What Is Business Legal Expense Insurance – LEI?

Business legal expense insurance (LEI), is a form of legal protection insurance (LPI). LEI coverage protects a company from the cost of defending itself in the event someone brings a lawsuit against them. It is designed to protect against costs stemming from lawsuits brought by third parties, but may also cover costs associated with lawsuits that the insured pursues against others. These costs may include 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:fees for lawyers, witness expenses, court fees, or even the cost to hire expert witness🉐es.

LEI is typically utilized in large corporations but is essential for any size of business which has the risk of exposure lawsuits or to offset the expense of when they need to bring suit against a client. Commercial legal expense insurance (CLEI) is a similar type of legal expense insurance geared toward small-to-medium sized companies. LEI may sometimes cover legal costs related to a company's 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:intellectual property and brand protection.

Who Needs Business Legal Expense Insurance?

All businesses have exposure to lawsuits, but some are more vulnerable than others. Headlines hit news feeds daily about suits brought against manuf🌠acturers and doctors, and any company ꦅor independent contractor may find themselves facing the headache of a lawsuit.

Money managers and financial advisors may purchase legal expense insurance to protect themselves from clients who believe that the business has lost them money. Business legal expense insurance is likely to be bought by larger companies which face a real threat of lawsuits, such as 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:wrongful termination claims and financial audits.

What Expenses Does LEI Cover?

There are two primary structures for business legal expense cover🐓age. These structures are before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE).

1. BTE covers expenses arising in the future. This option provides coverage, like a standard insurance policy, with the insured paying premiums based on its risk profile.
2. ATE policies handle lawsuits after the action has begun. This coverage is more expensive because proceedings are underway and expenses are inevitable.

Before purchasing legal expense insurance, a business should examine its current insurance coverage to determine which risks are fully covered and identify areas where there is a gap in coverage. BTE insurance is more widely available because an insurer may consider the applicant less risky. The amount of the premium for this type of protection depends on the line of business and the risks most likely to be faced by that business. Certain types of policies may also cover routine legal advice and legal costs surroundinཧg the protection of trademarks and copyrighted material.

Real World Example

For example, a client may claim that their financial advisor did not advise them of worsening 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:economic conditions and that they, the client, could have avoided this loss. If the advisory company’s 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:liability insurance does not cover legal expenses, the company may consider purchasi🎐ng legal 🅰expense insurance.