What Brown & Riding does

Brown & Riding is a privately held wholesale insurance brokerage founded in 1980 and headquartered in Los Angeles, operating across the United States through offices in 15+ states (California, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Michigan, Colorado, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Mississippi). The firm functions as an intermediary between retail insurance brokers and specialty insurance carriers, placing excess and surplus (E&S) lines coverage for risks that standard admitted carriers decline. Operations are organized around 19 specialty practice areas — Casualty, Property, Construction, Energy, Environmental, Financial Institutions, Franchise Industry, Healthcare, Hospitality, Life Sciences, Management & Professional Liability, Non-Profits: Human Services, Private Client, Product Recall & Contamination, Real Estate, Transportation, Underwriting & Select Accounts, Workers' Compensation, and Amusement Attractions & Action Sports — supported by 300+ named specialists.

The technology stack centers on digital workflow rather than full-stack insurance technology. Select products are available through an "Instantly Quote & Bind Online" platform covering General Liability, Professional Liability, and Business Owner's Policy for specified professional services classes. The firm also offers productized quoting systems such as EPL Quick Quotes (4-hour turnaround across up to 7 markets) and Non-Profit D&O Indications, leveraging electronic statement-of-values, ACORD applications, and risk-specific questionnaires for submissions. No public APIs, SDKs, or MCP integrations are disclosed.

Brown & Riding generates revenue through commissions earned on insurance policies placed with carriers, accessing 350+ markets across admitted and non-admitted segments. The go-to-market is exclusively indirect — the firm does not sell directly to insureds, instead serving retail brokers who bring complex risks for specialty placement. Pricing is quote-based and varies by risk profile, with no standardized public pricing tiers; minimums start at approximately $1,000–$1,500 for certain property lines. The business is producer-owned at approximately 60%, and CEO Jeff Rodriguez has publicly stated there is "zero chance" the firm would pursue an IPO, confirming sustained private ownership.

Name

Brown & Riding

Legal name

Brown & Riding Insurance Services Inc.

Website

https://brownandriding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Brown & Riding is a privately held US wholesale insurance brokerage founded in 1980, placing complex excess and surplus lines coverage through 300+ specialists across 19 practice areas and 350+ carrier markets for retail broker partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines)

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance brokerage
• Excess and surplus lines
• Specialty insurance placement
• Risk management services
• Commercial insurance intermediary

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission Revenue: Brown & Riding generates revenue through commissions earned on insurance policies placed through their wholesale brokerage operations. As a wholesale broker, they earn commissions from insurance carriers for placing business on their behalf. The company has access to 350+ markets company-wide and works with both admitted and non-admitted (E&S) carriers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brown & Riding is the largest wholesale insurance brokerage in the United States, acting as the intermediary between retail insurance brokers and admitted and non-admitted (E&S) insurance carriers. The company places complex, hard-to-place commercial risks across 18+ specialty practice areas using access to 350+ markets and a team of 300+ specialists, supported by in-house binding authorities and digital quoting/binding tools.

Product overview

Brown & Riding is a wholesale insurance brokerage organized by specialty product and industry practice groups, offering coordinated placement and service across multiple coverage lines. The company operates as a single integrated brokerage platform with 19 distinct practice areas (specialty services) covering virtually all commercial insurance lines including Casualty, Property, Construction, Energy, Environmental, Healthcare, Transportation, Real Estate, Workers' Compensation, and various Management & Professional Liability products. Services also include an Underwriting & Select Accounts team for small business E&S solutions. The practice areas function as both specialty service modules within the unified brokerage and as standalone product categories, enabling retail brokers to access comprehensive coverage solutions through one wholesale partner with in-house binding authorities and over 350+ markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Amusement Attractions & Action Sports Specialized wholesale insurance brokerage for amusement parks, roller coasters, water parks, trampoline parks, extreme sports venues, pyrotechnics, and consumer goods manufacturers, including product liability, structured large excess liability towers ($100M+), and unique coverages such as deductible caps and mental anguish coverage.
• Casualty Wholesale brokerage for non-standard third-party BI/PD classes and risks, including General Liability, Excess and Umbrella Liability, Product Liability, and Self-Insured Programs with captives and large self-insured retentions, with 106 specialists across habitational, hospitality, construction, and oil & gas.
• Construction Dedicated team of 80+ construction insurance professionals offering Controlled Insurance Placements (CIP), wrap-ups, Builder's Risk, Professional Liability (OPPI, CPPI, Project A&E), Site/Contractor's Pollution Liability, and annual contractor programs for contractors, developers, and design professionals.
• Energy Specialized wholesale brokerage for onshore and offshore energy risks including Oil & Gas, Utilities, Alternative Energy (biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal), and Manufacturers/Dealers across Auto Liability, General Liability, Pollution, Property, Workers' Compensation, USL&H, Maritime Employers Liability, and Excess/Umbrella.
• Environmental Environmental insurance solutions for environmental consultants, contractors (asbestos, lead, mold remediation), non-environmental contractors, manufacturers, waste management, and real estate site pollution, including Commercial General Liability, Contractor's Pollution Liability, Site Pollution Legal Liability, OCIP/CCIP environmental products, and Underground/Aboveground Storage Tank coverage.
• Financial Institutions Management and Professional Liability coverage for banks, credit unions, trust companies, investment advisors, asset managers, private equity, venture capital, REITs, and fintech companies, including D&O, Bankers Professional and Lenders Liability, EPL, Fiduciary, Fidelity Bonds, Privacy and Security Liability, Kidnap and Ransom, and Mortgage Impairment.
• Franchise Industry Multi-disciplinary insurance solutions for franchisors, individual franchisees, master franchisors, area developers, hospitality franchises, and multi-location businesses, providing D&O, E&O, Fiduciary, Cyber/Privacy, Fidelity Insurance, Deadly Weapons Coverage, and customized franchisee programs meeting FDD requirements.
• Healthcare Healthcare industry coverage for allied health staffing, hospitals, clinics, physicians, surgeons, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing, medical spas, and telemedicine, including Medical Professional, Miscellaneous Professional, Abuse/Sexual Molestation, D&O, EPL, Privacy/Security/Cyber, and Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Defense.
• Hospitality Insurance solutions for hotels, motels, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, banquet halls, gentleman's clubs, and lounges, including Crime, Cyber, Excess, Liquor Liability, and Property (including earthquake, flood, wind).
• Life Sciences Coverage for drug manufacturers, medical device companies, clinical research organizations, labs, telemedicine providers, and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, including Products and Completed Operations, combined CGL/Products/E&O, Discontinued Products/Operations coverage, Clinical Trial coverage, and tail/ERP coverage.
• Management & Professional Liability Comprehensive management and professional liability coverage including Directors & Officers (D&O), Errors & Omissions (E&O), Employment Practices Liability (EPL), Crime/Fidelity, Cyber/Security Liability, and Fiduciary for public companies, IPOs, nonprofits, private companies, and educators, supported by the firm's EPL Quick Quotes rapid-turnaround capability.
• Non-Profits: Human Services Insurance for substance abuse facilities, mental health organizations, developmentally disabled services, youth services, social/community services, and shelters, including D&O, Professional Liability, Crime, Sexual Abuse and Molestation, Inland Marine, and Umbrella.
• Private Client High-net-worth personal insurance coverage for individuals through dedicated private client specialists, offering comprehensive protection for personal assets and personal liability exposures.
• Product Recall & Contamination Coverage for product recall risks for ingredient manufacturers, component goods, produce, pharmaceuticals, packaging, medical devices, consumables, consumer goods, and import/export, including loss of gross profit, replacement costs, governmental recall, adverse publicity, rehabilitation expenses, accidental contamination, malicious tampering, and product extortion.
• Property National property coverage with 90 specialists for All Risk, Habitational/Commercial, Difference in Conditions/Earthquake/Flood/Named Storm, and Builder's Risk/Course of Construction, supported by catastrophe modeling and capacity for high-limit layered placements.
• Real Estate Real estate sector coverage for apartments, condos, hotels, resorts, developers, REITs, private equity firms, asset managers, condominium associations, and contractors, including habitational, commercial, and industrial property, casualty solutions, and Asset Management D&O/E&O.
• Transportation Transportation coverage for emergency/non-emergency medical transport, garbage/waste haulers, truckers, contractor fleets, food delivery, hazmat haulers, taxis, public auto, and car dealers, including Primary Auto, Monoline HNOA, Auto Physical Damage, Motor Truck Cargo, Excess Liability, Auto Buffers, and Dealers Open Lot.
• Underwriting & Select Accounts Small to medium-sized account E&S coverage through dedicated underwriting teams offering Builder's Risk, Commercial Umbrella, DIC and Flood, Garage, Motor Truck Cargo, Auto Physical Damage, and package policies, leveraging in-house binding authorities for fast, efficient response on lower-minimum-premium accounts.
• Workers' Compensation Primary and excess workers' compensation for group and individual, mono-state and multi-state, and AD&D placements targeting accounts with premiums over $8,000 and experience modification factors greater than .60, with access to nearly 50 carriers and programs and high quote-to-bind ratios with A-rated carriers.

Quantifiable outcome

• EPL indications provided within 4 business hours using up to 7 markets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments18 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)minorOthersBrown & Riding maintains ISO Quality Standard certification, demonstrating compliance with international quality management standards. This certification supports their operational excellence and consistent service delivery across their national network of offices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RPS (Risk Placement Services): RPS is one of the largest US wholesale insurance brokerages focused on E&S and specialty placements, operating a multi-specialty platform directly comparable to Brown & Riding. RPS serves retail brokers across property, casualty, management liability and numerous other lines, competing head-to-head for retail broker relationships and carrier appointments.
• Burns & Wilcox: Burns & Wilcox is a major US wholesale insurance brokerage and the largest subsidiary of the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group, specializing in E&S placements across personal and commercial lines. Comparable to Brown & Riding as a multi-office wholesale specialist focused on hard-to-place risks and specialty coverage lines.
• CRC Group: CRC Group (formerly CRC Insurance Group) is a leading US wholesale specialty insurance brokerage organized by industry and product practice groups, with multiple offices and deep retail-broker relationships. It is a direct competitor for placement of E&S and specialty risks across virtually all of Brown & Riding's 18 practice areas.
• LoVullo Associates: LoVullo Associates is a specialty wholesale insurance brokerage focused on professional liability, management liability, and other niche E&S lines. Though narrower in practice mix than Brown & Riding, LoVullo competes directly for retail-broker professional and management liability placements.
• Amwins: Amwins is a top US specialty insurance distributor operating both wholesale brokerage and MGA/program business segments, providing access to specialty markets and carrier relationships similar to Brown & Riding. Its scale across specialty lines, including property, casualty, professional liability and healthcare, makes it one of the closest direct competitors in the wholesale marketplace.
• One80 Intermediaries: One80 Intermediaries is a specialty insurance brokerage platform that combines wholesale brokerage, MGA and program administration capabilities across niche and specialty lines. Its wholesale brokerage segment overlaps directly with Brown & Riding's specialty and E&S placement business.
• NARS (North American Risk Services): North American Risk Services is a US specialty wholesale insurance brokerage serving retail agents with access to admitted, E&S, and international markets across casualty, property, professional liability, and other specialty lines. A like-for-like competitor for retail-broker-driven E&S placements.
• Worldwide Facilities: Worldwide Facilities is a US wholesale insurance brokerage serving retail agents and brokers with specialty and E&S placements across multiple lines including property, casualty, professional liability, and construction. Competes with Brown & Riding for the same retail-broker relationships on similar specialty risks.

Broad incumbents

• IMA Financial Group: IMA Financial Group is a larger, diversified US insurance brokerage offering retail, wholesale, employee benefits, and wealth management services. While it operates a wholesale specialty segment that overlaps with Brown & Riding's offerings, IMA's broader portfolio differentiates it as a broad incumbent in the same overall industry.
• Gallagher (Arthur J. Gallagher): Arthur J. Gallagher is a global insurance brokerage and risk management firm whose specialty/wholesale operations overlap with Brown & Riding's E&S and specialty placement services. As one of the largest acquirers in the wholesale brokerage space (including the RPS acquisition), Gallagher represents both a competitive incumbent and a likely exit-path benchmark for independent wholesalers like Brown & Riding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Brown & Riding