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CapSpecialty is a leading provider of specialty insurance for small to midsize businesses across the US. The company offers casualty, professional liability, surety, and fidelity products in all fifty states and has carriers rated A “Excellent” by AM Best.
Among the company’s three hundred employees is a tight-knit legal team led by General Counsel (GC) and Chief Privacy Officer Suzanne Broadbent and Deputy GC and Director of Human Resources Brittany Pierick. The legal team, complete with an attorney focused on product drafting and two claims counsels, handle a variety of matters. As such, it’s characterized by a roll-up-your-sleeves mentality and a commitment to supporting each other.
Choosing Your Own Adventure
That culture started at the top with Broadbent and Pierick. While both leaders came to the company from different backgrounds, they stayed for its people.
Broadbent spent several years in private practice when she came to a fork in the road. She was either going to pursue partnership or seek another career path in-house.
“I didn’t enjoy being a litigation attorney, because I didn’t like arguing with people. I am more of a problem-solver, and I also wanted to start a family. I didn’t feel like law firm life and being a partner would be conducive to that,” she shares. “I know a lot of people do it, but it didn’t feel like the right fit for me.”
Around that time, she got a call from a recruiter about an opportunity to move in-house at a Lloyd’s London syndicate. While she hadn’t worked on insurance matters before, she decided to take on the role, working as a claims manager for eight years before moving to compliance as a regulatory attorney.
“I was drawn here for the opportunity, but I stayed because of the great set of people we have here.” — Suzanne Broadbent, GC and chief privacy officer at CapSpecialty
Then, in 2015, she was drawn to an open associate GC position at CapSpecialty. Taking that role was one of the best career moves she made, Broadbent says.
“I was drawn here for the opportunity, but I stayed because of the great set of people we have here,” Broadbent shares. “They make it fun to come to work even in stressful times. We can joke around with one another, but we also get things done.”
Besides the relationships she built by joining the company, Broadbent also appreciates how individuals can “choose their own adventure,” she says. Her and Pierick’s titles reflect that.
“You just have to let people know what you want to do, align yourselves with the right people, and they’ll make it happen. You can see that with both Brittany and me. We have quite diverse responsibilities between us, and we’re not really siloed into one specific area. If you want exposure, you’re going to get it,” she says.
Broadbent continues to pay those opportunities forward to her team.
“I have an open-door policy and urge my staff to tell me what they want to do. As long as they communicate, I’ll try to get them the kind of experiences they ask for. I’m open and willing to listen,” she emphasizes.
A Small but Mighty Team
Pierick got a chance to work on the claims team at CapSpecialty after completing her undergraduate studies. The experience not only inspired her to go to law school but to return to the company six years later, after working in private practice on insurance defense litigation matters.
For five years, Pierick worked as a compliance analyst and legal and regulatory counsel for Cap. While she loved the company and its culture, she decided to leave to bolster her résumé. That journey is what allowed her to grow a deeper appreciation for Cap.
“I went on to work for a company with over three thousand employees. I worked fully remote, and it made it hard to feel like part of a team. There were always new people contacting me, and it felt like too many employees to really get to know everyone,” Pierick says. “What I love about Cap is that it’s large enough to stay interesting but small enough to know who everyone is. I want to work with great people and have relationships with them.”
In 2023, she returned as associate GC and within a year was promoted to deputy GC. She also took on responsibilities as the director of HR.
Fostering a Supportive Environment
Today, Pierick’s proud that she and Broadbent have been able to foster a supportive and agile culture within the legal department.
“We’re a small group, but we’re all willing to put in the work and we don’t ever say, ‘That’s not my job.’ Even if we have to go find the right person, we each will do that. We don’t just push things off to other team members. We’re each willing to step in, figure it out and get it done,” Pierick shares.
“What I love about Cap is that it’s large enough to stay interesting but small enough to know who everyone is. I want to work with great people and have relationships with them.” — Brittany Pierick, deputy GC and director of HR at CapSpecialty
As a leader, Pierick focuses on leading by example.
“It’s important to show your team through actions—to be the person that gets in, does the work, steps up, and isn’t afraid to get your hands dirty,” she advises.
“Effective leaders create conditions that maximize the probability of achieving successful outcomes. Suzanne and Brittany understand this. The team they’ve developed reflects it. Those of us who work with them see it. And their clients benefit from it.”
–Marshall Redmon, Chairman
