Whether corporate or not-for-profit, directors & officers need to protect themselves by ensuring they are aware of their obligations, and that they are properly insured.
Directors & Officers Insurance
In today’s world, stakeholders and the public are aware of their rights and are pro-active about seeking redress when they feel that they have been poorly treated or suffered an unnecessary financial loss. With this in mind, directors and officers, whether corporate or not-for-profit, need to protect themselves by ensuring they are aware of their obligations and properly insured.
Risk management
As always, the first step is risk management. Most directors and officers are aware that their fundamental duties include acting at all times with:
- Care, diligence, and skill
- Honesty, loyalty and good faith
However, ensuring that you have acted in good faith doesn’t necessarily protect you from being sued – there are still legal costs at stake, even if negligence isn’t found. Often, directors and officers assume they will have indemnity from their corporation or organization, but that isn’t always the case. If the organization is insolvent, or unable to legally provide indemnity, or in cases of fraud or malicious acts, then the company’s policy will not provide protection.
Are your directors and officers vulnerable?
The most common allegations requiring defense by directors include:
- Acting beyond the scope of their authority
- Giving wrong or unprofessional advice
- Breach of fiduciary duties
- Authorizing excessive company spending
- Failure to supervise subordinates or company affairs properly
- Making unauthorized company borrowing
The entire global D&O Market continues to experience hardening market conditions; find out more about Directors and Officers trends with Reliance Insurance CEO Chris Ball and Commercial Insurance Account Manager Terri Hayes.
Some situations are more likely to put directors and officers at risk
- Acquisitions or divestitures
- Mergers
- Foreign investment (especially in the USA)
- Public offerings
- Management buy-outs
- Reduced dividends
- Waste or mismanagement of corporate assets
- Employee dismissal
- Boardroom dispute
- Breach of contract
- Liquidation of the company
- Change in ownership of the company’s share capital
Regardless of whether you’re public or private, profit or non-profit, no one is safe. A solid insurance policy will cover an organization, and the corporation or not-for-profit organization. Talk to Reliance Insurance Advisors – we will craft an insurance policy to give you and your organization the coverage you need.
A common misconception is that alleged misconduct by directors or companies is covered under other liability policies, such as commercial general liability, errors and omissions, or other professional liability policy. Find out more about D&O trends with Reliance Insurance CEO Chris Ball and Commercial Insurance Account Manager Elias Faltenhine.
Call us or request a quote for Directors & Officers Insurance
You may need:
Risk Audits
Our risk assessment process is based on a system used by Fortune 500 companies.
Errors & Omissions
Professional service-providing companies need specialized insurance.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance can protect you, your staff, your customers and even your suppliers.
Product Liability Insurance
Product liability is a necessity for all businesses involved throughout the commerce chain.
As a company that insures large, complex commercial accounts, we appreciate a customer that takes a proactive approach to risk management and is committed to identification, analysis, and reduction of risk, which ultimately, can impact their cost of insurance.
— VP Sales & Marketing, Zurich Insurance
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