Description:
As a global leader in advanced mobility solutions, our outstanding team of legal professionals helps us navigate the continually changing legal and regulatory landscape. In our Office of General Counsel, you'll be part of an organization that collaborates with outside counsel to operate as a global team and deliver world-class legal, tax and audit services to client groups throughout the company.In this position…
Ford Motor Company's Office of the General Counsel is seeking an outstanding attorney to join our Product Claims Team in the Controversies Practice Group. A successful candidate for this position will demonstrate strong litigation capability, persuasive written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams of business clients, internal legal colleagues, and outside counsel to effectively and strategically manage complex litigation matters.
Client counseling is also an essential part of this position. A successful candidate will demonstrate both business acumen and sound legal judgment to support and counsel Ford's customer experience and field service organizations, and other business teams. The ability to align goals of the business and legal department, while managing tactical and day-to-day requirements in time-sensitive situations and challenging environments is key, as well as the ability to provide legal advice and training to company leaders in a business-friendly manner.
To keep pace with the changing industry and legal landscape, we are also seeking a candidate that can identify and execute creative strategies to do our work more efficiently and effectively. This will include helping to design and implement new technology solutions and AI tools to our practice.
What you'll do…
You will provide strategic oversight of a portfolio of pre-suit customer-direct and subrogation product liability matters nationwide, which will include: evaluating and assessing subrogation claims; retaining and managing outside counsel (when necessary); driving the assessment of litigation risk; optimizing Ford's strategic and defensive posture in anticipation of litigation; leading settlement negotiations; implementing new technology solutions and workflow automations to efficiently manage matters and reduce costs; and providing support, counseling, and training to business teams on legal risks, lessons learned, and risk mitigation strategies. Additionally, you will direct a team of analysts responsible for investigating and resolving pre-suit, consumer direct product liability claims.
You will also regularly collaborate with other legal teams, including product litigation, class actions, consumer finance, regulatory, and more. Additionally, you will serve as a strategic legal partner to Ford and Ford Pro's customer service and experience operations to guide early dispute resolution and mitigate litigation risk. In addition, you will support the regulatory team in monitoring trends; and assist with internal and third-party-driven investigations.
You'll have...
- Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school
- Membership in good standing of the Michigan Bar (or member in good standing of another state bar and eligible for RIHC status in Michigan)
- A minimum of 4-8 years of experience practicing as a litigation attorney in a law firm, corporation, or government agency
- Strong litigation background
- Excellent analytical, critical, and strategic thinking skills
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Skilled and confident in negotiation
- Proficient in applying AI tools to daily work
- An interest in optimizing and automating legal operations by analyzing data and leveraging legal technology
- A continuous improvement mindset
- Ability to work with a diverse team
- Experience managing a team
- Experience with the automotive industry or other consumer manufacturing
- Product liability and insurance subrogation experience
- Live in or willing to relocate to the Detroit area, but remote candidates are welcome to apply
