Service Philosophy

Ames & Gough's service philosophy is based on:

Industry Expertise

Our concentration of industry expertise enables Ames & Gough to better understand and manage clients' risks. We serve only five industries: law firms, architects and engineers, contractors and construction professionals, consultants, and professional associations and not-for-profits. Our staff has, on a combined basis, more than 150 years of professional liability and risk management experience.

 A Commitment to CLIENT FIRST Service

This commitment is evidenced in various ways including:

  • Senior Partner Involvement With Day-To-Day Client Service - Our senior partners spend more than 90 percent of their time providing service to clients and less than 10 percent of their time managing. Large clients have at least two senior partners assigned to them, ensuring that someone is always available.
     
  • Strategic Advice - Our clients appreciate Ames & Gough's focus on advising and not selling. We provide insightful insurance program and risk management advice that enables our clients to improve profits and enhance asset protection.
     
  • Partnership and Client Advocacy - We work to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our clients and take our role as YOUR broker seriously. We do not take contingent (incentive) commissions and none of our personnel are paid on a commission basis. Our senior partners are experienced negotiators who aggressively negotiate the best deals for our clients, all the while maintaining a reputation for fairness and integrity with insurers.
     
  • Responsiveness - We are committed to being available when you need us. Structurally we have no geographic or other artificial constraints that prevent any of our experts from working on your behalf. We always have two senior partners assigned to every client and endeavor to have a "live" person answer every telephone call. There is a difference with Ames & Gough—the team that sells you is the team that services you!
     
  • Get the Details Right - Ames & Gough puts a high premium on error free work. We believe this is a realistic goal due to low staff turnover, a highly technical focus, processes that require double checking work, and senior partners' daily involvement with our clients' work product.
     

We offer a simple business proposition: A team of quality people with significant professional liability and industry-specific experience; who are focused on providing sound advice and becoming a long-term partner for our clients.

  • 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

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

  • 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 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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'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

  • 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