Corporate Counsel

California Dental Association • Sacramento, CA

1d • $123,700 - $171,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Corporate Counsel is responsible for assisting in protecting the organization's legal interest and maintaining its operations within the scope established by law. The Corporate Counsel will assist the Chief Legal Officer in identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, presenting clear recommendations, and assuring legal compliance for the California Dental Association, The Dentists Insurance Company (TDIC), TDIC Insurance Solutions (TDICIS) and related companies. This role engages in creative, original legal thought in an experienced and poised manner while addressing legal issues in a variety of formats, across multiple states, multiple lines of business, and for-profit and not-for-profit contexts. The Corporate Counsel partners and collaborates with other legal staff to deliver exceptional service and results for internal customers. They advise the California Dental Association, CDA Foundation, The Dentists Insurance Company and TDIC Insurance Solutions on all legal, legislative, governance and regulatory matters, with an aptitude for insurance matters. In partnership with the Chief Legal Officer, the Corporate Counsel takes accountability for interpreting laws, rulings and regulations, including current and past legislation, analyzing legal implications, and providing optional strategies for responsive actions. They must be able to quickly and confidently identify relevant regulations, analyze them accurately, and deliver actionable, understandable analysis enabling rapid business decision making for supported lines of business. The role requires the ability to work in a multi-state, highly regulated environment and navigate multiple levels of law and governance. The Corporate Counsel communicates directly with senior leadership and boards of directors in a fashion that builds confidence and understanding of legal operations and applicable law by virtue of clear, concise and precise guidance. They are able to respond to questions confidently in a variety of contexts, including response to verbal questioning during meetings. The role assists staff in negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations and works with outside regulatory agencies to review legal impact of past and newly introduced legislation. The Corporate Counsel researches and prepares legal memoranda as requested by Chief Legal Officer. They develop communications to inform and educate members regarding laws and regulations affecting members and researches and stays abreast of changes in the law related to associations, non-profits, and the insurance industry. The role engages with and supervises utilization of specialty external counsel to support the organization’s legal needs on highly technical or specialized areas of law, or with respect to litigation or actions in other states. This includes directly managing and overseeing external counsel involved in the defense or prosecution of legal actions on behalf of multiple regulated entities. The Corporate Counsel assists with regulatory filings with the various state governmental agencies that oversee the insurance industry in California and the other states in which TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions are licensed to sell insurance. They assist with development of policy forms, underwriting guidelines and procedures in compliance with department of insurance requirements, participate in development and preparation of all form and rate filings, and work with outside legal counsel to create policy forms. The role serves as TDIC’s liaison with state insurance regulators. The Corporate Counsel provides legal support in the development of new products and services for TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions. They coordinate work with Department of Insurance for all market conduct exams and reviews treaty language in conjunction with TDIC reinsurance renewal. The role also assists Chief Legal Officer in management of pending litigation involving either TDIC or TDIC Insurance Solutions, monitors and acts as a resource for outside counsel to manage various matters, and may be responsible for small litigation cases in-house.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate required
• Minimum of three years of experience in a related industry
• Active State Bar licensure in at least one state required
• Eligibility for Registered In House Counsel status in California preferred
• California law license highly preferred
• Strong computer skills, including mastery of Windows/Microsoft Office
• Ability to quickly learn and adopt other technology platforms
• Ability to conduct computerized legal research
• Confident, legal analysis and the ability to deliver clear, direct responses to complex questions
• Excellent research and drafting abilities coupled with attention to detail
• Ability to self-generate professional contracts, pleadings, memos, responses to inquiries and similar documents
• Offering internal peers in the organization a high level of professionalism, responsiveness and customer service
• Familiarity with insurance law
• Constantly standing, bending, sitting, kneeling.
• Performing computer-based tasks and to visually inspect and review physical documents.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to hear, understand, speak to, communicate with and persuade small or large groups of people in a variety of educational, advisory or advocacy roles
• Must have the ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Willingness and ability to learn insurance codes and regulations in California and other states.
• Knowledge and understanding of the insurance industry, particularly related to professional liability, property, cyber and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Experience with the Knox-Keene Act, insurance law, and healthcare law preferred.
• Experience with negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Must demonstrate diplomacy and tact while interacting with all levels within and outside of the organization.
• Must be able to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Must be able to perform job duties independently, exercising good judgment and professionalism.
• The ability to quickly and accurately analyze complex regulatory, statutory or contractual matters and provide concise, practical, actionable and useful guidance that is legally appropriate and also aligned with business needs.
• Well-developed organizational skills enabling the management of multiple matters at the same time with complex or intersecting work product, deadlines and production expectations, including the ability to use project tracking tools and electronic resources to track and provide visibility into project and matter status.
• Experience with negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in protecting the organization's legal interest and maintaining its operations within the scope established by law.
• Assisting the Chief Legal Officer in identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, presenting clear recommendations, and assuring legal compliance for the California Dental Association, The Dentists Insurance Company (TDIC), TDIC Insurance Solutions (TDICIS) and related companies.
• Engaging in creative, original legal thought in an experienced and poised manner while addressing legal issues in a variety of formats, across multiple states, multiple lines of business, and for-profit and not-for-profit contexts.
• Partnering and collaborating with other legal staff to deliver exceptional service and results for internal customers.
• Advising the California Dental Association, CDA Foundation, The Dentists Insurance Company and TDIC Insurance Solutions on all legal, legislative, governance and regulatory matters, with an aptitude for insurance matters.
• Interpreting laws, rulings and regulations, including current and past legislation, analyzing legal implications, and providing optional strategies for responsive actions.
• Quickly and confidently identifying relevant regulations, analyzing them accurately, and delivering actionable, understandable analysis enabling rapid business decision making for supported lines of business.
• Working in a multi-state, highly regulated environment and navigating multiple levels of law and governance.
• Communicating directly with senior leadership and boards of directors in a fashion that builds confidence and understanding of legal operations and applicable law by virtue of clear, concise and precise guidance.
• Responding to questions confidently in a variety of contexts, including response to verbal questioning during meetings.
• Assisting staff in negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations.
• Working with outside regulatory agencies to review legal impact of past and newly introduced legislation.
• Researching and preparing legal memoranda as requested by Chief Legal Officer.
• Developing communications to inform and educate members regarding laws and regulations affecting members.
• Researching and staying abreast of changes in the law related to associations, non-profits, and the insurance industry.
• Engaging with and supervising utilization of specialty external counsel to support the organization’s legal needs on highly technical or specialized areas of law, or with respect to litigation or actions in other states.
• Directly managing and overseeing external counsel involved in the defense or prosecution of legal actions on behalf of multiple regulated entities.
• Assisting with regulatory filings with the various state governmental agencies that oversee the insurance industry in California and the other states in which TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions are licensed to sell insurance.
• Assisting with development of policy forms, underwriting guidelines and procedures in compliance with department of insurance requirements.
• Participating in development and preparation of all form and rate filings.
• Working with outside legal counsel to create policy forms.
• Serving as TDIC’s liaison with state insurance regulators.
• Providing legal support in the development of new products and services for TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions.
• Coordinating work with Department of Insurance for all market conduct exams.
• Reviewing treaty language in conjunction with TDIC reinsurance renewal.
• Assisting Chief Legal Officer in management of pending litigation involving either TDIC or TDIC Insurance Solutions.
• Monitoring and acting as a resource for outside counsel to manage various matters.
• Potentially responsible for small litigation cases in-house.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Remote and hybrid flexibility and technology to support remote work
• Generous time off program starting at 22 days of PTO and 13 paid holidays (includes a floating holiday and winter closure)
• Highly competitive medical, dental and vision plans, including FSA and HSA account options
• 401(k) plans, with a generous match and safe harbor contributions upon eligibility
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness programs, including incentives and an In-Shape Family Fitness discount
• Opportunities for professional development, training and leadership skill-building
• Critical illness, accident, life, pet, short term and long-term disability insurance options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for support navigating day-to-day challenges

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree