Description:
Job Description:Position Summary:
The Associate General Counsel – Litigation will play a crucial role in the Company's operations by managing the complex litigation docket in a strategic, cost effective and process-driven manner. This position will provide oversight and direction to outside counsel and internal Team Members on litigation and dispute resolution matters. This role oversees and manages the Company's in-house property damage claims team, which handles a robust docket of cases and claims. This position will be involved in a wide variety of litigation matters including commercial, general liability, product liability, environmental, automobile, asbestos, intellectual property and others. The Associate General Counsel - Litigation also oversees the Company's in-house employment counsel and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) function.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Manages all commercial litigation and litigation arising from significant claims (with the exception of worker's compensation cases) through trial or ADR. Assists with responding to subpoenas.
- Provides legal advice to the Company's various business units.
- Oversees litigation metric tracking and reporting.
- Manages and assists in setting litigation budgets and reserves.
- Drafts and negotiates settlement agreements and other agreements.
- Supports continuous improvement of form agreements and templates to maximize efficiencies while providing effective safeguards.
- Provides analysis and advice on legal and business risks.
- Assists with internal fact investigations.
- Ensures compliance with corporate policies, procedures and best practices, and develops training materials.
- Selects, supports and manages outside legal counsel and executes global case strategies.
- Performs other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
- Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- The ideal candidate will be a seasoned litigation attorney who has a proven ability to provide sound legal advice at the executive, senior, and junior levels. The candidate should have a strong litigation background, as well as a mindset of flawless execution. Additional requirements include:
- Bachelor's Degree and Law Degree from an accredited law school.
- 8+ years of litigation experience as an attorney.
- Strong advocacy and negotiation skills.
- Trial, arbitration and mediation experience.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate, lead, and develop diverse teams, promoting an inclusive work environment.
- Experience with practical dispute resolution, including the evaluation of claims and relevant cost-benefit analyses, with experience negotiating and documenting pragmatic and favorable settlements.
- Experience negotiating and documenting pragmatic and favorable settlements.
- Experience assisting with compliance efforts regarding a full range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
- Ability to shift priorities and remain flexible.
- Ability to make decisions and exercise good business judgment on high-priority matters in an extremely fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.
- Initiative to handle matters proactively and provide prompt and concise advice and alternatives to clients where possible.
- Collaborator with the ability to influence others and obtain buy-in.
- Business acumen with the ability to assess risk appropriately and to advise and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary internal clients to provide proactive, accurate, and effective legal support.
- Proven ability to clearly and concisely communicate, verbally and in writing, complex issues and be able to propose and implement pragmatic strategies to eliminate or limit risk.
- Demonstrated general management perspective and broad understanding of economic, social, and political trends and developments that may impact the business.
- Ability to balance competing interests, demonstrate initiative and a strong work ethic.
- Ability to work under tight time constraints, handle sensitive data, and multi-task so that deadlines can be met.
- Ability to make quick, practical and innovative decisions to resolve problems.
- Ability to defend the Company and its affiliates from claims and advocate their interests, while maintaining the highest reputation for honesty and integrity.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- In-house experience managing a varied docket of litigation matters is preferred.
- Automotive and/or retail industry experience, as well as employment law and environmental law experience is a plus.
Physical Demands/Work Environment:
- Repetitive movement of hands and fingers, typing or writing.
- Regular standing and walking.
- Reach with hands and arms.
- Travel up to 20% of the time.
- Talk and hear.
- Ability to work under tight time constraints, handle sensitive date and multi-task so that deadlines can be met.
- Highly organized and able to prioritize and manage time efficiently with the ability to handle stress in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.
The characteristics described above are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.