Higginbotham

What Higginbotham does

Higginbotham is an employee-owned insurance and financial services firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, providing insurance brokerage, employee benefits, HR services, financial services, and personal insurance to businesses, employees, individuals, and public-sector clients. The company operates a single-source delivery model covering commercial property and casualty, group health and voluntary benefits, retirement plans, captive insurance, and HR consulting/payroll, with a registered proprietary service concept called Day Two Services that delivers year-round risk management, claims advocacy, benefit plan design and administration rather than transactional point-of-sale support. It distributes its offering via approximately 50+ U.S. offices supported by technology integrations with Zywave (risk management collaboration and OSHA compliance) and Succeed Management Solutions (workplace safety, training, and certificate of insurance management), supplemented by international delivery through membership in Globex International Group covering 130+ countries.

Higginbotham's business model combines insurance carrier commissions (property and casualty, employee benefits, personal lines) with professional services fees for HR consulting, payroll, benefits administration, risk management consulting, and compliance services. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to client segment, with no public pricing tiers disclosed. The firm complements its products with proprietary frameworks — most notably the Total Family Balance Sheet, a registered brand-identity framework that coordinates risk management across six asset classes for high-net-worth wealth preservation — and a published book authored by Managing Partner Warren E. Barhorst.

The go-to-market is sales-led and executed through direct licensed brokers plus a deliberate partnership and acquisition model targeting culturally aligned independent insurance agencies. Since 2009, Higginbotham has completed over 130 such transactions, including WRM Group (2023-11), Thompson & Smith Insurance (2024-04), Synergy Insurance and Charter Energy (2025-12), Monarch Solutions Inc. (2026-02), Harmon Dennis Bradshaw (2026-04), and McGohan Brabender (2026-05) — a cadence that has elevated it to the 16th largest independent insurance brokerage in the United States in 2026 per The Hales Report, with 97% client retention and 30% reported year-over-year growth.

Name

Higginbotham

Legal name

Higginbotham

Website

https://www.higginbotham.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Higginbotham is an employee-owned, Fort Worth-based independent insurance brokerage and financial services firm providing commercial insurance, employee benefits, HR, financial, and personal insurance solutions to businesses, employees, individuals, and public-sector clients across 50+ U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Life Insurance (6311), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

HR Service Delivery, Case Management & Employee Self-Service (BPACAPAL), Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ), Private Client Custody & Brokerage (Execution, Reporting, Safekeeping) (FSAAABAN)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits administration
• Risk management services
• Business insurance solutions
• Personal insurance coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing business. Revenue derived from property and casualty insurance, employee benefits, and personal insurance products.
2. Professional Services Fees: Fees for HR consulting, payroll services, benefits administration, risk management consulting, and compliance services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Higginbotham is an employee-owned insurance and financial services firm that operates as an independent brokerage placing property and casualty, employee benefits, personal lines, and financial products with carrier partners. The firm also provides ancillary HR consulting, payroll, benefits administration, retirement plan services, risk management, and claims advocacy through its Day Two Services model. It has completed over 130 partnership-based acquisitions since 2009 to build scale.

Product overview

Higginbotham is an employee-owned insurance and financial services firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance, financial, and HR services organized into five core product lines: Employee Benefits (health insurance, group insurance, voluntary benefits, 401(k)/retirement plans, global benefits, Day Two Services), Business Insurance (commercial coverage across 20+ lines including property, casualty, cyber, and specialty risks; captive insurance; risk management and risk technology), HR Services (consulting, outsourcing, payroll, onboarding, and HR technology), Financial Services (life insurance, disability, individual/corporate consulting, long-term care), and Personal Insurance (homeowners, auto, life, private client, renters, farm/ranch). The business operates primarily as a broker/intermediary, distributing insurance products from carrier partners and providing advisory, administrative, and risk management services. Notable partnerships include Kestra Investment Services (securities/FINRA) for retirement plan services, Globex International Group for international benefits across 130+ countries, and technology platforms from Zywave and Succeed Management Solutions. The firm has a proprietary Total Family Balance Sheet framework for high-net-worth wealth management and has completed over 130 strategic partnerships/acquisitions since 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Higginbotham Public Sector: A specialty practice within Higginbotham providing employee benefits solutions for education and government institutions, with proprietary enrollment, engagement and administrative solutions.

Products and services

• Employee Benefits Comprehensive employee benefits packages including health insurance, group insurance, voluntary benefits, and 401(k) retirement plans, with year-round support, an in-house Employee Response Center, and dedicated teams for plan administration and open enrollment.
• Business Insurance Business insurance covering commercial coverage, specialty industry coverage, risk management, risk technology, safety and loss control, certificate validation, contract review, and claims advocacy to protect businesses' assets, people, and operations.
• HR Services Human resources services including HR consulting, payroll services, HR outsourcing, HR technology, onboarding, pre-hire administration, and surveys, provided through both a-la-carte consulting and fully-outsourced solutions.
• Financial Services Financial services including life insurance, disability insurance, 401(k) and retirement plans, individual consulting, corporate consulting, and long-term care, complemented by securities and advisory services through Kestra Investment Services and Kestra Advisory Services.
• Personal Insurance Personal insurance products including homeowners' insurance, car insurance, life insurance, private client insurance, renters' insurance, farm and ranch insurance, catastrophe support/claims advocacy, and personal watercraft insurance.
• Captive Insurance Captive insurance solutions including Group Captives and Single Parent Captives, enabling businesses to own their own insurance vehicle for improved risk financing and cost savings.
• Day Two Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% client retention rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• McGohan BrabendercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Acquisition expanding Higginbotham's Midwest presence. Deal adds six offices across Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. McGohan Brabender transitions to employee ownership under the new parent company. Expected to close next month.
• Harmon Dennis BradshawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Acquisition of one of Alabama's largest independent insurance and risk management firms, adding offices in Montgomery, Birmingham, Troy, and Duluth, Georgia. Provides property and casualty coverage, employee benefits, and advisory services for complex commercial organizations.
• Monarch Solutions Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Strategic partnership to enhance high-net-worth client services. Monarch specializes in insurance-related estate and tax planning. Monarch founder Kevin Klaas joins as Managing Director while continuing operations from Monarch's field office.
• Charter EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025Strategic collaboration with Atlanta-based independent firm specializing in insurance placement and risk management for energy, heavy industry, and private equity clients. Allows Charter Energy to leverage Higginbotham's resources including safety, loss control, and risk management capabilities.
• Synergy InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Partnership with Synergy Insurance of Mishawaka, Indiana to expand Higginbotham's presence into Indiana and develop a broader Great Lakes corridor.
• Thompson & Smith InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024Acquisition of independent agency in Jackson, Tennessee. Enhanced Higginbotham's geographic reach in the Southeast and expanded service offerings including new employee benefits division and risk management services.
• WRM GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2023Affiliation with Alabama-based insurance firms combining resources to enhance service delivery while maintaining local community ties.
• Globex International GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationHigginbotham is a proud member of Globex International Group along with 300 other independent international brokers and agents in more than 130 countries. Enables delivery of health and welfare insurance products and services internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USI Insurance Services: One of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the U.S., pursuing a similar partnership-driven growth strategy across commercial P&C, employee benefits, and personal lines. Highly comparable in business mix and acquisition-led scale strategy to Higginbotham.
• Hub International: PE-backed independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits solutions with a comparable mid-market partnership model. Direct competitor for acquisition targets and producer talent.
• Lockton: Largest privately held insurance brokerage in the U.S., competing in commercial insurance, employee benefits, and risk management. Comparable in independent/private ownership structure and broad product mix.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Public insurance brokerage and risk management services firm with extensive operations across commercial, employee benefits, and risk management. Closely comparable business model and client segments.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. Diversified insurance broker and risk management firm with strong organic and acquisition-led growth. Competes for similar commercial and employee benefits accounts and pursues a comparable geographic and capability expansion strategy.
• AssuredPartners: PE-backed independent insurance brokerage rapidly consolidating mid-sized agencies across the U.S. Highly comparable acquisition strategy and business mix.
• Leavitt Group: Employee-owned insurance brokerage network operating across multiple states, offering comparable commercial, personal, and benefits brokerage. Closely aligned ownership model and customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan: Largest global insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm. Overlaps with Higginbotham in commercial insurance and risk management but operates at much larger scale and across broader geographies.
• Aon plc: Global professional services firm with major insurance brokerage and risk management operations. Comparable offerings but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Willis Towers Watson: Global advisory, insurance brokerage, and solutions firm serving large commercial clients. Overlaps with Higginbotham in employee benefits and risk advisory but at much broader scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/higginbothamins
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@higginbothamins
• Facebookfacebook.com/higginbothamins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higginbothaminsurance
• Instagraminstagram.com/higginbotham_ins

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Higginbotham