With Architects & Engineers Professional Liability Insurance, as with many types of insurance, the best offense is a good defense. Roughly half of all costs associated with A&E claims are related to defense costs. Smaller firms may want to add a first dollar defense endorsement to their policy, so that they don't pay any deductible for defense costs. Larger sophisticated firms may choose to add tiered deductibles to their policies so that the deductible is reduced after the first two or three claims made. Since their professional reputation is on the line, A&E firms insist upon a vigorous defense so it's important to consider claims handling practices and capabilities when selecting an A&E carrier. The top A&E insurance carriers often let firms pre-qualify their preferred counsel and offer risk management seminars, fast turnaround contract review, and pre-claims assistance at no charge.