Assistant General Counsel - Litigation

Summary: 

The Assistant General Counsel – Litigation manages a significant portfolio of commercial, tort, regulatory, and other litigation matters. This role provides strategic leadership on claims and disputes, oversees outside counsel, partners closely with business leaders, and supports risk mitigation and compliance efforts. The position reports to the Vice President & Deputy General Counsel – Litigation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead strategy and oversee the management of outside counsel in various commercial, tort, and consumer protection matters to ensure high-quality and cost-effective representation and outcomes aligned with overall Company strategy. 
• Manage litigation budgets in conjunction with the Legal Operations Manager to control legal spend and ensure cost-effective outcomes across all dockets managed. 
• Investigate and actively manage local, state, and federal agency investigations or actions involving consumer protection, compliance, or other regulatory issues. 
• Investigate, assess, and manage the response to pre-litigation claims and disputes.  
• Provide succinct and practical advice on risk, claim, litigation, and regulatory issues to internal teams.
• Continually review and assess related Company operational policies, processes, and practices to identify, evaluate and mitigate claim and litigation risk. 
• Collaborate and advise with Risk Management on claims administration.
• Oversee litigation paralegals, including management of litigation efforts, including providing ongoing training and mentorship with respect to litigation management, as well as fostering professional growth to ensure high-quality, efficient litigation support. 

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the Company’s organizational structure, business operations and policies & procedures in order to identify and assess areas of risk, defend claims and litigation, and counsel & advise business management on matters of risk mitigation and dispute resolution.   
• Maintain substantive knowledge of statutes, regulations, precedential law, and procedural rules associated with tort, contract, commercial, product liability and consumer protection legal issues. 
• Provide regular reports to Vice President & Deputy General Counsel - Litigation regarding the status of litigation and claims, recovery initiatives, and other matters. 
• Prepare executive-level litigation reports, trend analyses, and risk assessments to support requests for settlement authority and/or reserves.
• Develop and/or deliver training programs to support the Company’s compliance, education, and risk mitigation efforts. 
• Formulate creative, business-oriented strategies and solutions to support the Company’s business development efforts.
• Communicate and provide advice regularly to the Chief Legal Officer, Deputy General Counsels, other attorneys and business managers and team members.
• Provide support as needed to the Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Litigation.
• Travel as necessary to successfully fulfill the duties of this position.

Education:  

• J.D. degree from a leading law school, with excellent academic credentials.
• Member in good standing, of at least one US state bar. If licensed outside the State of Florida, admission to the Florida Bar as In-House Counsel is required. 

Experience:  

• A minimum of 10 years of litigation experience in law firm, in-house and/or government settings.   
• Substantial experience with civil litigation in state, federal and arbitration fora, including prelitigation dispute resolution, pleadings, motion practice, alternative dispute resolution, pre-trial, and trial.
• Experience defending consumer protection, premises liability, personal injury, and/or business tort claims.
• Familiarity with eDiscovery issues, e.g., document retention policies and procedures as well as collection, review, and production of documents.
• Working knowledge of commercial insurance policies and experience providing litigation reporting to insurance carriers according to policy terms.
• Intellectual Property and/or employment litigation experience a plus. 

Skills:  

• Strong judgment with the ability to assess risk and develop practical, business-oriented solutions.  
• Demonstrated ability to manage a demanding workload, including meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment and pivoting as necessary when circumstances demand.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, interpersonal, and leadership skills. 
• Proficiency in leveraging artificial intelligence tools and other technology to improve efficiency litigation management while maintaining appropriate oversight and judgment.
• Independent self-starter with highly effective analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• Strong sense of organization and attention to detail. 
• High ethical standards and sound professional discretion.    
• Able to work with team members, drawing on their strengths to achieve a common goal.