EPL & D&O Liability Associate Claim Counsel

Travelers • Chantilly, PA

3d

About The Position

Travelers Insurance is seeking an Associate Claim Counsel to join its Bond & Specialty Insurance (BSI) team, which provides management and professional liability, cyber, crime insurance, and surety bonds to businesses and nonprofits. The BSI Claim Counsel team investigates, analyzes, evaluates, and resolves claims and claim litigation to deliver strong customer service and optimize claim outcomes. The Associate Claim Counsel manages assigned claims that are generally lower in severity and complexity, with close supervision, and supports outside counsel management, settlement negotiations, underwriting, and claim initiatives.

The role includes claim handling across surety and management liability matters, legal and business support for underwriting colleagues, and participation in strategic initiatives. The position requires an insurance adjuster license, generally obtained within three months of starting, and an active law license in the state of the principal office location, with continuing education maintained.

Surety work includes legal review and advice on bond obligations and project contracts; reviewing and drafting bond and contract documents; risk mitigation and account workout support; monitoring bankruptcy proceedings; preparing proofs of claim; determining whether bond exposure has expired; and addressing indemnity changes arising from mergers, equity sales, or asset sales. Construction surety work includes supporting agreements related to project takeover and completion. Commercial surety work includes bond, contract, indemnity, collateral, and other agreement review and drafting, industry focus groups, internal white papers, and contract risk advice. Management liability work includes preparing coverage evaluations and correspondence and maintaining claim files.

Requirements

• One to five years of relevant legal or claim-handling work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Juris Doctor degree.
• Properly licensed, registered, or authorized and in good standing to practice law in the jurisdiction where the employee will work.
• Valid driver’s license or access to alternative transportation for travel to mediations, conferences, field offices, trials, and depositions.
• Ability to work through conflict and resolve issues professionally.
• Ability to make sound decisions and negotiate terms and conditions within designated authority limits.
• Verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate coverage determinations.
• Time-management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail, data, and analytics.
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues, customers, and business partners.
• Acquire and maintain required insurance adjuster license(s), generally within three months of starting, and complete mandated continuing education.
• Maintain an active legal license in the state of the principal office location and remain current with continuing legal education.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, investigate, and resolve lower-severity and lower-complexity Bond & Specialty claims in accordance with operational policies and close management supervision.
• Retain, monitor, and manage outside counsel and other vendors, using incident response or litigation management plans and budgets; negotiate settlements when appropriate.
• Prepare management reports on loss development, financial exposure, and resolution strategies with management guidance.
• Coordinate recovery efforts with the Recovery Management Unit to pursue loss mitigation opportunities as needed.
• Attend mediations, settlement conferences, trials, and depositions to support claim resolution, and attend other business meetings as needed under supervision.
• Provide legal and business support to underwriting colleagues, which may include negotiating indemnity documentation, drafting product forms and endorsements, reviewing contracts and bond forms, and supporting marketing or risk management efforts.
• Ensure stakeholders and customers feel secure, respected, and cared for throughout the claims process.
• Comply with BSI Claims processes, procedures, and best practices.
• Document claim activities, decisions, and communications thoroughly while following record-keeping standards and confidentiality protocols.
• Provide legal review and advice to surety underwriters on bond obligations and project contract documents.
• Review, draft, or modify bond forms and contract documents involving lower-complexity matters.
• Conduct account workout risk-mitigation analysis, advise on mitigation strategies, and assist with implementing those strategies.
• Monitor account bankruptcy proceedings, document post-bankruptcy indemnity, draft and file proofs of claim, advise on potential recovery, and retain outside counsel as necessary.
• Determine whether bond exposure has expired, including for collateral release, by reviewing bond terms, applicable law, and court dockets when applicable.
• Review merger, equity sale, and asset sale documents to determine the legal status and ownership of indemnitors undergoing a change of control; assist with agreements documenting indemnity changes.
• Assist with drafting and modifying construction surety takeover, completion, subcontractor ratification, and other agreements needed to mitigate risk and discharge bond obligations.
• Review, draft, and modify commercial surety bond forms, contract documents, indemnity and collateral documents, and other agreements across various industry sectors.
• Participate in underwriting focus groups for particular industries and draft internal white papers.
• Analyze commercial contract provisions and advise the business on contract risk mitigation under close supervision.
• Prepare timely and thorough management liability coverage evaluations and correspondence to insureds.
• Maintain and note claim files according to company best practices.
• Obtain and maintain required insurance adjuster license(s), including continuing education, and maintain an active legal license and current CLE.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage for eligible employees and family members from the first day of employment.
• Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match on contributions up to the first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum.
• Paying it Forward Savings Program contributions to an employee’s 401(k) account when the employee makes student loan payments.
• Pension Plan funded 100% by Travelers.
• At least 20 days of paid time off annually and nine paid company holidays.
• Wellness program with tools, discounts, and resources for wellness and caregiving needs.
• Mental health program with access to free professional counseling, health coaching, and other resources.
• Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program supporting charitable giving and volunteering.
• Performance-based cash incentive awards.

What This Job Offers

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