Templar Specialty has shifted its entire portfolio on to A+ rated Lloyd's capacity, in a move that positions the managing general agent to compete more widely in executive and professional lines placements.
Effective Feb. 1, 2026, all new and renewal business is being written on Lloyd’s paper. The change does not alter limits or underwriting appetite, according to Templar, but gives brokers and insureds access to higher‑rated backing than the platform previously carried.
“Financial and professional liability buyers care deeply about long-term security,” Templar head Matt Tusinski (pictured) said. “Moving to A+ rated Lloyd’s capacity gives insureds and brokers greater peace of mind while opening doors to new opportunities in the marketplace.”
Templar’s executive and professional shield product includes directors and officers (D&O) entity liability, employment practices liability (EPL), crime, fiduciary liability, excess and Side A, and miscellaneous professional liability for private, nonprofit, and public company risks. The Lloyd’s capacity supports that existing structure rather than introducing a new product, and is aimed at giving the MGA more room to participate on complex financial lines programs.
The MGA said limits, risk appetite, and its service model remain unchanged after the transition, and that brokers should be able to place business on the new paper without material disruption. Market practitioners expect the A+ rating to be most relevant on placements where lenders, boards, or contractual counterparties enforce minimum rating thresholds and where non‑Lloyd’s paper may previously have been excluded from panels.
The change follows a period of expansion for Templar. In February 2025, the firm broadened its offering to include excess and A‑side D&O coverage for public companies – a part of the market where panel selection is heavily influenced by rating, perceived capacity stability, and past claims handling.
The shift to Lloyd’s comes as financial lines markets in the US and abroad are moving away from the sharpest phase of the hard market but remain selective in certain classes and sectors. Capacity has increased and competition has picked up in some D&O and EPL segments, although underwriters are still cautious around exposures linked to securities litigation, regulatory action, and “social inflation” trends.
Against that backdrop, MGAs backed by highly rated capacity are competing to secure a more permanent role on broker panels for multi‑carrier towers. For brokers arranging D&O, EPL, and broader financial lines programs, Templar’s move signals an attempt to position the platform as a longer‑term option for complex risks using Lloyd’s central security, rather than relying solely on its previous paper arrangements.
