Senior Counsel

About the role

Milhaus is an award-winning, mixed-use development, construction, and property management company specializing in Class A, urban, multifamily residential buildings. Based in Indianapolis, the company is known for its innovative and collaborative approach to real estate, investment, development, construction, and management.

Responsibilities

• Litigation Management
• Manage the Company's nationwide litigation portfolio, including premises liability claims, personal injury matters, fair housing claims, employment-related disputes, contract and commercial disputes, construction defect and construction-related claims, resident and tenant litigation.
• Develop litigation strategy and partner with business stakeholders to achieve favorable outcomes.
• Select, retain, and manage outside counsel.
• Review pleadings, motions, discovery responses, settlement agreements, and litigation budgets.
• Evaluate litigation exposure and provide recommendations regarding settlement, mediation, arbitration, and trial strategy.
• Maintain litigation reporting and reserve tracking processes.
• Insurance and Claims Management
• Assist with insurance brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, and internal stakeholders regarding property, casualty, worker’s compensation, and professional insurance policies.
• Renter’s insurance captive.
• Review and negotiate insurance provisions in contracts.
• Analyze coverage issues and coordinate responses to coverage disputes.
• Manage significant claims and insurance recoveries.
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and operational risks across the organization.
• Develop and implement risk management policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting multifamily housing, property management, construction, and real estate operations.
• Partner with operational leaders to proactively address risk exposures.
• Absorb and assist in developing best practices for incident response, claims reporting, and loss prevention.
• Compliance and Training
• Assist with compliance programs and internal investigations.
• Develop and deliver training regarding risk management practices, litigation avoidance, fair housing compliance, contract management, claims reporting and documentation.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active license and good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 8–10 years of experience, preferably with a law firm and/or in-house legal department.
• Experience handling litigation, insurance, claims, or risk management matters.
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets.
• Real estate, multifamily, construction, hospitality, or property management industry experience preferred.
• California litigation, landlord/tenant, and/or employment law experience is a plus.
• Ability to travel at least 10% of the time for property visits, mediations, trials, depositions, training, and business meetings as needed.
• Valid driver’s license in the state of residence.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of litigation strategy and dispute resolution.
• Working knowledge of insurance coverage and risk transfer principles.
• Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance legal risk with practical business objectives.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple matters in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative approach and ability to build strong relationships across departments.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently manage time/workload.
• Ability to work under deadline pressure and extra hours if needed.

Benefits

• Health, Vision, & Dental insurance
• HSA account with employer match of $250/FSA for dependent care
• Short-Term Disability
• Company Paid Long-Term leave
• Disability and Life Insurance
• 401K Match
• 4 weeks accrued PTO
• 11 Paid Holidays
• 30% discounts on apartments
• Tuition/Certification Reimbursement
• Wellness Bucks Program
• Wellness Program and Competitions
• Paid Maternity & Paternity Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pet insurance