to $50 million. This is a portfolio-wide figure, not a crime-specific limit; the page does not say how limits would be allocated on a specific policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The portfolio page specifically names Commercial Crime as one component of the comprehensive form. The page names the line but does not state its insuring agreements, coverage triggers or relationship to fidelity bonds.company-reportedSource ↗

Gallagher

  • role: Gallagher Small Business arranges Fidelity and Crime coverage with outside carriers for small-business clients; its group-level Executive and Financial Risk practice separately places the same coverage for larger accounts. Gallagher does not underwrite either policy. Small-business crime product page and the group-level executive-risk practice page.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Gallagher describes Fidelity and Crime insurance as covering losses from fraudulent or dishonest acts, including credit card forgery, computer fraud, funds-transfer fraud, employee fraud, theft and destruction of property. Small-business crime product page; a coverage description, not a specific policy's insuring agreement or exclusions.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Gallagher recommends this coverage for small businesses exposed to funds-transfer fraud, computer fraud, employee fraud, or destruction of personal property. Small-business crime product page "Do you need Fidelity and Crime insurance?" list; actual acceptance depends on underwriting.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: For larger accounts, Gallagher says its methodology for setting crime coverage limits includes peer analysis using third-party databases and an exposure index developed by the Surety Association of America with the American Institute of Accountants. Group-level executive-risk practice page; not confirmed as applied to the small-business product.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: The small-business crime page routes buyers to a Connect With An Advisor form asking for company details, business description, other coverage interests, employee count and annual revenue. Product page inquiry form, inspected without submission.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Neither the small-business crime page nor the executive-risk practice page names the insurer that would issue a given client's crime policy. Checked both pages on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • limits: Neither page publishes specific crime coverage limits or premium ranges. Checked both pages on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Gallagher Crime Insurance?

Coverage Structure and Crime Scope

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance places Commercial Crime alongside D&O, EPL, fiduciary, and employed-lawyer insurance in Executive First. Gallagher arranges crime and fidelity through outside carriers, with a small-business advisor route and a separate practice for larger accounts. Gallagher says its larger-account limit methodology uses peer analysis and an exposure index, a placement service rather than an insurer promise. [1] [4]

Limits, Eligibility, and Placement

Gallagher names employee fraud, funds-transfer fraud, computer fraud, theft, and property destruction among covered scenarios. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance advertises portfolio limits up to $50 million, shared or separate, and targets private firms from $10 million revenue. Compare Gallagher’s proposed market terms with BHSI’s policy-specific crime limit, not the methodology or portfolio ceiling alone. [1] [4]

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Gallagher Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Gallagher which carrier and limit methodology apply to your account, and how employee dishonesty differs from fidelity coverage.
  • Ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance whether other portfolio parts share the crime limit and what retention applies.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists crime within a combined portfolio; Gallagher brokers crime and fidelity placements and describes a limit-setting method for larger accounts.

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Executive First Private Company Portfolio

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Product Highlights, lines 11–15: D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and Employed Lawyers in one comprehensive form; shared or separate limits up to $50 million; EPL First HR resources and attorney helpline. Top Targets, lines 16–25: private companies with at least $10 million revenue and listed industries. Reopened 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  2. 02
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

    Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    Executive and Financial Risk Insurance

    Gallagher · Employee Dishonesty (Crime) and Fidelity Bond insurance section · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Crime

    Gallagher Small Business · Coverage Overview; Do you need Fidelity and Crime insurance?; Connect With An Advisor form · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    Crime Terms and Conditions

    The Travelers Companies, Inc. · I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

    Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Commercial Crime Coverage Application

    Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16

Contact Van Ness Partners to discuss controls, exposures and insurance options.

Contact Van Ness Partners