What Ames & Gough does

Ames & Gough is a privately held specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm founded in 1992 by Marty Ames and Gary Gough, both previously executives at Victor O. Schinnerer managing the Schinnerer/CNA architect/engineer insurance program. The firm is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with five U.S. offices (Boston, Philadelphia, Orlando, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. area) and serves clients domiciled in all 50 states. Its stated mission is to help professional service firms navigate complex risk landscapes, with a senior-led, relationship-driven service model and an average of 26+ years of partner experience.

The company operates across four core service lines: Business Insurance Solutions, Employee Health & Benefits, Claims Advocacy, and Risk Management Consulting. Insurance products span professional liability/E&O, cyber liability, management liability, employment practices liability, general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, umbrella/excess, surety/bonds, builders risk, pollution liability, OCIP/CCIP wrap-ups, event cancellation, drone liability, and captive/risk-retention programs. The firm holds established placing relationships with 17 major A/E professional liability insurers including AIG/Lexington, Beazley, Berkshire Hathaway, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and Victor Insurance, and publishes a proprietary annual A/E Professional Liability Market Survey now in its 14th edition.

Ames & Gough earns revenue through insurance brokerage commissions on placed premiums, consulting fees for risk management and contract review services, and commissions/fees on employee benefits program placement. Customer segments are organized by vertical: Architects & Engineers, Contractors & Construction, Law Firms, Associations & Nonprofits, and Other Professionals (technology, consulting, accounting, staffing, real estate). The firm is employee- and equity-partner-owned, with no external institutional investment, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

Ames & Gough

Legal name

Ames & Gough

Website

https://amesgough.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ames & Gough is a privately held specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm founded in 1992, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It places professional liability, property/casualty, cyber, and employee benefits coverage for architects & engineers, contractors, law firms, associations, and other professional services firms across all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance Brokerage & Risk Management Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Liability (E&O) (FSAJAGAC), Insurance Due Diligence & Transaction Risk Advisory (M&A, W&I) (FSAEADAM)

Keywords

• Specialty insurance brokerage
• Professional liability insurance
• Risk management services
• Employee benefits consulting
• Construction insurance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Ames & Gough earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing insurance coverage on behalf of clients. As a specialty broker with established relationships with major A/E professional liability insurers (AIG/Lexington, Aspen, Beazley, Berkley Design Professional, Berkshire Hathaway, Euclid/Nationwide, Everest, Great American, Hanover, The Hartford/Navigator, Liberty Mutual, PUA, RLI, Riverton/Hudson, Sompo International, Travelers, Victor Insurance), the firm receives commissions based on premium volume placed.
2. Risk Management Consulting Services: The firm provides consultative risk management services including contract reviews, risk assessments, claims advocacy, and loss prevention training. These specialized services complement insurance placement and support client retention.
3. Employee Benefits Consulting: Ames & Gough advises design, construction, law, and professional-services firms on employee benefits strategy including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and executive benefits. Revenue is generated through consulting fees and commissions on benefits program placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ames & Gough is a specialty insurance brokerage that places customized business insurance coverage and consults on risk management and employee benefits for professional service firms. The firm designs, negotiates, and places integrated property, casualty, professional liability, and employee benefits programs, supported by claims advocacy and contract review services. Its core focus areas are architects and engineers, contractors and construction, law firms, associations and nonprofits, and other professional service firms.

Product overview

Ames & Gough is a specialty insurance brokerage offering a comprehensive portfolio of risk management and insurance solutions. The firm provides integrated insurance programs including business insurance solutions (property, casualty, professional liability), employee health and benefits consulting, claims advocacy, and risk management services. Key insurance products include Professional Liability/E&O, Cyber Liability, Management Liability, Employment Practices Liability, General Liability, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Umbrella/Excess Liability, Surety & Bonds, Builders Risk, Pollution Liability, Event Cancellation, and specialized coverages such as Drone Liability, Kidnap & Ransom, and Captive/Risk Retention Programs. The firm serves architects & engineers, associations & nonprofits, law firms, contractors & construction, and other professional services organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Insurance Solutions Customized business insurance coverage including professional liability, property, general liability, commercial lines, and integrated insurance programs tailored to the needs of professional service firms. Designed for architects & engineers, contractors, law firms, associations and nonprofits, and other professional service firms across the U.S.
• Employee Health & Benefits People-focused and digitally powered employee benefits consulting and brokerage covering medical, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, and executive benefits programs. Advises design, construction, law, and professional-services firms on benefits strategy and program placement.
• Claims Advocacy Full-service claims advocacy including pre-loss planning and post-loss management, designed to protect businesses and reduce cost of risk across professional service firms.
• Risk Management Strategic risk management services including business and insurance program assessment, contract review, and seminars, intended to reduce total cost of risk and support growth for professional service firms.
• Builders Risk & Installation Floater Insurance protection for structures, materials, and equipment during construction, designed for contractors and construction firms executing complex projects.
• General Liability General liability insurance coverage for third-party claims of property damage, bodily injury, and completed operations exposures of construction firms and other professional service firms.
• Workers' Compensation & Employers Liability Workers' compensation and employers liability protection for employees and multi-state compliance across all states, primarily for construction and professional services clients.
• Commercial Auto Liability and physical damage coverage for company-owned, leased, or hired vehicles used by professional service and construction firms.
• Umbrella & Excess Liability Added layers of liability protection above primary policies for professional service and construction clients seeking broader coverage limits.
• Surety & Bonds Bid, performance, and payment bonds to meet construction project requirements and strengthen contractor positioning with project owners.
• Subcontractor Default Insurance (SDI) Alternative-risk-transfer mechanism to bonding that protects general contractors against subcontractor failure on construction projects.
• Contractor's Professional Liability Professional liability coverage for contractors facing design-build, construction management, and design-delegation exposures on integrated project delivery work.
• Pollution & Environmental Liability Coverage for construction jobsite exposures, hazardous materials handling, and environmental claims arising from contractor operations.
• OCIPs/CCIPs (Wrap-Up Programs) Owner- or contractor-controlled insurance programs designed for large, complex construction projects requiring coordinated insurance across multiple trades and parties.
• Cyber & Technology Risk Insurance protection for construction technology, project data, and evolving digital threats faced by contractors and design firms.
• Professional Liability / Errors & Omissions (E&O) Professional liability/errors & omissions coverage for professional service firms, primarily architects, engineers, and other professionals, protecting against claims of negligence, errors, or omissions resulting in financial or reputational harm.
• Cyber Liability & Data Protection Insurance coverage for data breaches, privacy risks, and evolving digital threats faced by professional service firms.
• Management Liability Insurance for directors and officers liability, executive risks, and organizational governance exposures of professional service firms.
• Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Protection against claims related to employment practices, discrimination, and workplace conduct for professional service firms.
• Event Cancellation Insurance Insurance protecting against the financial consequences when a scheduled event is cancelled, postponed, or curtailed, primarily for associations and nonprofit organizations.
• Business Travel Accident Coverage for accidents occurring during business travel by employees of professional service and association clients.
• International / Foreign Package Liability Coverage for liability arising from international operations and foreign risks for clients with cross-border activities.
• Fiduciary Liability Liability protection for fiduciaries of employee benefit plans, addressing fiduciary duty exposures for professional service clients.
• Crime Insurance coverage for employee dishonesty, theft, and fraud losses sustained by professional service firms and associations.
• Kidnap & Ransom Coverage for kidnapping, ransom, and extortion risks faced by executives traveling for client engagements.
• Drone Liability Coverage for liability exposures associated with the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles used by design, construction, and inspection professionals.
• Project Insurance Tailored insurance coverage designed around the specific risk profile of an individual project for clients undertaking discrete engagements.
• Captive & Risk Retention Program Alternative risk financing mechanisms, including captive insurance and risk retention group arrangements, for clients seeking structured, ongoing risk finance solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exceptional annual client retention reflecting responsive service and measurable results

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIG/LexingtoncoreOthers · 1 January 2024Major professional liability insurer participating in Ames & Gough's annual A/E Market Survey. Represents significant market share for architects and engineers professional liability coverage.
• AspencoreOthers · 1 January 2024Insurance carrier participating in annual A/E Market Survey providing professional liability coverage to design firms.
• BeazleycoreOthers · 1 January 2024Insurance carrier participating in annual A/E Market Survey providing professional liability coverage to design firms.
• Berkley Design ProfessionalcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Specialty insurer focused on design professional liability participating in annual market survey.
• Berkshire Hathaway Specialty InsurancecoreOthers · 1 January 2024Major insurance carrier providing professional liability coverage to architects and engineers, participating in annual market survey.
• Euclid/NationwidecoreOthers · 1 January 2024Insurance carrier providing professional liability insurance to design professionals, participating in annual survey.
• EverestcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Global insurance carrier providing professional liability coverage to A/E firms, participating in annual market survey.
• Great American Insurance CompanycoreOthers · 1 January 2024Insurance carrier providing professional liability coverage to architects and engineers.
• The Hartford/NavigatorcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Major insurance carrier providing professional liability insurance to design firms, participating in annual survey.
• Liberty MutualcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Insurance carrier providing professional liability coverage to design professionals.
• Victor InsurancecoreOthers · 1 January 2024Leading managing general agent providing professional liability insurance to architects and engineers.
• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives)minorOthersProfessional association membership. Ames & Gough serves as consultant members contributing to the association community.
• Association ForumminorOthersProfessional association membership for association and nonprofit professionals.
• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association)minorOthersProfessional association membership and engagement in the meetings and events industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Risk Strategies: Specialty broker with strong professional services practice, including law firm and design-firm coverage. Uri Gutfreund, who leads Ames & Gough's law firm initiative, previously held a leadership role at Risk Strategies, illustrating direct competition for talent and clients.
• Hub International: Specialty broker with strong architecture/engineering and construction practices, often competing for the same professional liability placements and benefits programs as Ames & Gough, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
• Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Mid-size specialty brokerage focused on professional services and architecture/engineering exposures. Competes head-to-head with Ames & Gough for design-firm PL placements in the West and Mountain regions.
• IMA Financial Group: Independent specialty broker with construction and design professional liability practices, comparable to Ames & Gough in scale, vertical depth, and senior-led service model.
• Brown & Brown: Specialty-oriented insurance brokerage serving professional services, construction, and association segments. Its decentralized model and specialty teams make it a direct competitor in design-firm and law-firm risk placement.
• Marsh (Victor O. Schinnerer): Marsh owns Victor O. Schinnerer — the program manager where Ames & Gough's founders built their careers (Schinnerer/CNA A/E PL program). It is the dominant specialty competitor for the same architects and engineers professional liability placements and has materially deeper capital and global reach.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance broker with dedicated professional and design-firm practices. It competes for the largest A/E clients and offers broader geographic and product coverage than specialty independents.
• USI Insurance Services: Large national brokerage offering specialty professional liability, employee benefits, and risk management. Allison Barefoot, now Senior VP at Ames & Gough, previously spent 12 years at USI as a commercial lines team leader — direct talent overlap.
• Aon: Global insurance and reinsurance broker that competes for mid-market and enterprise A/E, construction, association, and law firm accounts — particularly at the top end of Ames & Gough's client size range.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm whose Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman segments overlap with everything from insurance placement to benefits consulting. It is both a competitor and a recruiting source for senior brokerage talent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 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 Ames & Gough