Legal Audit Counsel

Responsibilities

• Validate legal bill charges using attorney guidelines and industry standards through an electronic billing system.
• Resolve billing disputes, handle legal bill review appeals, and educate law firms and staff on the bill review process.
• Analyze billing discrepancies to assess law firm performance and billing trends while supporting multiple independent operating units within W. R. Berkley Corporation.
• Promptly audit submitted legal fee and expense invoices, ensuring accuracy, reasonableness, and compliance with agreed-upon fee structures.
• Evaluate tasks’ progress from case initiation to closure, collect necessary information from law firms and claims staff, and justify time spent on tasks.
• Identify and reduce invoices based on knowledge of litigation and billing guidelines, industry standards, and historical litigation data.
• Discuss and explain invoice reductions, bill review process, and compliance with litigation and billing guidelines with attorneys and claims staff.
• Collaborate with claim managers, adjusters, and attorneys to determine the reasonableness of time spent and resolve billing discrepancies.
• Develop and maintain expertise in assessing the legal necessity for specific insurance defense and coverage-related law firm work.
• Maintain quick, sound decision-making and negotiate resolutions for billing issues or disputes.
• Utilize claim files and documents to obtain claim strategies and apply them during the review process.
• Engage in written and/or verbal communications with law firms and/or Berkley operating unit employees managing the claim, serving as the technical resource for appeal oversight and/or discretionary reviews.
• Participate in calibration and consultation with the Litigation Management Services team and collaborate with the claims department for effective litigation cost control.
• Provide technical support to other claim professionals and various stakeholders, offering consultation and training on legal bill review and related best practices.
• Drive and influence compliance with partnering law firms based on W.R. Berkley Corporation’s retention and billing policies and philosophy through building trusted and strategic business partnerships.
• Aid in identifying improvement or innovative opportunities and removing barriers to success of the newly formed team.

Qualifications

• Five (5) years of experience working with litigation and legal billing practices, including civil court rules and procedures and state and federal court systems.
• Three (3) years of legal bill review experience with exposure to multiple lines of business and varying levels of billing complexity.
• Proficient in the use of eBilling platforms, including Bottomline’s LegalX and Legal Exchange.
• Experience utilizing AI-enabled legal billing and analytics tools to support accurate bill review, identify billing irregularities, and ensure compliance with outside counsel billing guidelines.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Adobe PDF.
• Excellent computer and technical aptitude, with the ability to adapt quickly to new systems and technologies.
• Independent and successful multitasking in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Exceptional organizational skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong legal judgment with the ability to make sound, well-reasoned decisions.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to leverage data and technology to optimize legal spend.
• Professional demeanor with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, and intellectual curiosity.
• Team-oriented, collaborative, and able to work effectively with minimal supervision.