Discover GB&A

GB&A is a full service independent insurance brokerage with a focus on private client needs and specialty risk solutions including professional, management, and cyber liability programs. With family roots dating back to 1944, we believe strong relationships are an integral component in helping our clients achieve their goals.

  • History, Vision & Values

    GB&A is a family rooted insurance firm with a 70 year history. As a boutique agency with deep experience, we are able to provide our clients with the protection and consulting they require with the service and response they deserve. Click below to learn more about how we are:

    Thinking Ahead From A Rich History And Rooted Values

  • Our Focus

    GB&A is neither a generalist brokerage nor a dedicated specialist. We maintain a wide peripheral view of risk and knowledge of general insurance while employing a concentrated focus on professional, management and cyber liability risk matters and insurance products. Our concentration and experience allows us the capability of performing "deep dive" policy audits to evaluate existing professional and management liability insurance protection and negotiate its terms and conditions for improved efficiency. Click below to learn how we focus on:

    Emerging Companies

  • I-CARE

    I-CARE serves as both a blueprint of GB&A’s client-centric approach and demonstrates some of the benefits of working with our agency. By combining a holistic perspective of risk, targeting key areas of focus, and instilling core values, I-CARE aims to address our clients’ risk goals as efficiently as possible.

    I-CARE

  • Our Carriers

    In order to ensure our clients maximize the efficiency of their insurance programs and achieve competitive premiums, we are careful in selecting the carriers and MGA's we partner with. Our carriers have a deep understanding of the industries we serve with strong financials and strong claims reputations.

    Chubb CNA Hartford Philadelphia Travelers

Thinking Ahead

As insurance professionals we aim to protect companies from potential claims. Before they happen. As businesses and their operations become more complex, evaluating risk and predicting exposure requires a greater level of foresight. Remaining on top of current issues, monitoring changes in the insurance industry and predicting trends is a big part of that. In order to help protect our clients’ futures, we monitor:

  • Regulatory Environment, Court Rulings & Opinions: With each new regulation, act, opinion and court ruling, another door to litigation is opened and the potential for litigation is increased, requiring proper action by our clients. While we are not in the business of advising on compliance, our monitoring of the legal environment and trends helps us advise our clients on coverage coordination and setting appropriate limits. 
  • Tech Advances & Industry Trends: Emerging risks are also created through shifting industry/operational trends such as 3d printing and crowdfunding. 
  • Criminal Trends & Exterior Threats: These include changes in cyber breach patterns/attacks such as the increase of social engineering attacks. 
  • Changes In International Reach/Exposure: The increase in international reach also creates risk. Businesses that may not consider themselves as having any international exposure may be absorbing more risk than they are aware of - outsourcing manufacturing, having clients or vendors abroad and/or utilizing a cloud provider with overseas networks are all examples.
  • Carrier & Market Changes: All of the above areas create new exposures, requiring a review/action from our clients and sometimes a response from the insurers. Some companies are faster than others to react, for example, the implementation of coverage for JOBS act related litigation on a D&O policy or social engineering coverage on a crime policy. Knowing which carriers are proactive and responding and which are not, help us guide our clients to the best possible solutions.

From A Rich History

This foresight requires a rich history. Insurance companies depend greatly on predictive modeling to gauge their risk. As brokers we also have tools available such as analytics, benchmarking, databases and more, however much of that insight comes from professional experience, which highlights the importance of an experienced firm. Through its over 70 years in business, GB&A has developed broad knowledge, expertise and deep specialization. Established in 1944 by Gabriel Bundschuh Sr, GB&A began as a small community oriented personal lines agency expanding slowly to include commercial insurance through a broad product offering. Joining the business in 1975, his son Gabriel Bundschuh Jr. helped grow the agency and its operations through agency acquisitons. In 1999, the business became a third generation family operation with the addition of his son and daughter, who helped expand the business further through deeper specialization, and emphasis on risk management and a focus on professional, executive and management liability offerings.

And Rooted Values

The course that GB&A has taken from its inception to today, has helped develop its deep rooted values which continue to be a great reason for our success:

  • Beginning as a local agency, assisting emerging businesses shaped the importance we place on strong client relationships and being available for our clients. 
  • Remaining an independent, closely held boutique agency ensures that our clients have a personal relationship with senior management. 
  • As a family owned agency GB&A was instilled with the value of prioritizing client needs & interests above all else.
  • As a specialized brokerage we have separated ourselves from traditional “general” brokerage models. With a deeper focus on (and understanding of) professional, executive and management liability, and an emphasis on risk management, we are able to deal with more complex coverage placements and create more holistic solutions. 
  • Our narrow focus helps us better understand our clients’ businesses and the risks and challenges they face so that we can best apply our experience while coordinating their programs.

Emerging Companies

In addition to a focus on private client portfolios, GB&A is particularly well aligned to meet the needs of emerging and mid sized companies seeking directors & officers insurance, professional liability (E&O) or cyber liability providing specialty expertise and direct access to experienced brokers that are available when you need them. 

  • Growth Oriented Foucs: Your company’s risk management/insurance needs shift at each stage of its lifecycle. We understand the demands introduced at each step of the phase: from Startup and R&D, to financing (whether that be crowdfunding, debt/equity, venture capital) to exit or IPO strategies. As a boutique brokerage we have also a more intimate relationship with our clients which helps us remain “in step” with their growth. 
     
  • Attention & Accessibility: It is particularly important to have an accessible broker with an expeditious response during growth phases due to the numerous inquiries, certificate requests and general questions.
     
  • Networked Reources: To help assist your company through its growth, we are continuously expanding our netowrk of resources building strategic partnerhips with specialized attorneys, consultants, financing outelets and more. 
     
  • Thought Leadership: Being that we are a boutique brokerage means that managers and thought leaders are involved in the decisions when structuring your coverage. Unlike some larger brokerages, you are not assigned a junior broker or with minimal contact with senior management.
     
  • Coverage/Premium Balance: For companies in this sector, basing purchasing decisions on premium alone is ill-advised. Insurance coverages vary and alternative options/carriers should be considered, even at higher premiums. We help our clients understand different options. 

I-CARE

I-CARE serves as both a blueprint of GB&A’s client-centric approach and demonstrates some of the benefits of working with our agency. By combining a holistic perspective of risk, targeting key areas of focus, and instilling core values, I-CARE aims to address our clients’ risk goals as efficiently as possible.

  • Innovation

    Business is evolving, so are today's risks. An antiquated approach to managing today’s modern risks are no longer effecctive. Your company requires a broker that’s evolving as well. Here are some of the ways GB&A helps companies address the risks introduced by innovation

    • Technology: Following cyber crime trends & emerging tech risks helps us coordinate our clients’ coverage against data breaches, software failures, media liability and social media risks among others
    • International/Global Reach: Even smaller businesses have global presence today through importing, exporting or foreign vendors/suppliers - we help our clients understand and address that exposure through appropriate international coverage solutions.
    • Outsourcing: Outsourcing is becoming increasingly commonplace, from the usage of consultants to SAAS solutions to cloud storage. Each of these carry exposures, we help our clients understand what those exposures are.
    • Reputational Damage: Social Media damage, product recalls, etc can all invoke severe reputational damage. There is no true product for insuring your brand’s reputation but it’s important to have the discussion and implement any available risk management products or controls. 
    • Carrier Focus: We aim to partner with carriers that are more innovative, such as Chubb who has introduced the first crowdfunding coverage endorsement on their D&O, and available coverage for Social Engineering (business email compromise fraud).
  • Creativity

    While insurance is likely one of the last industries you think of when it comes to creativity, creative thinking has significant benefits when structuring programs and addressing risk solutions for our clients. 

    • Coverage To Premium Balancing: For companies that emphasize premium (at the sacrifice of some coverage range), packaged policies with coverage enhancements or endorsements are often the best route, whereas companies looking for a more thorough robust solution are better served by multiple “stand alone” policies. By understanding our client’ allocated risk budget and target premiums we can tailor best fit options. 
    • Packaging Vs Separating Coverage: Each approach can have its advantages; from carving out hard to place risks to achieve underwriter approval, to combining coverage with one carrier to eliminate carrier disputes (or “finger pointing”), to keeping coverages separate in order to preserve policy limits. Each strategy will depend on the client and their goals.
    • Implementing Loss Control Tools/Programs: This is another strategy that can help both open up the markets in hard to place situations as well as reduce premiums. Strengthening internal controls and implementing loss prevention tools such as contractual protection, or having a product liability audit completed can help make minimize the carriers' risk, improving the underwriters outlook of your company which can both increase your options of available carriers and help reduce your premium. 
    • IAAT (Insurance As A Tool): Insurance can also be used as a tool. For example, placing trade credit insurance can help qualify your company for lower interest rates with banks, placing coverage such as patent insurance can help strengthen your IP, and approaching a venture capital firm with D&O insurance already in place can demonstrate diligence and make your company look more attractive to investors.  
    • Recommending other services / risk transfer tools when appropriate
  • Attention and Alignment

    When partnering with large, international brokers, you may not feel as though you are receiving the attention you deserve. At the same time, locating a knowledgable broker that understands your business may also prove difficult. We combine a focus on your industry's exposures with a focus on you as an individual when it comes to customer service. How do we do it?

    • By maintaing a growth oriented focus (visit the "our focus" link above)
    • By Partnering with strong carriers and wholesalers that are familiar with your industry
    • By Focusing on critical coverages and familiarizing ourselves with applicable specialty products. As a professional liability underwriter, our agents are trained in key coverage areas such as professional and management liability.
    • By Following your industry through industry publications, following recent litigation and rulings that may affect your business and attending appropriate conferences to learn the issues affecting you.
  • Resource Value

    Insurance is a product best never used, which leads to limited contact with your broker...and a relationship based solely on claims and premiums. We believe in “visible value” and helping our clients as much as we can. We aim to become an additional partner to your business and a first point of reference by providing:

    • An expanding network of attorneys, consultants, IT professionals and additional outside providers built around our clients and their needs.
    • Loss Prevention Services: Mostly offered by our carriers…these include safety audits, product liability audits, Quality assessments, etc.
    • Risk Resources: These include background check services, complimentary consulting, WC audit help, OSHA training, certificate tracking, etc
    • Analytic Tools: Such as benchmarking reports and large loss reports to help you gauge your program against your peers.
    • Whitepapers: Guides, Articles and checklists written by both us and our partners
  • Expertise

    A broad knowledge of professional and management liability is critical when structuring D&O, E&O and cyber policies. As a professional liability underwriter we have broad knowledge in:

    • Claims Handling: Claims made policies behave very differently than "occurence triggered" policies. Understanding the intricacies and how/when to report a claim is critical in order to access the policy's funds in the event of a claim. 
    • Renewing & Replacing Coverage: While it may seem straight forward enough, even renewing and/or replacing coverage requires specialty knowledge. Knowing: when to report known circumstances, when to purchase coverage "tails", and how to avoid new warranty statements and coordinating retroactive and prior dates are all important considerations that need to be addressed in order to ensure continuous un-interrupted coverage. 
    • Specialty Market Knowledge: Sometimes coverage issues or requests arise that require a specialty solution such as a "difference in condition" side A D&O policy, IP insurance or a tech performance bond. Many brokers may not understand what these policies are or how/where to access them. 
    • Coverage Term Negotiations: Professional and management liability policies are not standardized. Coverage can differ greatly from carrier to carrier. Understanding the differences and knowing how to negotiate terms can be the difference of a policy with severely restrictive coverage or very broad protection. 

Chubb

(New York, NY) Chubb is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is distinguished by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength, underwriting excellence, superior claims handling expertise and local operations globally. 

CNA

(Chicago, IL) At CNA, we focus on what we do best — providing insurance solutions that allow our customers to better manage their risks and grow profitably. We use our expertise to continually evolve our products and services to anticipate and address our customers' needs. Our broad portfolio enables us to respond to a wide range of business risks while focusing on the specialized needs of our insureds in construction, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, professional services, financial institutions and small business.personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is distinguished by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength, underwriting excellence, superior claims handling expertise and local operations globally.

Hartford

(Hartford, CT) For more than 200 years, we have helped people and businesses prepare for the unexpected, protect what is uniquely important to them, and prevail through life’s challenges and opportunities.  We do this by delivering industry leading property & casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds to our customers; creating a diverse and inclusive culture for our employees; financial performance for our shareholders; and by engaging with and serving the communities in which we work and live.

Philadelphia

(Bala Cynwyd, PA) Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, PA, designs, markets, and underwrites commercial Property/Casualty and Professional Liability insurance products, incorporating value-added coverages and services for select industries. By maintaining a disciplined approach to business, we provide greater security for our policyholders and superior value for our shareholder.

Travelers

(Hartford, CT) In an uncertain world, Travelers is an insurance leader, committed to keeping pace with the ever-changing needs of our customers, and anticipating their needs for the future. There is no stronger testament to our dedication to protecting customers from loss than our continued innovation and ability to transform our industry.