What Corporate Risk Solutions does

Corporate Risk Solutions (CRS) is an independent, fee-based risk management and insurance advisory firm founded in 2002 by Joseph F. Coughlin and headquartered in New York, with a secondary office in Atlanta. The firm was established as a deliberately differentiated alternative to traditional brokerages and carrier-aligned advisors — it does not earn commissions from insurance placements and is compensated solely through project-based fees and annual advisory retainers, eliminating the compensation-driven conflicts that define most of its competitors. CRS serves three core client sets: alternative investment firms (private equity, venture capital, hedge funds), their portfolio companies, and stand-alone commercial enterprises ranging from startups to Fortune 10 corporations, with named clients including Warburg Pincus, Vista Equity Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Global Infrastructure Partners, Two Sigma, Tesla, Houlihan Lokey, and Change Healthcare. Across its history the firm reports advising on more than $20 billion in premium and recovering over $10 billion for clients via claims adjudication, with marquee outcomes including a $115 million claims recovery in three months, over $130 million in surety bond collateral reduction, and $150 million in liquidity enhancement for a distressed transportation company. On July 8, 2025, CRS was acquired by Choice Financial Group as its 30th acquisition, marking the end of 23 years of founder-controlled independent ownership.

The firm's offering is organized around four advisory practice areas: Operational & Business Risks (collateral management, global procurement, surety, captives, program structuring), Risk Management (audits, broker RFPs, outsourced RM, benchmarking), Transactional Risks (M&A due diligence, bankruptcy restructuring, R&W insurance, IPO oversight, tax indemnity), and Claims & Litigation (forensic claims analysis, settlement negotiation, crisis management). Delivery is entirely human-expert-driven — there is no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML product, and no API; the firm's intellectual property sits in its proprietary relationships with global carriers, brokers, forensic adjusters, surety underwriters, and restructuring advisors, and in the deep domain expertise of its senior practitioners (founder with 30+ years, Managing Directors with 20-36+ years each). The go-to-market motion is relationship-led enterprise field sales targeting senior decision-makers at alternative capital firms and large corporates, supported by thought-leadership content (case studies, annual Risk Trends publications), industry conference participation, and the firm's website as a content hub. The firm operates from approximately 18 named professionals in New York and Atlanta, with global reach spanning 30+ countries primarily through remote advisory delivery.

Name

Corporate Risk Solutions

Legal name

Corporate Risk Solutions

Website

https://crslimited.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Corporate Risk Solutions is an independent, fee-based risk management and insurance advisory firm serving alternative investment firms (PE, VC, hedge funds), their portfolio companies, and Fortune 10–startup commercial enterprises across 30+ countries, with deep expertise in M&A, bankruptcy, and complex claims advisory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance and Risk Management Advisory

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk Management Consulting (Enterprise & Operational Risk) (FSAEADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fairness Opinions & Independent Financial Advice (BPAHAOAF), Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps) (FSAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Risk management advisory
• Insurance consulting
• M&A due diligence
• Claims advocacy
• Insurance audit services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-Based Advisory Services: CRS is entirely fee-based, whether engaged for project-specific needs or annual advisory oversight. Fees are determined by timeframe, resources and expense required, scope complexity and deliverables. CRS does not earn commissions from insurance placements or carrier relationships, which preserves its independence and eliminates conflicts of interest inherent in traditional broker models.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Corporate Risk Solutions is an independent fee-based risk management and insurance advisory firm delivering services across four core practice areas: Operational & Business Risks, Risk Management, Transactional Risks, and Claims & Litigation. The firm advises alternative investment firms (private equity, venture capital, hedge funds), their portfolio companies, and stand-alone commercial enterprises from startups to Fortune 10 on complex issues including M&A due diligence, bankruptcy restructuring, insurance program structuring, claims advocacy, surety bond solutions, and outsourced risk management. CRS does not earn commissions from insurance placements, ensuring independent advice unencumbered by broker compensation conflicts.

Product overview

Corporate Risk Solutions is a boutique independent risk management and insurance advisory firm offering a unified suite of consulting services organized across four core practice areas: Operational & Business Risks (collateral, procurement, captives, surety, program structuring), Risk Management (audits, RFPs, outsourced RM, benchmarking), Transactional Risks (due diligence, bankruptcy, R&W insurance, IPOs, tax indemnity), and Claims & Litigation (forensic analysis, claims advocacy, crisis management, litigation buyout). The firm does not offer a software product but delivers fee-based advisory services ranging from project-specific engagements to annual oversight, primarily serving alternative investment firms, their portfolio companies, and stand-alone companies from startups to Fortune 10.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operational & Business Risks Advisory Advisory services covering collateral management, global insurance procurement, contract review, captive analysis, enterprise risk management, surety bond solutions, program structuring, and premium allocations. Designed for alternative investment firms, their portfolio companies, and stand-alone commercial enterprises from startups to Fortune 10 needing complex operational and business risk solutions.
• Risk Management Advisory Comprehensive risk management services including loss control, certificate management, outsourced risk management, benchmarking, insurance audits, broker RFPs, and risk management staffing solutions. Targets organizations seeking independent, fee-based stewardship of insurance and risk functions across portfolios or single enterprises.
• Transactional Risks Advisory Advisory services for M&A transactions and corporate events including insurance due diligence, bankruptcy restructuring support, catastrophic risk transfer, representations and warranties insurance, IPO oversight, refinancing support, and tax indemnity solutions. Designed for PE firms, acquirers, and companies undergoing bankruptcy, restructuring, refinancing, or IPOs.
• Claims & Litigation Advisory Claims advocacy and litigation support services including forensic claims analysis, settlement negotiations, crisis management, and litigation buyout solutions. Designed for organizations facing disputed or unpaid insurance claims, coverage analysis needs, crisis events, or pursuing litigation buyouts.

Quantifiable outcome

• $115MM in claims recovery achieved within 3 months through principal-to-principal negotiations with insurer and sponsor executives.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Quaker Equities and FM GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2024CRS introduced the Quaker Equities and FM Global management teams in January 2024 and formalized the partnership with the launch of a new Property program effective June 29, 2024. CRS facilitated the connection between Quaker Equities (whose portfolio includes Michter's whiskey brand and other entities) and FM Global, a major commercial property insurance carrier. FM Global recognized Quaker as the 'best of the best' and the program launch was the result of a collaborative new business development campaign. CRS orchestrated the introduction and managed the partnership development process.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USI Insurance Services: Large US insurance brokerage with dedicated private equity practice serving middle-market and large sponsors; overlaps with CRS on portfolio risk management, M&A due diligence, and specialty placement.
• Lockton: Largest privately held insurance broker in the US; targets mid-to-large commercial and PE-owned clients with dedicated PE practice teams, directly competing with CRS on portfolio insurance structuring, D&O programs, and stewardship.
• Alliant Insurance Services: Specialty insurance brokerage with strong PE practice (Alliant Private Client / PE platform); competes on portfolio insurance, D&O, cyber, and claims advocacy for sponsor-backed assets.
• Conner Strong & Buckelew: Mid-Atlantic insurance and risk management firm with PE and large commercial practice; competes with CRS on enterprise risk, claims advocacy, and brokerage services for sponsors and large corporates.
• Woodruff Sawyer: Mid-to-large independent insurance brokerage with a focused PE practice serving venture and growth equity portfolio companies; competes with CRS on portfolio insurance programs and stewardship mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Aon: Global insurance and reinsurance broker; particularly relevant peer because CRS founder Joseph Coughlin previously sold JFC Consulting to Aon in 2000. Aon competes directly on M&A due diligence, restructuring, and PE portfolio risk advisory.
• Marsh: Global insurance broker and risk advisory arm of Marsh McLennan; competes with CRS on enterprise risk advisory, M&A due diligence, and complex placement for large corporate and PE clients. CRS's 'no-commission' independence narrative is positioned against Marsh's broker model.
• Howden: Global insurance broker group with strong restructuring and specialty practice; competes with CRS on bankruptcy and distressed-debt risk advisory mandates.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): Global advisory, brokerage, and solutions firm with significant risk management and transactional risk practices serving PE sponsors and large corporates; overlaps with CRS's enterprise risk, M&A, and risk analytics capabilities.

Emerging players

• Euclid Transactional: Specialist broker focused on transactional risk insurance including representations and warranties (R&W) and tax indemnity for M&A deals; directly overlaps with CRS's transactional risk practice (a former Euclid senior associate recently joined CRS as Senior Associate).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CRS_Limited
• Facebookfacebook.com/CorporateRiskSolutionsLLC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Corporate Risk Solutions