Associate General Counsel - Claims Management

ECS Group of Companies seeks a highly qualified Associate General Counsel for Litigation Management and Strategy Counsel. This role reports to the Chief Legal Officer and combines the legal expertise of a litigator or claims manager with the strategic thinking and management skills needed to oversee and direct litigation and claims efforts. This role involves developing and implementing litigation strategies, managing outside counsel, and providing advice to senior management, all with the goal of achieving favorable outcomes and minimizing legal risks. Minimum of 15 years of applicable law firm, insurance claims, in-house, or clerkship experience.

Key Responsibilities

Claims Oversight:

• Manage and resolve high-exposure, complex professional and general liability claims against architects, engineers, and other employees with minimal financial loss.
• Coordinate closely with outside counsel, insureds, and brokers throughout litigation and dispute resolution processes.
• Analyze liability, exposure, and coverage issues to aid management in making informed decisions.
• Provides legal advice on how to mitigate liability claims made against the company and represents the Company during the litigation process.
• Negotiates settlements and resolves claims files.
• Attends mediation, arbitration, and trials to monitor defense counsel performance.

Legal Strategy & Risk Mitigation:

• Develop and execute strategies to mitigate legal exposure and control costs.
• Provide internal legal guidance on emerging legal trends impacting design professionals, as directed.
• Assesses defenses for the Company, executes litigation strategy to address the claim and collaborates with outside defense counsel and insurance adjusters.
• Provides assistance to Offices in applying and interpreting insurance requirements for clients and subconsultants.

Collaboration with Broker and Underwriting:

• Partner with underwriting team to advise management on risk, selection, coverage wording, and policy development.
• Assist in refining underwriting guidelines and identifying risk trends.
• Provides guidance on claims coverage for all lines.

Policy & Coverage Analysis:

• Interpret and analyze policy language, endorsements, and terms in the context of claims handling.
• Support coverage determinations and ensure compliance with policy provisions.

Client & Insured Communication:

• Provide guidance and education to insureds on claims process, risk exposures, and best practices.
• Participate in client presentations, educational seminars, or risk management workshops as needed.
• Tracks related legislation at the federal, state, and local levels that is important to ECS operations.
• Review court records and, in conjunction with outside counsel, coordinate corporate responses to pleadings, discovery, and demands.
• In conjunction with department leadership, may respond to third-party subpoenas.
• Develop and provide internal training to the organization on a variety of legal topics related to business operational risk.
• Performs consultation, advisory, arbitration, and trial work, and carries out the legal processes necessary to affect the rights, privileges, and obligations of the Company.

Miscellaneous:

• Studies and interprets the Constitution, statutes, decisions, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies, as needed.
• Interprets laws, rulings, and regulations related to claims, as needed.
• Other tasks as needed and assigned.

Key Qualifications

• BA/BS Degree from a college or university required
• Juris Doctorate from an accredited US law school
• Experience in managing all elements of litigation and claims (pleadings, motions practice, written discovery, depositions, and litigation.
• 5+ years of experience of Insurance Underwriting.
• Experience working with insurance panel counsel on claims and rRisk management counseling
• Must be licensed in at least one state.
• Strong interpersonal skills along with the ability to communicate effectively with others at all levels of the organization.
• Strong organizational skills, self-motivated and responsible.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including a clear and concise drafting style.
• Familiarity with standard on-line legal research tools.
• Demonstrable interest or experience in the construction industry; A/E industry experience is a plus.

ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 2,800 employees in 100+ offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #64 in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms (April 2024), #144 in Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2024) and #28 in Zweig Group's Hot Firm List (June 2024). For additional information about ECS click here.

We love our employees and we show this through providing some great benefits, including paid time off, health and other insurance plans, retirement and college savings plans, and more. Click here to learn more about the great benefits at ECS.

ECS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This means that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.