MALPRACTICE INSURANCE FOR THE LAW FIRM WORTH PROTECTING​

Enjoy Worry-free Protection With Lawyers' Malpractice Insurance Made Easy

You've Got A Choice In Coverage

You deserve simple, straightforward protection. ALPS’ flagship insurance product is our lawyers’ malpractice insurance policy. It provides broad coverage and is fairly applied. You can count on our financial strength to back up our promise to our policyholders in the event of a claim.

• ALPS Basic
• ALPS Preferred
• ALPS Premier

	ALPS Basic	ALPS Preferred	ALPS Premier
Coverage Features
All claims handled by licensed attorneys	✔	✔	✔
If a claim does arise, you want real, practical experience on your side. ALPS policyholders that have a claim made against them partner with one of our licensed claims attorneys - not an adjuster. With over 140+ years of combined experience in legal malpractice insurance, every single attorney has actual law practice experience as well. We know where you’re coming from as an attorney in private practice.
Supplementary payments for disciplinary proceedings	$5000	$25,000 per attorney, $75,000 in the aggregate	$50,000 per attorney, $150,000 in the aggregate
Included in all three of our policies, ALPS provides any covered attorney a reimbursement allowance for attorney’s fees and expenses due to proceedings before a disciplinary board, agency or peer review committee. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Scope of professional services covered	Includes mediators, court-appointed family investigators, notary public	Expanded to include title insurance agents, author/presenter of legal materials, lobbyists	Expanded further to include expert witness
One of the key terms to understand in any LPL policy is Professional Services defined as work performed by a properly licensed attorney for and on behalf of the covered law firm. ALPS looks to broadly and clearly define the scope of covered services offered by an attorney. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Professional services to related organization covered	Must own 5% or less	Must own 10% or less	Must own 15% or less
According to many leading lawyers’ malpractice insurance experts, conflicts of interest continue to be among the most common alleged legal malpractice errors. ALPS excludes any legal work done in connection with any organization in which an insured attorney was also an owner. This ownership limitation does not apply if ownership level is no more than the specific policy percentage in your selected policy. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Claims expense allowance outside the limit of liability		50% of per claim limit (up to $500,000)	50% of per claim limit (up to $1,000,000)
This feature focuses on how your policy treats the cost of defending a malpractice claim, typically referred to as claims expenses. Many insurance providers’ standard policies place those expense costs within the limit of liability (commonly referred to as CEIL–Claims Expenses Inside the Limits). This means the limit of liability you purchase is the total amount available to you to both defend your claim and to pay out any losses. ALPS Preferred and Premier policies have a Claims Expense Allowance Outside your Limit (CEOL) to pay for claims expenses. CEOL protects your limit of liability from being eroded by the cost of your defense. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Insured's consent to settle required		✔	✔
None of ALPS’ three new policies have what the industry refers to as a Hammer Clause. What is a Hammer Clause? If your insurance company receives a settlement offer and you don’t want to settle, they will continue to defend your claim. That’s what you’d expect, right? The catch is that with a Hammer Clause the insurance company’s limit of liability under the policy to pay any loss or Damages becomes limited to the amount of the settlement offer that could have been accepted. Therefore, a Hammer Clause exposes you to any loss or Damages you become obligated to pay in excess of the amount of the settlement offer. That’s the hammer. The ALPS Preferred and ALPS Premier policies have a full consent to settle provision. That means that we will not settle a covered claim without your written consent. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood. While ALPS does not have a Hammer Clause in any policy form, a full consent to settle provision is not available in California.*
Reduced deductible for voluntary formal mediation		✔	✔
Receive up to a 50% reduction (up to a maximum of $25,000) on your deductible due for a claim resolved voluntarily through formal mediation. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Annual deductible cap of twice the per claim amount		✔	✔
In the Preferred and Premier policy forms, your maximum "out-of-pocket" deductible payments for any policy period, regardless of the number of covered claims, is capped at twice your "each claim" deductible. So if you carry a $10,000 deductible, you will not pay more than $20,000 for covered claims in a policy period. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Reduced deductible if engagement letter used			✔
Available only in our Premier Policy, receive up to a 50% reduction (up to a maximum of $25,000) on your deductible due for a claim where your client(s) signed an engagement letter. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Supplementary payments for loss of earnings			✔
Enhanced only in our Premier Policy, ALPS additional reimbursements for loss of earnings for each full or partial day where ALPS requests in writing for an attorney to attend a trial, hearing or arbitration hearing. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Supplementary payments for subpoena assistance			✔
Enhanced only in our Premier Policy, ALPS additional reimbursements for assistance from ALPS appointed legal counsel if an attorney receives a subpoena to produce documents or testimony as a witness for their professional services. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*
Supplementary payments for public relations event			✔
Enhanced only in our Premier Policy, ALPS additional reimbursements for up to $40,000 for a Public Relations event for covered events that could have a material adverse effect on the law firm. *Specific policy language does apply. Please review to ensure actual coverage is understood.*

Get a printable copy of the chart

Are you a policyholder looking to start your online renewal?

What is the ALPS Difference?

We know you want to be recognized for the successful practice you’ve built. After all, you've built a law firm worth protecting. You deserve to partner with an attorney's malpractice insurance provider that appreciates the value you bring to your clients. At ALPS, we understand lawyers and are experts in our field. All we do is provide insurance to private practice lawyers. In fact, our claims staff are licensed attorneys with actual practice experience. It’s also why we are endorsed by more State Bars than any other carrier. With ALPS, you’re not just buying a policy, you’re buying a promise.

What could it cost you if you don't carry the right legal malpractice insurance?

The debate over mandatory professional liability insurance for lawyers continues across the country. There are some state courts that require attorneys to maintain professional liability coverage, some that require client disclosure if no coverage exists, and some that remain silent. Many clients are not aware that this is the case, and assume to their detriment that they will have access to compensation in the event a mistake is made. To the legal profession’s credit, most lawyers in private practice recognize malpractice litigation as an ever present threat and understand the benefits of maintaining malpractice insurance. If you're still on the fence about the importance of carrying lawyers' professional liability insurance or are not sure how much coverage you should purchase, here are some examples of the costs of not carrying the right insurance: