Commercial Legal Expenses

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Commercial Legal Expenses Insurance for Business

CLE Insurance covers disputes with clients, suppliers, contractors, employees, and regulators. It also provides access to legal advice when you need it most. Coverage is subject to policy terms, limits, and insurer consent, including per-claim limits and policy excesses.

CLE Insurance safeguards businesses against legal costs from everyday disputes, including:

  • Unpaid invoices or debt recovery
  • Contract disagreements
  • Lease or property disputes
  • Employment issues (for staff, subject to policy terms)
  • Regulatory or tax investigations

Optional endorsements may cover intellectual property disputes, statutory notices, or cross-border disputes. CLE is not a replacement for other business insurances but complements PII and MLI.

Please refer to the Insurer’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or Policy Wording when deciding if this product is right for you.

Disclaimer: Coverage under Commercial Legal Expenses (CLE) Insurance is subject to the full policy wording, terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions. Not all disputes or legal costs may be covered. Please review the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before purchasing..

Commercial Legal Expenses (CLE)  vs Professional Indemnity (PII) vs Management Liability (MLI)

CLE Insurance – Covers legal costs for everyday business disputes (contracts, debt recovery, employment disputes, regulatory investigations). Does not cover fines or penalties.

Professional Indemnity (PII) – Covers claims arising from professional services, such as negligence, errors, or breach of duty. Does not cover routine business disputes or debt recovery.

Management Liability (MLI) – Covers management and governance risks, including directors/officers liability, statutory liability, and employment practices for senior staff. Does not cover everyday business disputes.

Business Insurance vs CLE Insurance

Standard business insurance protects assets and property but does not cover legal disputes.

Typical Business Insurance Covers:

  • Physical asset damage (fire, theft, machinery breakdown)
  • Public or product liability
  • Business interruption (loss of income from insured events)

Business Insurance Does Not Cover:

  • Contract or client disputes
  • Debt recovery or unpaid invoices
  • Employment disputes (unless endorsed)
  • Regulatory investigations or notices
  • Legal advice for routine business matters

CLE Insurance Covers:

  • Contract disputes with clients, suppliers, or contractors
  • Debt recovery (e.g., unpaid invoices)
  • Employment disputes (staff only, subject to policy terms)
  • Regulatory or tax investigations
  • Lease or property disputes
  • Legal advice hotline for everyday business questions

CLE coverage is subject to insurer consent, policy limits, and terms. It helps businesses reduce upfront legal costs, resolve disputes efficiently, and access proactive legal advice.

In Summary

  • Business insurance protects your assets
  • PII protects your professional services
  • MLI protects management decisions and directors/officers
  • CLE Insurance protects your legal risks

Together, they provide comprehensive protection, helping businesses manage disputes, debt recovery, and legal challenges with confidence.

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Hear Directly from Our Clients

Don’t take our word for it, see what other business owners and clients have to say.

Michael Chadwick
Lisa and the team at CGIB have been fantastic, found me a competitive insurance policy for my Tractor. The service and offering was superior to other major competitors, where you feel important as a valued customer. Thank you CGIB team!
Scott Clarke
I have been dealing with CGIB and Caroline in particular for a very long time now, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their service is always extremely helpful, proactive, and prompt. It is rare to find this level of consistent reliability over the long term.
Thank you, Caroline, and everyone at CGIB.
Julie Mayer
Sarah is very helpful and knowledgeable. My experience was made very easy and stressless. We have been with CGIB for many years and would highly recommend them
Robert Noakes
I have been found Caroline from CGIB has been highly professional and responsive for all my PI needs especially when amendments are required. I have recommended Caroline and CGIB to many consultants in my network.

During the last twelve months I have had to contact Caroline about my policy and all enquires were resolved promptly and respectfully.
John kelada
CGIB are excellent commercial insurance brokers, Caroline and the team are always at hand with the our first year insurance and renewal with great pricing and handling claims.
Frank De Lorenzi
Very professional Insurance Brokers. Great service and timely response.
Friedrich Roslyn
Our company has been working with Caroline Cori for many years and it has always been a pleasure. Thank you Caroline for all your help.
Kind Regards
Ros Friedrich
Denise Noztech
I have had PI insurance through CGIB for many years. Caroline has always looked after me and no question was left unanswered. Very quick turnaround each year which was easy and painless. Never felt the need to look elsewhere. Thanks for looking after me for over 20 years
cgal family
Honestly, Aleisha was an absolute lifesaver. I needed to get an urgent $20M public liability policy sorted for our self-managed Owners Corporation so my lawyer could finalize a Section 32 for a property sale. Strata paperwork is usually a total nightmare, but Aleisha made it so easy and stress-free. She actually listened, worked fast, and got it done properly. Can’t recommend her enough!
Andrew Lim
Sarah Liakopoulos at CGIB has been a pleasure to deal with while setting up insurance for my new business. She arranged single transit marine cover for our first import shipment. When I needed public and products liability ahead of our launch, she had a quote to me the next morning and bound the policy the same day. Clear, prompt and easy to work with. Thanks also to Emma for stepping in while Sarah was away. Highly recommended.

Key Notes:

  • Fines & penalties: Not covered by CLE—only legal costs
  • Pre-existing disputes: Excluded
  • International disputes: Usually excluded unless endorsed
  • Consent: Insurer approval required before appointing lawyers or incurring major legal costs

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