Senior Corporate Counsel

Pico Propane•San Antonio, TX

About The Position

The Senior Corporate Counsel provides legal counsel and support across Meritum Energy Holdings and its affiliated brands. The role primarily focuses on commercial contracts and managing automobile liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits arising from the company’s multi-state fleet and field operations. The position drafts, reviews, and negotiates master service agreements, transportation agreements, and other energy and service contracts; directs outside counsel, third-party administrators, and insurance carriers on litigated and pre-litigation claims; and partners with Risk Management, Safety, and Operations leadership to reduce legal and financial exposure. The role independently handles day-to-day contract and claims matters and escalates significant legal risk, litigation strategy, and material contract terms to the CEO. Employment-related legal matters are handled by MEH’s dedicated HR Counsel and are not a primary responsibility.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law in Texas, in good standing.
Five to eight years of relevant legal experience, with a background in commercial contracts and insurance defense or litigation.
Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, particularly in MSAs, transportation agreements, and energy or service contracts.
Demonstrated experience with indemnity provisions, additional insured requirements, limitations of liability, indirect damages waivers, and insurance provisions.
Working knowledge of auto liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation claims handling and litigation management.
Ability to select and manage outside counsel and control legal spend.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate legal risk into practical business guidance.
Ability to manage multiple active matters and competing deadlines.
Sound judgment and discretion with sensitive and confidential information.
Proficiency in the current Microsoft Office Suite.
Experience with contract management systems and/or legal matter or claims management software.
Must pass pre-employment screening and background check.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act (TOAIA).
Energy, transportation, or trucking industry experience.
Additional state bar licensure.
Experience with contract management and/or legal matter management software.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate master service agreements, transportation agreements, energy and service contracts, vendor agreements, customer contracts, NDAs, and other commercial agreements across MEH brands.
Negotiate and advise on indemnity, additional insured, limitation of liability, indirect damages, and insurance provisions.
Maintain and administer contract templates, playbooks, and a contract tracking or repository system.
Advise Operations, Procurement, and Fleet leadership on contract risk, indemnification, insurance, and liability provisions.
Support RFP and vendor selection processes through contract risk review.
Coordinate contract renewals, amendments, and terminations.
Manage the intake, evaluation, and lifecycle of auto liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits filed against MEH entities.
Select, direct, and manage outside defense counsel; set litigation strategy and budget expectations; and review and approve legal invoices.
Coordinate with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and adjusters on claim reserves, coverage positions, and settlement authority.
Partner with Safety and Fleet leadership to gather accident investigation materials, driver qualification files, and telematics or ELD data for claims defense.
Track litigation status, exposure, and reserves, and provide leadership with regular reporting on open matters and case resolution.
Attend or coordinate depositions, mediations, and settlement conferences as needed.
Evaluate and recommend settlement versus litigation strategy in coordination with the CEO.
Support Fleet and Safety teams on DOT/FMCSA compliance issues that intersect with claims and litigation exposure.
Work with the insurance broker and Risk Management on coverage placement, policy renewals, and claims reporting for auto, general liability, and workers’ compensation lines.
Monitor claims trends and advise on policy, contract, or procedural changes to reduce future exposure.
Serve as a legal resource for Operations, Fleet, Safety, and Finance on day-to-day legal questions.
Coordinate with HR Counsel on matters involving both employment and non-employment legal issues, such as a workers’ compensation claim with an employment component.
Escalate significant legal risk, novel issues, or matters with material financial exposure to the CEO.
Perform other similar, related, or logically assigned tasks as required.