Litigation Manager

California Casualty Management Company

About The Position

Bring your expertise to California Casualty, a family owned property and casualty insurance company proudly serving our communities since 1914. We provide protection and peace of mind to those who serve others—educators, firefighters, law enforcement professionals, and nurses. As the insurance industry continues to evolve, our dedicated teams work proactively to stay ahead of change while delivering exceptional service to our members. The Litigation Manager oversees the company’s litigation function, leading a team of litigation adjusters and ensuring high-quality, compliant, and timely handling of multistate P&C claims. This role manages external counsel relationships, controls litigation expenses, supports effective legal strategies, and provides technical and leadership guidance to achieve strong claim and customer outcomes.

Requirements

Eight or more years of experience handling and overseeing litigated insurance claims, including legal analysis and negotiations.
Five or more years of supervisory experience in a personal lines claims environment or related leadership, mentoring, coaching, or training role.
Experience handling personal lines claims in the State of California
Demonstrated experience in personal lines claims handling, including litigation, complex coverage analysis and high exposure claims
Ability to obtain and maintain required state insurance licenses.
Strong knowledge of litigation claim handling practices, including coverage analysis, liability assessment, and negotiation strategies.
Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop teams.
Expertise in regulatory compliance and internal policy adherence within a multistate claims environment.
Effective collaboration and relation shipbuilding skills with external legal counsel and internal business partners.
Sound judgment and decision making skills in high exposure and complex claim situations.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to handle escalated customer issues professionally and empathetically.
Commitment to continuous learning, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional customer service.
High School Diploma or equivalent required (bachelor’s degree preferred)

Nice To Haves

Professional insurance designations such as AIC, FCLA, SCLA, or CPCU are preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage investigations of litigated claims, including liability, coverage, bodily injury, and property damage.
Advise litigation adjusters on complex cases and approve settlements beyond individual authority levels.
Provide recommendations to senior management on high exposure cases exceeding personal settlement authority.
Review claim files to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
Perform regular quality assurance reviews to ensure accuracy, consistency, and service excellence.
Oversee and participate in trials, mediations, and arbitrations as needed, including occasional travel.
Consult with defense attorneys regarding litigation strategy, discovery, and regulatory timing requirements for claim payments.
Control claim settlement exposure through proper reserving practices and oversight of claim expenses.
Manage and evaluate external legal counsel to balance legal costs with claim outcomes and ensure timely, appropriate work.
Recruit, select, train, and develop litigation staff to meet departmental objectives.
Set performance goals, monitor results, and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and corrective action where necessary.
Identify and support training and development needs for litigation adjusters.
Handle escalated customer issues and resolve complex or sensitive matters requiring advanced expertise.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously, coordinating scope, schedules, and deliverables across departments.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure projects align with established standards and business objectives.
Perform additional duties as needed, including supporting cross functional initiatives, training, mentoring, and temporary higher level responsibilities for developmental or business needs.