General Counsel Outside Litigation | Public Entity Pooling | Northern California

About this role

By joining Sedgwick, you'll be part of something truly meaningful. It’s what our 33,000 colleagues do every day for people around the world who are facing the unexpected. We invite you to grow your career with us, experience our caring culture, and enjoy work-life balance. Here, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Newsweek Recognizes Sedgwick as America’s Greatest Workplaces National Top Companies Certified as a Great Place to Work® Fortune Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance

Litigation Counsel | Public Entity Pooling | Hybrid Are you looking for an opportunity to join a close-knit collaborative team working for a global industry leader?   • Enjoy flexibility and autonomy in your daily work, your location, and your career path. 

ARE YOU AN IDEAL CANDIDATE ? Do you bring 8+ years of experience collaborating with outside counsel and claims examiners to oversee litigated claims? If you’re an experienced litigator with superior presentation and diplomatic skills, this is an opportunity to work in a collaborative, non-adversarial role environment, working with outside counsel in the strategic planning and facilitating the defense of public entities in Northern California.  You’ll work with various municipality officials, third-party administrators, and Sedgwick colleagues on pooled risk liability programs.  You’ll be the risk pool representative at mediations and settlement conferences, controlling negotiation strategy.

WORK LOCATIONS This role may be open to a remote setting in Northern California only. Travel required in San Francisco Bay Area

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: The Designated Litigation Manager acts as the pool client representative, oversees the pool’s liability program, ensures the application of management principles to the litigation process, and to Sedgwick pools' use of outside counsel. The role is responsible for strategy, planning, controlling, organizing, implementing, oversight, and monitoring in the context of legal services and related costs. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES MAY INCLUDE • Analyzes inquiries and provides guidance related to memorandums of coverage, risk transfer, the litigation process, case strategy, and additional covered parties’ issues

• Reviews member contracts submitted to pool administration, prepares presentations on claims and issues of interest for meetings and/or strategic planning.

• Attends member meetings and introductions, addresses concerns involving members, third-party administrator (TPA) or case development.

• Provides training materials and presentations for members and trainings, and coordinates with pool administrator on cases, claims, and messaging.

• Oversees the pool’s liability program. • Represents the pool in liability matters by participating in litigation proceedings as the representative of the pool; attends mock trials, focus groups, mediations, settlement conferences, and trials.

• Prepares claim processing instructions for use by TPA, prepares and revises policies as necessary, conducts quarterly file reviews with TPA, and provides feedback to TPA on claim handling concerns.

• Reviews TPA recommendations on government claim actions, provides direction and recommendations on government claim responses; monitors TPA for compliance with TPA’s contractual obligations, and annual memorandum of coverage (MOC) review.

• Reviews monthly financial and/or litigation reports from TPA, conducts annual review of defense panel, updates defense panel, communicates with admin team regarding various litigation management/MOC/member issues; responds to audits.

• Attends meetings of the pool’s committees related to claims matters, litigation and MOC, attends meetings of the pool’s board of directors, and attends meetings of the pool’s committees related to claims, oversight, or governance.

• Ensures application of management principles to the litigation process and the use of outside counsel. • Responsible for the early assignment of defense counsel (DC) to high-exposure incidents upon notification and notification to board and pool administration of potential high-exposure losses; coordinates with member, TPA, reinsurers, excess carriers, and defense counsel on strategy and experts.

• Reviews information to evaluate cases, including police and investigation reports; receives and reviews incoming Defense Counsel status reports; communicates with defense counsel and prepares communications regarding further strategy.

• Receives and reviews pleadings/discovery; research and reviews available tools for valuation, recommends consultants, assess alternative dispute resolution options, determines desired course of action for case disposition.

• Manages the pool’s litigation and legal claims via prelitigation management and the management of litigated matters.  • Performs preliminary review of new matters for coverage and coordination with coverage or board counsel.

• Reviews litigation budget and initial reserves.

• Presentation and discussion of case-specific information to the pool’s applicable committee or board for informational purposes, or to obtain settlement authority or approval; provide strategic direction and decision-making at trial when required; monitor trials and provide feedback and recommendations to trial counsel.

Position Approval: Appointment to position of Litigation Manager pursuant to the Pool’s governing documents.

QUALIFICATIONS Education & Licensing: Eight (8) years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required. • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited college or university required.

• Current license(s) to practice law in the pool’s jurisdiction or jurisdiction(s).

Skills & Knowledge • Knowledge of the litigation and trial process in the pool’s jurisdiction • Working knowledge of discovery process, evidentiary rules, and civil procedure • Sufficient knowledge to assess the performance of counsel at trial • Excellent oral and written communica

Similar jobs

• Associate General Counsel – Litigation — Zoominfo · Bethesda, Maryland, United States; Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
• Assistant General Counsel - Litigation — Lennar · Miami, FL (Job Posting Location) | Irvine, CA (Job Posting Location) | Irving, TX (Job Posting Location)
• Associate General Counsel, Litigation — Gomotive · Remote
• Associate General Counsel - Strategic Development — Ferguson · Tampa, FL
• Associate General Counsel Senior – Litigation and Business Counseling — Elevance Health · IN-INDIANAPOLIS, 220 VIRGINIA AVE | GA-ATLANTA, 740 W PEACHTREE ST NW | VA-ASHBURN, 22001 LOUDOUN COUNTY PKWY, STE E1-2
• Senior Litigation Counsel — Snowflake · US-VA-McLean
• Senior Litigation Counsel — Travelers · CA - San Diego | CA - Diamond Bar | CA - Glendale
• Senior Litigation Counsel — Travelers · AZ - Phoenix