Claim Counsel, Professional Liability (Bond & SI)

Travelers•Hartford, CT

14h

About The Position

Bond & Specialty Insurance (BSI) provides management and professional liability, cyber, crime insurance, and surety bonds to or on behalf of businesses of all sizes. The BSI Claim Counsel team conducts thorough investigation, analysis, evaluation, and disposition of claims and claim litigation to achieve superior customer service and to optimize claim results. Travelers' Professional Liability Team offers errors and omissions liability products to various market segments including accountants, design professionals, lawyers, real estate agents, property managers, and miscellaneous professional liability. This position will specifically manage Accountants Professional Liability (APL) and Real Estate Professional Liability (RPL) claims and litigation against various types of accounting and real estate professionals. Typical claims may include professional negligence, malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and misrepresentation, among others. As a valued member of our team, in addition to claim, you also will provide legal advice to our underwriting colleagues and non-attorney claim colleagues, and participate in BSI claim strategic initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree.
Juris Doctorate Degree.
Properly licensed, registered or authorized, and in good standing, to practice law in the jurisdiction in which you will be working.
Two years of relevant legal experience.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of relevant legal or claim handling work experience.
Demonstrated ability to effectively work through conflict and resolve issues with a professional demeanor.
Ability to make sound decisions and negotiate terms and conditions within designated authority limit.
Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate coverage determinations.
Time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities with an attention to detail, data and analytics.
Ability to build and maintain effective and collaborative relationships with colleagues, customers, and business partners.

Responsibilities

Follow operational policies to analyze, investigate, and resolve BSI claims of varying levels of severity with moderate supervision from claims management.
Prepare and present reports for management that accurately reflect loss development, potential/actual financial exposure, reserve adjustments, coverage issues, and claim and recovery strategies.
Retain, monitor, and manage outside counsel actively utilizing litigation management plans and budgets.
Communicate with underwriting on significant claim exposures.
Continue to develop the ability to identify all recovery opportunities and coordinate recovery efforts with the Recovery Management Unit and Claim management.
Travel to and attend mediations, settlement conferences, claim conferences, field office visits, trials and depositions.
Refine policy interpretation/coverage analysis skills including drafting coverage opinions with case law included.
Strengthen the ability to negotiate settlements/resolutions, review releases and settlement agreements, including confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions.
Support underwriting marketing efforts, including participation in broker and account visits and risk mitigation seminars and authoring customer-focused white papers and articles.
Monitor marketplace conditions, conduct research, and draft reference materials to inform claim and underwriting colleagues on law impacting Travelers’ underwriting and claim decisions.
Obtain and maintain required adjusters’ licenses.
Perform other duties as assigned.