Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is an independent insurance broker based in Bristol that arranges professional indemnity (PI) cover for firms across the United Kingdom, including a number of Cambridge-based technology, life-sciences and advisory businesses. We do not have an office in Cambridge. Our team works with Cambridge clients remotely using telephone, email and video meetings.
We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference 724952. Our role is to understand each Cambridge client's professional services, contractual position and regulatory obligations, and to approach insurers on the firm's behalf to arrange suitable PI cover.
The sections below explain Cambridge's professional services landscape, the PI considerations we see most often in the city, and how our remote service is set up to work with firms in the cluster.
Cambridge's professional services sector
Cambridge sits at the centre of one of Europe's most concentrated technology and life-sciences ecosystems, often referred to as "Silicon Fen" or the Cambridge Cluster. The University of Cambridge and its colleges have, over decades, supported a steady stream of spinouts and research-intensive businesses, and the surrounding science parks now host a dense network of consultancies, R&D operations and corporate research centres.
Cambridge Science Park, founded by Trinity College in 1970, remains a focal point. St John's Innovation Centre, Granta Park and Babraham Research Campus host life-sciences and deep-tech tenants, while the Cambridge Biomedical Campus on the south of the city is home to AstraZeneca's global headquarters and a wide range of clinical and research organisations. Arm Holdings, the chip-design company, is one of several large technology businesses associated with the city.
The cluster has produced a notably deep intellectual property (IP) and patent attorney market. Firms with significant Cambridge presence include Mathys & Squire, Mewburn Ellis, Carpmaels & Ransford and J A Kemp, advising university spinouts, corporate research centres and overseas applicants. On the legal side, regional firms such as Mills & Reeve, Birketts and HCR Hewitsons handle commercial and corporate work, with Mills & Reeve having combined with Taylor Vinters in recent years.
Around this core, Cambridge supports a broad range of management consultants, engineering consultancies, scientific advisory practices and chartered surveyors. The surveyor market reflects a high-value residential and commercial property base, alongside extensive college estates with their own conservation and valuation requirements. Accountancy practices range from sole practitioners to mid-tier firms with corporate finance and R&D tax credit specialisms.
The common thread across much of the Cambridge market is work that blends deep technical knowledge with commercial advisory output. That mix has direct implications for how PI cover is structured.
PI insurance for Cambridge-based professional firms
Professional indemnity insurance responds to claims that a client (or sometimes a third party) has suffered loss because of professional advice, design or services. Several features of the Cambridge market influence the cover that is appropriate.
- Heavy IP and patent overlap. Patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys and IP-focused consultancies face exposures that differ from general professional advice. The Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) sets minimum PI terms for regulated patent and trade mark attorneys, and insurers' wordings need to be read against those rules.
- Deep-tech and engineering consultancy. Cambridge supports a large number of consultancies advising on hardware, software, semiconductors, robotics and scientific instruments. The boundary between professional advice and product design can be narrow, and the interaction between PI and technology errors and omissions (E&O) cover matters.
- Life sciences and clinical-adjacent work. Firms working with pharmaceutical, biotech and medical-device clients often face contractual indemnity obligations and need to consider how PI sits alongside product liability and clinical trial insurances.
- Surveyors and architects. Practices regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) have minimum PI terms set by their regulators, including aggregation and run-off requirements.
- Accountants and tax advisers. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) set minimum PI requirements for member firms, with R&D tax credit work in particular drawing close insurer scrutiny.
Cambridge firms frequently hold contracts with universities, NHS organisations, large corporates and overseas clients. Contractual indemnity clauses in those contracts can affect the cover required, and we read appointment documents alongside the proposal form when arranging or renewing cover.
How Apex serves Cambridge firms
Apex is a remote-first broker. From our office at 53 Queen Charlotte Street in Bristol we work with professional firms across the UK, including in Cambridge, through scheduled telephone and video meetings, secure email and document exchange. We do not visit Cambridge as a matter of routine, and most of our work for Cambridge clients is carried out without face-to-face meetings.
Three points shape how we work with Cambridge firms:
- Independent market access. As an FCA-regulated broker (firm reference 724952), we approach a range of UK insurers and, where appropriate, Lloyd's syndicates. We are not tied to a single insurer or panel.
- Sector focus on professional firms. Our work concentrates on PI and related covers for professional services businesses, including IT consultants, management consultants, accountants, surveyors and architects. We discuss the scope of services in detail before approaching the market.
- Claims advocacy. Where a claim or circumstance arises, we act on the client's behalf with the insurer and any appointed solicitors. We do not act for the insurer.
Cambridge clients generally find that documents, quotations and queries can be handled remotely without the need for travel. Where a face-to-face meeting is appropriate, we arrange it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Cambridge?
No. Apex Insurance Brokers is based in Bristol and serves Cambridge firms remotely by telephone, email and video meeting. We do not have a physical office in Cambridge.
Are you authorised to advise Cambridge firms?
Yes. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Our authorisation is UK-wide and applies to clients based in Cambridge and the surrounding region.
Do you understand the PI requirements that apply to Cambridge consultancies?
We work regularly with consultancies, accountants, surveyors and architects, and we read each client's appointment terms and the applicable regulatory rules before approaching insurers. Where a firm is regulated by a body such as the ICAEW, ACCA, RICS, ARB or IPReg, we factor the minimum PI terms into the placement.
Can you place cover for Cambridge biotech and deep-tech businesses?
We arrange PI for technology and research-focused consultancies operating in fields such as software, hardware, life sciences and engineering. The structure of cover depends on the services delivered, the contracts in place and the firm's claims history. Where the work involves clinical, regulatory or product-related activities, we discuss how PI interacts with product liability, clinical trial and other lines of cover with the client and the insurer.
How are claims handled if we are in Cambridge?
Claims and circumstances are notified to insurers through us. We manage correspondence remotely and coordinate with appointed solicitors and the insurer's claims team. Cambridge clients typically deal with us by email and telephone throughout the claim.
Do you cover patent attorneys and IP-focused practices?
We discuss PI for patent and trade mark attorneys and IP consultancies, taking into account the IPReg minimum terms for regulated firms. Cover, limits and aggregation provisions vary by insurer, and we work through these against each firm's appointment terms and historical workbook.
What happens to our cover if we close, sell or restructure the firm?
PI is generally written on a claims-made basis, so run-off cover may be required when a firm ceases trading, is sold or restructures. Regulators including the ICAEW, ACCA, RICS, ARB and IPReg set minimum run-off periods for member firms. We discuss run-off and continuity at renewal and at the point of any change in the business.
Speak to Apex about your PI cover
If you are based in Cambridge and would like to discuss professional indemnity cover, contact our team in Bristol:
- Telephone: 0117 325 0027
- Email: info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk
We will arrange a call or video meeting to talk through your firm's services, current cover and renewal timing.
About Apex Insurance Brokers — Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. Registered office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ. Last reviewed: May 2026.