Advance your Legal career at Liberty Mutual Insurance- A Fortune 100 Company!

Liberty Mutual Surety ™ is seeking an experienced Surety Claims Counsel supporting in our Seattle office. This is an excellent opportunity for an entrepreneurial, and analytical-minded Attorney with prior Surety experience that has managed highly complex claims involving multiple bonds in excess of $5-10MM in losses.

As Surety Claims Counsel, you will be responsible for contributing to technical processes that optimize planned business results by working independently and within a team. In this role, you will apply advanced level knowledge of Surety Contract Claims to a portfolio of cases varying in size and scope, with a significant focus on the largest and most complex claims in the region. You will investigate, evaluate and settle claims in a fair and efficient manner. You will also negotiate, analyze, resolve and manage Surety claims, ensuring customer satisfaction and loss ratio goals.

Liberty Mutual Surety, a business unit member of Liberty Mutual Insurance, is the 2^nd largest Surety in the United States and one of the largest globally. We specialize in providing surety bonds for construction firms, manufacturers and suppliers, and commercial enterprises for corporations and individuals on an account and transactional basis, and conduct business worldwide through fronting relationships and Liberty owned subsidiaries, with bonds issued in over 40 countries. We pride ourselves on our outstanding service to brokers, agents, and customers throughout our field offices across the U.S., and in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia. We are committed to our value proposition of building mutually profitable relationships by providing smart business solutions, ease of doing business, and consistent, responsive service, and is dedicated to the communities we serve and values highly a diverse workforce.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate and exercise an understanding of Surety bonds and industry, including the structure, terms and conditions of Liberty Mutual's liabilities under bonds and applicable laws and regulations, by investigating and negotiating claims; analyzing financial data and contractual obligations; making a reserve recommendation; determining an appropriate course of action and managing the case to successful resolution.
• Investigate, negotiate, analyze, resolve, and manage Surety claims cases to ensure customer satisfaction and loss ratio goals.
• Directs the claims and recovery efforts, both directly and through the assignment to outside consultants, accountants, financial advisors, construction engineers and legal counsel.
• Claim duties may include: some or all of the following:
  • investigating defaults and making recommendations in determining which strategy would be appropriate for Surety to implement;
  • setting accurate reserves and recommending adjustments as warranted;
  • implementing the default strategies;
  • investigating difficult claim issues, including bid protests, payment surety claims, defective specifications, contract modifications, terminations, liens and fraud questions;
  • and analyzing recovery prospects from indemnitors, principals, owners and third parties and then recommends and implements appropriate action and then pursues vigorously until close out.
• Evaluate and settles complex contract Surety claims within delegated authority and aligned region.
• Draft and review legal documents (e.g. contracts, insurance policies, leases) involving Surety Claims; Manage outside counsel in connection with litigation; Represent the Company before regulatory and administrative bodies; Provide advice regarding the implications of new laws substantially impacting the Company's business; and Anticipate legal issues and encourage practices to prevent problems from arising
• Identify and escalate potential high exposure claims and provide recommendations as appropriate.
• Identify and make recommendations to assigned outside counsel as appropriate.
• Stay abreast of state statutes and regulations regarding surety claims. Maintain current knowledge of legal issues and developments in the law.
• Responsible for other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required. Juris Doctorate degree required and a member of bar in at least one jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 5 years as a practicing attorney with a diverse caseload required, with an emphasis in Contract Surety Claims strongly preferred.
• Experience managing the most complex surety claims involving multiple bonds with losses in excess of $5 million with a preference of $10 million or more highly preferred.
• In-depth knowledge and experience working at a Surety Company or Surety Law Firm representing Surety Companies specifically highly preferred.
• Knowledge of private, state, and federal laws that are applicable to surety claims and transactional matters.
• Essential to success in the role is strong written and verbal communication as well as research skills.
• Experience handling complex litigation, claims, and general liability work, and research skills are also desired.
• Displays entrepreneurial instinct and gets satisfaction in self-directing, willing to ask questions, works best in a fast paced environment, and creatively applying resources.
• Comfortable with technical applications.
• Demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities and meet deadlines.

Benefits:

We value your hard work, integrity and commitment to positive change. In return for your service, it’s our privilege to offer you benefits and rewards that support your life and well-being. To learn more about our benefit offerings please visit: https://LMI.co/Benefits

Overview:

At Liberty Mutual, we give motivated, accomplished professionals the opportunity to help us redefine what insurance means; to work for a global leader with a deep sense of humanity and a focus on improving and protecting everyday lives. We create an inspired, collaborative environment, where people can take ownership of their work; push breakthrough ideas; and feel confident that their contributions will be valued and their growth championed.

We’re dedicated to doing the right thing for our employees, because we know that their fulfillment and success leads us to great places. Life. Happiness. Innovation. Impact. Advancement. Whatever their pursuit, talented people find their path at Liberty Mutual.