Job SummaryThe Senior Counsel, Claims & Litigation supports the company's in-house auto and general liability claims and litigation function. Working under the Associate General Counsel, this attorney directly conducts hands-on litigation work, particularly in early stages, with oversight of matters transitioned to outside counsel, focusing on strategy, risk management, and efficient resolution.
Key Potential Responsibilities- Support oversight of accident and transportation claims litigation, including leading initial case investigation, case assessment, and early-stage litigation preparation.
- Directly handle substantive discovery tasks, including drafting discovery requests and responses, preparing discovery-related motions, and managing early discovery.
- Review and analyze discovery responses, medical records, accident reports, ELD data, driver qualification files, video evidence, maintenance records, and other litigation documentation to identify key facts and inform defense strategy.
- Conduct legal research on tort liability, insurance defense issues, relevant case law, and FMCSA/DOT regulations, including negligence standards, regulatory compliance issues, and federal preemption defenses.
- Oversee and manage matters that are partially or fully transitioned to outside counsel by setting strategy, reviewing outside counsel processes, and ensuring alignment with company objectives and guidelines.
- Prepare internal and external facing case summaries, status reports, and exposure assessments, and communicate significant developments to stakeholders.
- Collaborate with Claims, Safety, Risk Management, and Operations teams to align litigation insights with accident response, safety initiatives, and risk mitigation efforts.
- Use legal technology and AI tools to improve efficiency in legal research, document review, discovery analysis, and summarization.
Qualifications- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and active U.S. bar license in good standing.
- Required experience in auto defense litigation, with a strong emphasis on commercial transportation or trucking accident matters.
- Working knowledge of transportation liability and FMCSA/DOT regulations.
- Strong analytical, research, and writing skills, with the ability to independently draft discovery documents and analyze complex factual records.
- Experience managing or overseeing litigation matters and coordinating with in house or outside counsel.
- Proficiency with legal and enterprise technology; proficiency with AI tools to support research, document review, and workflow efficiency is a strong positive.
