WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR We are looking for an experienced
Underwriting Counsel to join our Legal team and act as a key legal partner to Relm's underwriting business.
Reporting to the
Senior Legal Counsel - Insurance & Strategy, you will take day-to-day ownership of legal support for Relm's underwriting teams, managing a varied portfolio of matters ranging from endorsements, amendatories and bespoke policy wordings to complex underwriting issues across Relm's speciality insurance portfolio.
This is a hands-on role for a commercially minded insurance lawyer who enjoys working closely with underwriters. You will independently manage the Underwriting Counsel function and be comfortable working directly with senior underwriters, claims professionals, product teams and other stakeholders across the business.
WHAT YOU WILL DO- Act as a primary day-to-day legal adviser to Relm's underwriting teams on policy wording, coverage and other underwriting-related legal matters.
- Own and manage the Underwriting Counsel intake process, including triaging and prioritising requests and ensuring matters are progressed efficiently.
- Draft and review endorsements, amendatories, manuscript wordings, policy forms and other insurance product documentation.
- Advise on bespoke policy terms and coverage structures, translating underwriting intent and commercial objectives into clear and effective policy language.
- Review and negotiate NDAs, underwriting authority letters and other routine underwriting-related agreements.
- Partner with Underwriting and Product Innovation on the development, enhancement and lifecycle management of insurance products and coverage solutions.
- Advise on legal and regulatory requirements relevant to underwriting activities, policy documentation and insurance products.
- Work with Claims and Legal to identify lessons from claims, disputes and coverage issues and translate them into improvements to policy wording, products and underwriting practices.
- Develop and maintain policy wording standards, endorsement libraries and precedents. Work with Underwriting to develop playbooks and practical guidance. Support Product to ensure product library remains up to date and meets regulatory and other requirements.
- Identify emerging legal, regulatory and market developments affecting Relm's products and underwriting activities and provide practical recommendations to the business.
- Develop and deliver training and guidance to underwriting and other relevant teams on policy wording, coverage and relevant legal or regulatory developments.
- Continuously improve Underwriting Counsel processes and ways of working to provide timely, consistent and commercially effective legal support.
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction in good standing.
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant legal experience, ideally gained in insurance coverage, underwriting counselling, specialty commercial insurance and/or an in-house insurance legal team.
- Strong experience with commercial and/or specialty lines insurance products, coverage and policy wording.
- Demonstrated experience drafting and reviewing policies, endorsements, manuscript language and bespoke coverage solutions.
- Experience working directly with underwriters and translating commercial objectives and underwriting intent into practical legal solutions and effective policy language.
- Strong understanding of insurance coverage principles and the legal and regulatory requirements relevant to insurance products and underwriting activities.
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to provide clear, practical and solution-oriented advice.
- Excellent drafting, analytical, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to independently manage a varied portfolio of matters, prioritise competing requests and exercise sound judgement about when to seek input or escalate.
- A collaborative, hands-on approach and comfort operating in a fast-paced environment supporting emerging risks, innovative industries and new insurance products.
