Senior Counsel - Excess & Surplus/Specialty

Nationwide•Columbus, OH

8d•$149,000 - $249,000•Onsite

About The Position

Nationwide's Legal team is seeking a Senior Counsel with significant experience and expertise in guiding businesses on legal, regulatory, and product issues pertinent to the Excess, Surplus & Specialty marketplace. This includes experience in Programs and other delegated underwriting authority segments, particularly with producer agreements and related profit sharing and alternative compensation agreements. The role involves collaborating with other attorneys, business clients, and functional clients on a broad spectrum of legal, regulatory, compliance, and product issues across various commercial lines of business. The Senior Counsel will possess extensive knowledge of common Excess & Surplus regulatory issues and state regulatory schemes impacting these marketplaces. The successful candidate will be a licensed attorney and a recognized subject matter expert in Excess & Surplus (E&S) insurance, with a strong focus on Programs and delegated authority business. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, navigating the evolving E&S regulatory landscape and supporting key growth initiatives. The Senior Counsel will independently provide expert advice and counsel on highly complex legal matters to senior-level leaders, create valuable risk management recommendations by actively identifying and logically assessing potential legal risks in ambiguous, unique, and/or the most complex business situations, and draft necessary legal documents. They will regularly interact with senior leaders in the Office of the Chief Legal Officer (OCLO) or the company on legal matters within their area(s) of expertise, and may have input into or influence on company decision-making. The role requires creating practical and effective solutions to complex legal issues with no established precedent, developing creative solutions to unique legal problems, and taking the lead role in highly complex, strategic, or sensitive matters. The Senior Counsel will keep senior leaders informed of case law and new legislation, consider long-term business and strategic consequences, deliver difficult messages, and challenge business partners when necessary. They will bring a broad network of established relationships, both internal and external, and may lead teams to resolve highly complex legal and organizational issues. Recommendations about and ensuring compliance with approved outside counsel budgets will be made, and talent will be hired and developed with consistent coaching and feedback. This position is exempt and not eligible for overtime. Normal office environment with some travel potentially required. A valid credit and/or background check will be required.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate from an American Barcalaureate-accredited law school.
Fully licensed attorney in good standing and in compliance with all continuing legal education requirements in the state(s) in which they practice.
Typically has 15 or more years of relevant legal experience.
May have management experience.
Significant experience with or knowledge of one or more areas of law, complex legal practices and procedures, project management concept and techniques.
Considered a subject matter authority within his or her areas of legal expertise.
Sound business acuity and knowledge of the business goals and objectives as they relate to the matter at hand.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for contacts interacting with all levels within OCLO and with business partners.
Analytical ability to interpret statutes, regulations, insurance policies and other contracts.
Decision-making ability to set work priorities and make recommendations.
Ability to lead cross-functional projects.
Ability to lead, initiate, organize and coordinate highly complex projects and/or cases.
Takes the lead role in negotiations that are complex, strategic, or sensitive in nature.
Supervisory skills useful.
Significant professional and/or civic involvement.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Nationwide Values demonstrated regularly and consistently.
A valid credit and/or background check will be required as part of the selection process.

Nice To Haves

Experience guiding businesses in addressing legal, regulatory and product issues pertinent to the Excess, Surplus & Specialty marketplace.
Experience in the Programs and other delegated underwriting authority segments of the Excess & Surplus industry.
Experience with producer agreements and related profit sharing and alternative compensation agreements with distribution partners.
Ability to collaborate with other attorneys, business clients and functional clients on a broad spectrum of legal, regulatory, compliance and product issues across various commercial lines of business, including general liability, property, excess liability, inland marine, etc.
Extensive knowledge and experience on common Excess & Surplus regulatory issues, and the state regulatory schemes impacting the marketplaces in which our businesses write.
Strong focus on Programs and other delegated authority business.
Leveraging significant experience in producer contracting and distribution partner arrangements.
Serving as a trusted advisor to business leaders, navigating the evolving E&S regulatory landscape and supporting key growth initiatives.

Responsibilities

Provides the highest level of subject matter expertise for legal specialties on significant, high-risk, or highly complex legal matters.
Regularly attends business partner meetings to better understand business processes and needs.
Identifies and logically assesses potential legal risks.
Creates risk management/mitigation recommendations using sound risk assessment information to further achievement of business objectives.
Drafts necessary legal documents and develops conclusions and recommendations.
Regularly interacts with senior leaders in Office of the Chief Legal Officer (OCLO) or the company on legal matters within area(s) of legal expertise.
Has input into or influence on company decision-making.
Creates practical and effective solutions to the most complex legal issues with no established precedent; develops creative solutions to unique legal problems; has significant interaction with persons outside of the company.
Takes the lead role in matters that are highly complex, strategic, or sensitive in nature.
Understands the business partner's position and needs.
Keeps senior leaders and appropriate management of company informed of case law and new legislation, as appropriate.
Considers the long-term business and strategic consequences of possible outcomes.
Delivers difficult messages or news, and challenges business partners when necessary; responds to challenges to advice and counsel directly and effectively.
Brings a broad network of established relationships, both internal and external, to the organization, particularly in recognized areas of subject matter expertise.
Works independently and may lead teams to resolve highly complex legal and organizational issues.
Makes recommendations about and ensures compliance with approved outside counsel budget.
Hires and develops talent, provides consistent coaching and feedback.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.