Claims & Litigation Counsel

Paul Transportation•Tulsa, OK

22h

About The Position

Paul Holdings is hiring a licensed attorney to own liability claims for Paul Transportation, Frontier Leasing, and Paul Logistics, from first report through resolution. The role evaluates liability and exposure, negotiates directly with claimants and plaintiff counsel, and sets strategy for litigated files. Local litigation counsel files suits and appears in court on the company’s behalf under the role’s direction. This is a hands-on position focused on resolving claims early when appropriate and defending claims firmly when they do not merit payment. The position has no billable-hour or business-development responsibilities. The role handles auto liability claims, litigation, cargo and brokerage matters, contracts, reporting, and loss prevention. It works with Safety, Operations, leadership, insurers, and outside counsel to manage claims and improve outcomes.

Requirements

J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
Active bar license in good standing in any U.S. state and eligibility to register as in-house counsel in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
At least 5 years of civil litigation experience, including substantial auto liability, trucking, or insurance defense experience.
Experience with depositions, motions, and mediations, and taking files from pre-suit through resolution.
Working knowledge of the FMCSRs, Carmack, and broker liability.
Ability to explain exposure and strategy clearly and directly to non-lawyers.

Nice To Haves

First-chair trial experience.
Background at a trucking defense firm or in-house claims experience at a carrier, broker, or commercial auto insurer.
NBTA Board Certification in Truck Accident Law.
Experience directing local or panel counsel across multiple jurisdictions.
Familiarity with self-insured retention, excess, or captive insurance programs.
Comfort with claims systems, telematics and video platforms, and AI tools for document review.

Responsibilities

Evaluate liability, causation, damages, and exposure on third-party bodily injury and property damage claims.
Engage claimants early and negotiate directly with claimants and plaintiff counsel to resolve claims.
Set and adjust reserves within authority and document the reasoning.
Deny or defend claims that do not merit payment.
Direct preservation of ELD, telematics, onboard video, driver qualification, maintenance, and dispatch records; issue litigation holds.
Attend mediations and settlement conferences with authority, and attend or monitor trials.
Direct day-to-day work with local litigation counsel, set litigation strategy, and approve filings.
Draft or review pleadings, discovery, and motions, and handle early discovery in-house.
Direct affirmative suits for subrogation, cargo recovery, and contractual indemnity.
Select and manage outside defense counsel where needed, approve budgets, and review invoices.
Coordinate insurer notice, tender, and consent-to-settle on larger losses.
Handle litigated and high-value cargo claims under Carmack and state law.
Pursue carrier recovery and subrogation.
Defend broker negligent-selection claims and advise on carrier vetting practices.
Tender and respond to contractual indemnity and additional-insured claims; advise on indemnity and limitation language in customer and carrier contracts.
Report claim exposure, reserves, and litigation status to leadership.
Share loss trends with Safety and Operations to help reduce future claims.
Track case law and regulatory changes affecting motor carriers and brokers.