Call Schell Insurance at (972) 423-4546 for a personalized quote or visit https://schellinsurance.com to learn more about their comprehensive insurance solutions.

Think Directors and Officers insurance is only for Fortune 500 companies and Wall Street boardrooms? Think again. In this episode of Insurance Talk Texas, we break down why small businesses actually account for the majority of D&O claims, and why any North Texas company with outside investors, advisory board members, or independent directors needs to understand this coverage before a problem ever shows up.

We cover what D&O insurance actually protects, how it steps in when a director or officer is sued personally over a business decision, and why this matters just as much for family businesses in Frisco and McKinney as it does for venture-backed startups. We also dig into the Texas Business Organizations Code, specifically Chapter 8, which spells out exactly when a company must, may, or cannot indemnify its directors and officers, and why that legal gap is precisely what D&O insurance is designed to fill.

Topics covered in this episode include:

What Directors and Officers insurance is and who it actually protects

The difference between Side A, Side B, and Side C coverage

Why small businesses account for roughly 70 percent of all D&O claims

How Texas Business Organizations Code Chapter 8 governs indemnification of directors and officers

The difference between duty of care and duty of loyalty under Texas law

Why nonprofit boards, HOAs, and church boards carry real personal liability exposure

Why D&O is a claims-made policy and what that means for timing

Common real-world triggers for D&O claims, including employment disputes

Why outside investors and board members often require this coverage before joining

How D&O fits alongside other business insurance as part of a broader risk management strategy

Whether you're a small business owner in Plano bringing on your first outside investor, a nonprofit leader in Prosper serving on a volunteer board, or a growing company in Allen adding independent directors to help you scale, this episode gives you the plain-language explanation you need to protect the people making decisions for your organization.

Schell Insurance is an independent insurance agency proudly serving North Texas, including Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, and the greater Collin County and Denton County area. As an independent agency, Schell Insurance isn't tied to a single carrier, which means they can shop your business insurance needs across multiple companies to find coverage that actually fits your organization, your industry, and your risk profile.

If you serve on a board, whether that's a company, a nonprofit, a homeowners association, or a church, it's worth a quick conversation to find out whether that organization has adequate Directors and Officers coverage in place. Don't assume someone else already checked that box.

Call Schell Insurance today at (972) 423-4546 or visit https://schellinsurance.com to talk through your business insurance needs with a team that understands North Texas.

Insurance Talk Texas is an educational podcast and video series created in partnership with Schell Insurance, helping North Texas homeowners, drivers, families, and business owners make informed insurance decisions. New episodes cover everything from personal lines to business insurance essentials, always with a Texas-specific lens.

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Call Schell Insurance at (972) 423-4546 for a personalized quote or visit https://schellinsurance.com to learn more about their comprehensive insurance solutions.

Think your North Texas business is too small to face an employee lawsuit? Since September 2021, that assumption could cost you everything. In this episode of Insurance Talk Texas, we break down Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) and the Texas law changes that put nearly every employer in the state at risk — even those with a single employee.

Most owners assume their Business Owners Policy already covers employment claims. It usually doesn't. EPLI is a separate coverage built to protect your business against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and failure to hire or promote — the kinds of claims that can rack up six figures in legal defense costs even when you've done nothing wrong and ultimately win.

Here's what every Texas business owner needs to understand:

✅ Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 (the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act) governs employment discrimination in our state

✅ Senate Bill 45 redefined "employer" for sexual harassment claims to include ANY business with one or more employees — the old 15-employee shield no longer applies

✅ Supervisors, managers, and owners can now be held PERSONALLY liable

✅ The legal standard rose from "prompt remedial action" to "immediate and appropriate corrective action"

✅ House Bill 21 extended the harassment filing window from 180 to 300 days

✅ Texas ranks #1 in the nation for discrimination charges filed

✅ EPLI is written on a claims-made basis — retroactive dates and tail coverage matter

Whether you run a contracting crew, a restaurant, a retail shop, a medical practice, or a professional services firm in Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, or anywhere across Collin and Denton County, the team at Schell Insurance can review your employment practices coverage and find the gaps before a claim ever lands.

Don't wait for a demand letter or a Texas Workforce Commission complaint to find out you're exposed. By then, it's too late to protect your business from that claim.

📞 Call Schell Insurance at (972) 423-4546

🌐 Visit https://schellinsurance.com

📍 Proudly serving North Texas: Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, and the greater Collin and Denton County area

Schell Insurance is an independent agency, which means they shop multiple carriers to find coverage that actually fits your business — not a one-size-fits-all template. Protect your people, protect your business, protect yourself.

Subscribe to Insurance Talk Texas for weekly, easy-to-understand insurance education built specifically for Texas homeowners, drivers, families, and business owners.

⚠️ This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Coverage details, eligibility, and regulations vary. Contact a licensed Texas insurance professional at Schell Insurance for guidance specific to your situation.

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Call Schell Insurance at (972) 423-4546 for a personalized quote or visit https://schellinsurance.com to learn more about their comprehensive insurance solutions.

If you run a service or advice-based business in North Texas, there's one coverage gap that can quietly put everything you've built at risk: a professional mistake. Your Business Owners Policy won't touch it. Your general liability won't touch it. In this episode of Insurance Talk Texas, we break down professional liability insurance — also known as errors and omissions, or E&O — and explain exactly how it protects Texas professionals when a client claims your work caused them financial harm.

We cover the real difference between general liability and professional liability, why E&O pays your legal defense even when a claim is completely false, and the Texas-specific details that catch business owners off guard. Most importantly, we dig into why professional liability is written on a claims-made basis, what the retroactive date actually means, and how a single lapse in coverage can erase protection for years of your past work.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• The difference between general liability and professional liability (and why you likely need both)
• What errors and omissions insurance actually covers — negligence, mistakes, missed deadlines, and misrepresentation
• Why E&O responds to claims even when you did nothing wrong
• Claims-made vs. occurrence coverage explained in plain English
• The retroactive date and why protecting it is critical when you switch carriers or renew
• Why Texas real estate agents must keep the same retroactive date across carriers
• Tail coverage and extended reporting periods for business owners who retire or close
• Which Texas professions are legally required to carry coverage — and which aren't
• Why your clients and contracts often require E&O even when the state doesn't
• Common exclusions: intentional acts, fraud, criminal conduct, bodily injury, and property damage

This episode is essential for real estate agents, brokers, and inspectors, IT and technology consultants, accountants and bookkeepers, financial advisors, architects and engineers, marketing and design firms, and any professional across Collin County and Denton County who gives advice or delivers a service for a living. If you serve clients in Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, or the surrounding North Texas communities, understanding how professional liability works could be the difference between a manageable claim and a business-ending lawsuit.

At Schell Insurance, our team helps North Texas business owners build layered protection that fits their profession — and we track the details, like your retroactive date, that are easy to lose sight of on your own. As a local independent agency, we shop multiple carriers to find coverage that matches your real-world exposure.

Don't wait until a claim shows up. With claims-made coverage, the protection has to be in place before the claim arrives. Get your retroactive date locked in now.

Call Schell Insurance at (972) 423-4546 or visit https://schellinsurance.com to talk with a Texas insurance expert about professional liability coverage for your business.

Serving Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, and the greater Collin County and Denton County area.

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