Associate General Counsel - Risk Transfer Solutions

Markel • Tampa, FL

1d • $116,080 - $159,610 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate General Counsel, Risk Transfer Solutions (AGC RTS) is a legal resource within the Markel Claims Department, providing legal coverage and litigation support to claims professionals. This role specifically focuses on transferring, evaluating, accepting, and/or recovering tendered risk. The AGC RTS provides specialized legal advice for multiple insurance lines of business, with an emphasis on risk transfer issues. The role involves assisting with detailed analysis and rendering legal coverage opinions and guidance that support good-faith claims handling practices. It also includes providing advice, reviewing, and drafting and filing declaratory judgment actions on behalf of the Company. The AGC RTS is expected to be a critical thinker in coverage and claims handling matters, engaging in independent analysis and evaluation of risk transfer issues. This position reports to the AGC Casualty Coverage unit and collaborates with the AGC Coverage and Claims Counsel teams, Claims leadership, Claims professionals, and outside coverage counsel to ensure consistent interpretation and application of policy coverages and contracts in line with current laws. The role also involves making recommendations to Claims Leadership on cases requiring elevated review and approval. The primary function of the AGC RTS is to provide coverage advice and act as a strategic partner to claims professionals regarding coverage issues arising from additional insured status and contractual indemnification. The AGC RTS will support multiple insurance lines by advising on the acceptance or rejection of tenders of coverage, actively pursuing risk transfer, and, where appropriate, recovering through litigation those coverage or contractual rights owed to insureds. The ideal candidate will be an excellent writer and communicator, a strategic thinker with strong analytical skills, significant experience reviewing commercial contracts (especially Insurance and Indemnity provisions), comfort communicating with other insurers, experience drafting lawsuits, and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.

Requirements

• J.D. Degree and active license to practice law in at least one state
• 4 to 8 years of recent coverage practice in a law firm or with an insurer with an emphasis and understanding of risk transfer, contractual interpretation, additional insured provisions, and priority of coverage or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience litigating and drafting lawsuits
• Understanding of coverage issues/law in multiple jurisdictions is a must
• Extensive working knowledge of both admitted and surplus lines policies
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with little oversight
• Ability to analyze and summarize complex issues; recognize alternative approaches and develop action plans both orally and in written form
• Ability to provide advice and interact with all business partners
• US Work Authorization required. Markel does not provide visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Travel required as necessary (approximately 10%)

Responsibilities

• Reviewing first- and third-party policies, specifically with regards to additional insured and insured contract provisions, as well as priority of coverage
• Reviewing insureds' contracts to assess Insurance and Indemnity obligations owed to and by the insured
• Providing legal advice to claims associates on tenders of coverage to insureds' policies, particularly as it pertains to whether or not such parties are additional insureds or contractual indemnitees
• Drafting correspondence both in response to tenders of coverage to insureds' policies and seeking coverage for insureds where risk transfer as an additional insured or indemnitee is appropriate
• Pursuing appropriate recovery for coverage owed for the defense or indemnity of an insured in its capacity as an additional insured under a policy or contractual indemnitee under contract
• Managing disputes and litigation over the duty to defend and/or duty to indemnify parties as potential additional insureds and contractual indemnitees
• Researching and keeping apprised of changes in the law, specifically regarding Anti-Indemnity Statutes
• Drafting and litigating actions seeking coverage owed to insureds in their capacity as additional insureds or contractual rights owed to the insureds as contractual indemnitees
• Mediating, negotiating, or litigating the recovery of defense and indemnity owed to the insured, as well as priority of coverage issues
• Working minimally with outside coverage counsel to advance risk transfer objectives
• Participating in strategic discussions on coverage matters involving multiple insureds and insurers
• Providing training on coverage issues to the Claims Department
• Communicating with defense counsel, coverage counsel, and other insurers to effectuate risk transfer and priority of coverage
• Communicating with our Underwriting partners regarding policy, contract and risk transfer assessment
• Preparing white papers on topics of interest (coverage related) as requested
• Preparing quarterly reports to Claims Management communicating key performance metrics, identifying action plans for training as needed, and identifying trends relating to risk transfer coverage issues
• Attending mediations, or settlement conferences on behalf of the Company

Benefits

• Competitive benefit programs that help meet our diverse and changing environment as well as support our employees’ needs at all stages of life.
• Option to select from multiple health, dental and vision insurance plan options
• Optional life, disability, and AD&D insurance
• 401(k) with employer match contributions
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• PTO
• Corporate holidays and floating holidays
• Parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level