Directors & Officers
Directors and officers of private companies, public companies,
and non-profit organizations may be personally liable for the
decisions they make. In addition, directors and officers can be
liable for the decisions of their executive and management
staff.
Claims can be brought against directors and officers by
shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, and
regulatory entities which can result in serious financial
loss. Such lawsuits can allege: mismanagement of business,
self dealing and conflicts of interest, failure to deliver
services, failure to disclose information, disclosure of materially
false or misleading information, and violation of state and federal
laws.
Most entrepreneurs, private company owners, and their boards of
directors perceive the risk to be different in a private company
versus a public company. However, the scope of the risk is
the same, whether it involves a private or public company.
Many individuals serve on boards of not for profit corporations
and other types of charitable organizations. Depending on
their activities, these organizations can pose significant risks to
the individual director or officer, and many times they have little
or no Directors & Officers Liability insurance in place.
It is important to note that the need for Director &
Officers Liability coverage applies to a great number of situations
and should be considered in the implementation of a total risk
protection program.