Managing Attorney

Chubb•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The House Counsel Managing Attorney is responsible for ensuring their firm provides high quality and ethical legal representation to clients, and excellent communication, collaboration, and service to Claim Department customers. The managing attorney will have performance management responsibilities over supervising attorneys in the office, including supervision, training, and coaching. The managing attorney will be responsible for ensuring OKRs are cascaded to all levels of their firm, managing and assisting with projects to improve reporting to claims, providing improved transparency with respect to the high quality of legal representation, and maintaining high levels of performance to ensure that clients are provided with a zealous defense and cases are litigated effectively and efficiently. The managing attorney should enhance understanding and adherence to the firm’s staffing models, case numbers, and claims data to ensure peak financial efficiency and adherence to OKRs. The managing attorney should consistently advance the professional reputation of the firm, House Counsel, and Chubb.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited Law School.
Extensive litigation experience.
Bar admission in good standing in the state and federal courts in which the firm litigates.

Responsibilities

Focus on and utilize all available data to track, measure, and continuously improve the firm’s performance in quality of legal representation, claims and client service, recognition and response to trends, calibration of resources to inventory, business cases for growth opportunities, financial management, value and efficiency of operations and workflows, and return on investment.
Manage the operation of the firm by providing proper administration of all aspects of the firm’s legal practice.
Monitor and maintain appropriate staffing models to maintain high-quality service.
Maintain a quality professional staff appropriately suited to the firm’s needs and level of cases existing at the firm.
Develop and implement a business plan for the use of retained counsel and temporary staff and adhere to the budget provided to the firm.
Manage and monitor all aspects of inventory to ensure cost-effective representation and maintenance of House Counsel as a value proposition for Chubb, including case life, indemnity pay out, severity/complexity rating, and billing on file relative to the value of the case.
Ensure the firm’s adherence to department protocol and policies on reporting requirements and service expectations.
Adhere to controllable expenses budget.
Identify opportunities to reduce expenses, maximize efficiency, and streamline practices in the firm.
Manage firm members, actively review files, and meet and confer with lawyers to ensure proper utilization of ProLaw, including calendaring, diary, reminders/tickles, and entry of transactions, and that all case-related business records are maintained in the ProLaw system.
Ensure all department protocol regarding documenting the ProLaw file is adhered to by all firm employees, including documenting all case-related activities and transactions whether verbal or written in the ProLaw file within the established timelines and manner.
Actively engage in marketing House Counsel.
Seek opportunities to increase business from all perspectives, including jurisdictional and expertise growth.
Assist in the identification and development of new business opportunities or enhance existing business both nationally and locally within appropriate lines of business.
Develop a plan for the firm’s business development.
Introduce the firm to all appropriate claim personnel and establish professional relations and working arrangements.
Develop and maintain collaborative business relationships with Claim personnel.
Work with underwriting and Claims to identify business plans/opportunities and determine alignment with House Counsel capabilities and structure.
Seek opportunities to educate underwriting, Claims, the broker community, and insureds on House Counsel experience and capabilities to influence choice of counsel.
Promote the firm’s standing within the legal community, including bar associations and courts, to assist in business development.
Monitor and track matter referrals and referral rejection rates, keeping rejections unrelated to conflict of interest to less than 3%.
Ensure adherence to all department policies and protocol on proper and effective use of ProLaw, and case handling, including maintaining communication with claims and clients to ensure quality legal representation and service.
Effectively manage all law firm personnel issues and challenges.
Report to and update the National House Counsel Manager regarding all Human Resources issues and challenges.
Engage Human Resources, where appropriate, in personnel matters.
Develop and maintain collaborative business relationships with Human Resources and Employee Relations personnel.
Actively and effectively manage direct reports by maximizing performance and results.
Ensure supervising attorneys and the Law Office Administrator are doing the same with their indirect reports.
Active involvement in and regular review of the files in ProLaw.
Develop and maintain regular and systematic methods of reviewing attorney work product in all files to ensure quality service and legal representation.
Regularly utilize performance monitoring reports to ensure compliance with deadlines and to manage attorney performance.
Develop ProLaw reports that align with local jurisdictional practices to track and monitor attorney performance.
Regularly review and utilize inventory and new arise referral reports to monitor firm performance and increase referrals to the firm.
Provide learning and development opportunities to all firm members, including encouraging participation in Chubb learning and development opportunities, Chubb sponsored programs, and Chubb Business Round Tables.
Ensure supervisors of indirect reports are providing learning and development opportunities.
Monitor and achieve established metric goals: Attorney and paralegal time billing targets; Quality assessment -- 93% of cases rated good plus; Formal reporting -- 93% compliance with timeliness and content requirements; Client survey results -- 93% satisfaction with service; Claims Scorecard – 4.5 average firm score.
Provide ongoing, constructive, and timely feedback to direct reports regarding work product, competence, and performance.
Ensure supervisors of indirect reports are providing ongoing, constructive, and timely feedback.
Provide coaching for direct reports.
Ensure supervisors of indirect reports are providing coaching.
Successfully manage underperforming employees.
Ensure supervisors of indirect reports are successfully managing underperforming employees.
Maintain a visible and consistent leadership presence in the firm.
Be present, accessible, and responsive to direct and indirect reports.
Conduct regular meetings with direct reports.
Conduct regular firm-wide meetings including all firm members.
Ensure supervisors of indirect reports are conducting regular firm-wide meetings.
Communicate departmental updates to the firm in a timely manner.
Recruit, hire, and retain appropriate talent based on business needs.
Develop and maintain relationships with local recruiting personnel.
Utilize firm talent resources to support the firm practice.
Make law firm management obligations the priority.
Maintain personal caseload at manageable levels that do not interfere with proper management and maintain leadership focus on all aspects of the firm.