Deputy Director of Litigation

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The New York City Comptroller’s Office works to promote the financial health, integrity, and effectiveness of New York City government, in order to strengthen trust, secure a thriving future for all New Yorkers, and build a more just, equitable, and resilient city. Led by an independently elected citywide official, the comptroller’s office provides checks and balances needed to hold City government accountable for budgeting wisely, investing responsibly, operating efficiently, acting fairly, living up to its obligations and promises, and paying attention to the long-term challenges we face together. Authorized by the New York City Charter, the Comptroller, through the Bureau of Law and Adjustment (BLA), negotiates and approves all monetary settlement of claims and lawsuits involving the City of New York. BLA investigates and, when in the best interest of the city, settles pre-litigation claims for and against the City of New York. In resolving claims before litigation is commenced, BLA protects the fiscal interest of the City while ensuring that pre-litigation claims are resolved in a fair and just manner, and in accordance with applicable laws. BLA furthers this goal in its review, evaluation, and authorization of requests to settle litigated cases involving the City and through diligent administration of disputes arising out of City contracts. BLA manages City risk by holding agencies accountable, rooting out fraud, and identifying trends, as well as, coordinating with the Law Department and other City agencies on issues that impact the public fiscal and public safety. The Litigation Unit primarily handles police misconduct, civil rights, and correction claims pre-litigation, and, in conjunction with the Corporation Counsel, all personal injury matters in litigation. Reporting to the Director of Litigation and under the general guidance of the Assistant Comptroller, the Deputy Director is responsible for managing and supervising the Unit's staff in all respects.

Requirements

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Responsibilities

Use independent discretion and judgment to evaluate, negotiate, and settle pre-litigation claims and pending litigation on behalf of the City of New York and its agencies, with a focus on high exposure cases involving, but not limited to, all forms of personal injury, medical malpractice, police actions, civil rights, correction, and labor & employment
Prepare legal memoranda to justify legal strategy and financial valuation of pending claims and litigation
Supervise attorneys and claim professionals performing claim and litigation resolution functions, including reviewing and editing legal memoranda, evaluating and responding to requests for financial authority, and developing negotiation and litigation strategies
Research and prepare memoranda on legal developments, relevant government policies, and fiscal implications of claim filing and resolution trends for presentation to executive staff
Support the Director of Litigation with respect to managing staff assignments and day-to-day operations of the Litigation Unit, including all relevant HR functions such as interviewing, hiring, training, annual reviews, discipline, and other related tasks
Train, develop, and mentor team members on legal principles and developments relevant to claims and litigation covered by the Unit
Perform claim data research and analysis and prepare reports on claim trends to agency executives
Extensively liaise with senior counterparts at the Office of the Corporation Counsel to develop litigation and negotiation strategy on complex high-exposure litigation
Extensively interface with agency senior leadership, including the Assistant Comptroller and General Counsel's office, to develop claim and litigation resolution strategies, obtain appropriate settlement authority, and examine sensitive and confidential issues
Interface with the agency's technical teams to improve data retention, technological processes, and the claim database
Liaise with fiscal services and accounting to ensure data accuracy and appropriate payment
Cultivate relationships with external actors, including but not limited to, senior officials at external agencies, judges, mediators, plaintiff and defense counsel as needed to efficiently resolve claims and litigation
Prepare FOIL responses
Appear in all state and federal courts in New York City on high exposure cases, as necessary
Perform other related assignments as directed