Senior Counsel - Bond & Specialty Insurance (Surety)

Travelers•Hartford, CT

About The Position

The Senior Counsel role is responsible for providing a range of cost-effective, high-quality legal services while representing Travelers. The Senior Counsel position handles complex legal matters within Bond & Specialty Insurance requiring a solid degree of knowledge in Surety and Construction law.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate or equivalent International legal degree; graduate of an accredited law school
7 years of prior legal experience as a practicing attorney.
Active license in good standing to practice law in the state(s) in which representation is required.

Nice To Haves

Ten years of prior legal experience as a practicing attorney.
Experience representing or advising surety companies on construction, and/or commercial bond claims, including performance bonds, payment bonds, and bid bonds.
Experience assisting on case strategy and litigation management on complex litigation matters.
Familiarity with surety-specific defenses, including principal default analysis, indemnity agreement enforcement, and obligee demand response.
Litigation experience in surety bond disputes, including federal and state court matters involving contract completion, takeover agreements, and bond penal sum exposure.
Experience advising on bond form language, endorsements, and coverage positions in response to claims or demands.
Hands-on experience with discovery management, including drafting and responding to written discovery, document review, and privilege analysis in complex commercial litigation.
Experience preparing witnesses for deposition and/or trial, including corporate representative preparation.
Track record of effective outside counsel oversight, including matter budgeting, litigation strategy alignment, and invoice review.

Responsibilities

Provides counsel to senior management on complex legal issues within a respective line of business or practice area.
Negotiates with clients or management and/or attempts to influence leaders at all levels regarding matters of significance to the legal community.
Researches legal principles and precedents within area of specialization or expertise.
Proactively identifies and communicates risk to internal and/or external customers and provides recommendations on how to mitigate that risk.
Drafts and negotiates legal documents.
Maintains awareness of external judicial climate and legal developments.
Builds and maintains strong internal and external client relationships.
Acts as a mentor and coach to less senior attorneys and/or paralegal/staff.
May prepare or review annual legal fees budget for assigned matters.
Review invoices from outside counsel and recommend adjustments.
Within authority level, approve invoices.
Makes effective use of technology and automation in the practice of law.
Perform other duties as assigned.