Insurance defense litigator

Talent Search PRO

$100K — $190K *
Legal & Accounting
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Active California State Bar membership in good standing
  • 5+ years of insurance defense litigation experience for senior track, or 1-3 years for junior track
  • Experience drafting Case Management Orders and handling court appearances
  • Proven track record taking and defending depositions, including expert witness depositions
  • Strong analytical, writing, research, and communication skills
  • Ability to commute and travel within assigned regions of California

Responsibilities

  • Manage full lifecycle litigation from pleadings to trial
  • Draft and argue law and motion matters
  • Take and defend depositions, including expert witness depositions
  • Conduct site inspections and handle travel for court appearances
  • Serve as first- or second-chair at trial, emphasizing real courtroom experience
  • Collaborate with a 2:1 attorney-to-assistant team
  • Interface directly with insurance carriers, experts, and clients autonomously

Benefits

  • Casual and collegial office environment
  • Opportunity for real courtroom involvement
  • Meaningful autonomy in client interaction
  • Collaborative team structure with ample support
  • Flexibility to travel across California for work
Full Job Description
The salary for this role is $100K - $190K/year

What we're looking for:

We need an insurance defense litigator (ideally with a strong catastrophic personal injury background) who can run a file independently from pleadings through trial. You should be comfortable managing a caseload of 30-40 active matters, handling court appearances, depositions, and site inspections, and have a genuine appetite for first- and second-chair trial opportunities. Bonus points if you have experience with expert depositions and a track record of taking cases all the way through verdict.

What you'll do:
  • Manage full lifecycle litigation - from pleadings and Case Management Orders through discovery, law & motion, depositions, trial prep, and trial
  • Propound and respond to written discovery; draft and argue law and motion matters
  • Take and defend depositions, including expert witness depositions
  • Conduct site inspections and travel within California (LA and surrounding counties; occasional central/northern CA) for court appearances and depositions
  • Serve as first- or second-chair at trial - real courtroom opportunities, not paper litigation
  • Collaborate with a 2:1 attorney-to-assistant team in a casual, collegial office environment
  • Interface directly with insurance carriers, experts, and clients with meaningful autonomy

Requirements:
  • Active California State Bar membership in good standing
  • Senior track: 5+ years of insurance defense litigation experience
  • Junior track: 1-3 years post-bar with insurance defense exposure
  • Demonstrated experience drafting CMOs, handling court appearances, and managing written discovery
  • Track record taking and defending depositions, including expert depositions
  • Ability and willingness to commute to assigned CA office (San Diego, Irvine, or Riverside) and travel within CA
  • Excellent analytical, writing, research, and communication skills

Hard exclusions - please do not apply if:
  • You are currently at a plaintiff-side firm (e.g., Sweet James, Morgan & Morgan, or similar billboard firms)
  • You have a construction defect-only background with no interest in broader insurance defense work
  • You intend to submit a blinded or confidential resume

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