Frances Railey

Senior Vice President / Partner
Washington, DC
Email: 
frailey@amesgough.com
Phone: 
703.827.2277
Fax: 
703.827.2279

Frances Railey is a senior vice president and an equity partner of Ames & Gough. She oversees our service to numerous mid-size to large design-firm clients and is considered an expert at underwriting and service issues for these firms. Frances also coordinates many of Ames & Gough’s back-office administrative services and serves as the firm’s human resources director. Frances is located in our Washington, D.C., office.

Frances joined Ames & Gough in 1993. Previously, she worked at Victor O. Schinnerer, where she eventually rose to the position of assistant vice president with responsibilities for providing service to numerous large architect/engineer clients.

Frances holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and is a 1984 summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She serves on the Women's Board of The American Heart Association and is co-chair of the Legislative/Government Affairs Committee for the National Capital Chapter of CMAA. She is fluent in Spanish.

  • I've worked with Ames & Gough for years regarding our firm's professional liability insurance. Ames & Gough has some of the most knowledgeable insurance professionals that I have met. They understand our business and apply their very deep insurance knowledge to help us. They are customer-focused and always put our firm's needs ahead of their own. Ames & Gough is out to save us money while also looking out for our best interests.
    Donald P. Nims, Jr., PE, Quality Assurance & Risk Manager, Bergmann Associates, Inc.

  • For years, Hogan Lovells has relied upon Ames & Gough’s deep understanding of the professional liability issues faced by law firms. Our firm’s needs are consistently met by responsive, friendly senior-level professionals with an unyielding focus on client service and putting our needs at the fore.
    Warren Gorrell, Jr., Former Co-Chairman, Hogan Lovells

  • The expertise of the individuals at Ames & Gough has been invaluable to Hoyle Tanner. Over the course of many years, they have consistently provided Hoyle Tanner with knowledgeable advice and excellent service.
    James D. Boothroyd, P.E. , President, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc.

  • We rely on Ames & Gough as our portal to the commercial insurance market for law firms. Their knowledge and service are exemplary, and we thank them for their contributions to our success.
    Phil Sunshine, General Counsel, Finnegan

  • Ames & Gough's expertise in insurance and risk issues important to our association has been obvious. They have been quick to identify issues and opportunities and follow-through to improve our coverage and save us money. We highly recommend Ames & Gough to any association seeking a professional insurance broker partner.
    David Fitzsimmons, VP of Finance & Accounting, National Association of Chain Drug Stores

  • During our more than five-year relationship with Ames & Gough, we have grown to depend heavily on their experience in the A/E industry. Their skill at identifying risk exposures, skill in reviewing our contracts, and personal approach to insurance brokerage have made Ames & Gough indispensable to our firm. As contract negotiations become more complicated and the risk of litigation greater, there is no price our firm can put on having Ames & Gough and a good lawyer on our team.
    Ms. Polly Brazelton, Senior Associate, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

  • Ames & Gough has worked closely, proactively, and successfully with our law firm. They have been very effective at obtaining the best insurance coverage for the best price. Additionally, the personnel have been extremely responsive on all our risk management issues. They are very knowledgeable and we are glad they are an integral part of our team.
    Steve Leonard, Chief Operating Officer, Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP

  • We have a lot of vendors, but Ames & Gough is not a vendor, they are our partners!
    Kevin Kokal, Founder & Owner, Alliance Engineering, Inc.

  • Beazley has had a close trading relationship with Ames & Gough since their formation in the 1990s. We consider them to be one of the real pros in their market niches of architects, engineers, and law firms. We appreciate their professional representation of their clients; as well as their integrity and attention to detail.
    Jerry Sullivan, Head of Professionals, Beazley Group

  • I believe we were Ames & Gough's first client. In those 25 years, they have never failed to provide us with exceptional service, well beyond being only our A/E broker. Their depth of service, their technical expertise, and their responsiveness to our requests set them apart and account for our long-term relationship.
    Jim Fagan, Chairman of the Board, Hazen and Sawyer

  • Effective risk management is an integral part of our company's productivity goals. Ames & Gough provides the support we need to help us understand and implement good risk management practices. Their professional seminars and outstanding support have helped us to keep our insurance costs down as well as to maintain high standards. We value our relationship with them, are happy that they are part of our team, and thank them for their contributions to our success.
    Mark Teden, Executive Vice President/Treasurer, Bruner/Cott & Associates, Inc.

  • Ames & Gough's expertise in insurance and risk issues has been invaluable to LeClairRyan. Our law firm's needs have been consistently met with their top of the line client service. Ames & Gough has been quick to identify gaps in coverage while reducing our insurance costs and saving us money. We highly recommend Ames & Gough to any law firm looking for senior-level professionals that can help contribute to your firm’s success.
    Bruce Matson, Chief Legal Officer, LeClairRyan

  • Ames & Gough has proven, in a short time, to be a responsive, knowledgeable partner for AIR. Everyone on the team is quick to get back to us whenever we have a question. Importantly, they are also well-versed in the issues and possible solutions that confront our organization and have always been able to solve or prevent a problem. Better yet, they've saved us money and improved the coverage under our various insurance policies.
    Larry Trapuzzano, Director of Facilities & Administration, American Institutes for Research

  • Everyone at Ames & Gough has tremendous depths of knowledge about both design professionals and managing risk in the construction process. We refer firms to Ames & Gough because their professionalism is obvious from the first conversation. Their client focus, nationwide reach, and high level of services makes Ames & Gough an outstanding broker for any design professional. We've given Ames & Gough our 'Elite Broker' designation signifying that they are truly dedicated experts.
    Duane S. Repko, Vice President and Underwriting Manager-AE National Accounts Division, Victor O. Schinnerer & Company

  • Ames & Gough has always been very responsive to our queries, large or small, for contract review and situations regarding potential liability. They have provided immediate answers to quick questions, offering clear advice and direction, and have responded promptly on the more comprehensive requests.
    Suzette Bois , Controller , SMRT, Inc.

  • Ames & Gough has gone above and beyond in delivering on all their promises and commitments to AGC of America and its Chapters. Their responsiveness and insurance acumen have set them apart from other brokers we've worked with.
    Monique T. Valentine, CPA, CFO, , Associated General Contractors of America