Director, Litigation Group

Summary

This position entails managing a group of highly skilled attorneys and paralegals charged with oversight and direction of coverage litigation and arbitration proceedings across the United States. As such, this position requires a seasoned manager who is an expert in insurance coverage issues including but not limited to those arising in the context of underlying asbestos, pollution, toxic tort and construction defect matters and who can quickly analyze other complex insurance coverage issues as they arise under various fact scenarios and insurance policies. The Director of the Litigation Group must be adept at litigation and arbitration tactics and rules; company systems and management techniques and able to coach, mentor and support the team in their technical and professional growth. He or she must possess the skill and flexibility to support several projects and work collaboratively with associates and management across the company to achieve alignment on strategic issues. He or she will also demonstrate a commitment to the continuous improvement of processes and achieve efficiencies in the operation of the unit. Finally, the Director of the Litigation Group will champion and exhibit the RiverStone commitments at all times and seek to continually improve him or herself.

Essential Functions

Manage a team of highly skilled attorneys and paralegals to provide national oversight and direction to outside counsel for all coverage disputes in litigation or arbitration;

Provide coverage and/or litigation expertise to both the team and RiverStone on legal and strategic issues implicated in any one particular proceeding or that have company-wide implications;

Develop each member of the team both technically and professionally; serve as a mentor and leader for others throughout RiverStone;

Interface with other senior leaders to develop coordinated approaches to resolving strategic company issues;

Communicate timely and effectively with senior management on developments in litigation and performance metrics;

Ensure the highest levels of ethical behavior are practiced by legal team members and outside partners;

Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships with outside counsel and other vendors

Ensure cost effective partnerships with outside vendors;

Create an environment such that innovative thinking is encouraged and fostered throughout the organization; encourage calculated risk taking and be willing to accept a reasonable degree of failure as a stepping stone to progress;

Empower associates to continuously improve RiverStones processes and systems. Take ownership of process improvement to ensure that ideas are implemented and continuously reviewed;

Embed a strong customer service focus into the organization and ensure the consistent delivery of superior customer service;

Prioritize projects to ensure resources are appropriately applied to achieve established goals at the department level through the application of cost/ benefit analysis of the business case.

Required Skills

Juris doctor and bar membership;

Strong leadership experience and presence. Emphasis on motivational/inspirational, not command, leadership skills;

Outstanding written and oral communication skills;

Advanced expertise on insurance coverage law for commercial, general liability policies including but not limited to latent exposures such as asbestos, pollution, toxic tort, construction defect;

Strong insurance coverage litigation experience involving commercial general liability policies and latent claims;

Knowledge of the insurance business as a business;

Customer service oriented with the ability for developing long lasting relationships with internal and external business partners;

Disciplined, structured and logical approach to problem solving;

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects successfully;

Proven record of delivery against deadlines;

Tendency to challenge the status quo and push for constant improvement.

Experience

10+ years of experience litigating or arbitrating insurance coverage cases or providing insurance coverage services to insurance and reinsurance clients with respect to commercial general liability policies and latent claims;

5+ years of direct management experience;

Experience in a law firm or insurance company preferred;

• Experience with lean and agile business practices desirable;
• Direct experience with the change management aspect of process/ structural changes

Required Education

Bachelors Degree, Juris doctor

Preferred Education or Certification

Six Sigma training desirable

CPCU courses desirable

Advanced management courses desirable

Supervisory Role

Full time

Travel

Moderate 20-30%

Work Environment / Physical Demands

This position operates in a professional cubicle based collaborative environment and must have the ability to timely produce thorough, accurate work with many competing demands, deadlines, and distractions. The position uses standard equipment such as phones, computers, copiers/printers and filing cabinets. Noise level is moderate. While this is a largely sedentary role, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear; stand; walk; bend; use hands to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. On occasion the individual must be able to lift and transport boxes weighing up to 30 pounds.

Other Duties (Disclaimer Statement)

RiverStone retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position as needed, OR

Other duties or responsibilities may change or be assigned as needed.

Core Competencies

In addition to possessing the competencies identified for the associates reporting to this position, the manager must additionally possess the following competencies

Manager:

22. Ethics and Values - Adheres to an appropriate (for the setting) and effective set of core values and beliefs during both good and bad times; acts in line with those values; rewards the right values and disapproves of others; practices what he/she preaches.

50. Priority Setting - Spends his/her time and the time of others on what's important; quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; creates focus.

46. Perspective: Looks toward the broadest possible view of an issue/challenge; has broad ranging personal and business interests and pursuits; can easily pose future scenarios; can think globally; can discuss multiple aspects and impacts of issues and project them into the future.

19. Developing Direct Reports and Others: Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each persons career goals; constructs compelling development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.

12. Conflict Management: Steps up to conflicts, seeing them as opportunities; reads situations quickly, good at focused listening; can hammer out tough agreements and settle disputes equitably; can find common ground and get cooperation with minimum noise.

38. Organizational Agility: Knowledgeable about how organizations work; knows how to get things done both through formal channels and the informal network; understands the origin and reasoning behind key policies, Practices , and procedures; understands the cultures of organizations.

60. Building Effective Teams: Blends people into teams when needed; creates strong morale and spirit in his/her team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.

50. Priority Setting: Spends his/her time and the time of others on whats important; quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; creates focus.