Senior Counsel, Litigation - FOIL

Summary

The Senior Counsel, Litigation position reports to a Deputy General Counsel or Assistant Deputy General Counsel in a Litigation and Administration Division or the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) Division, the Executive Director of the Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB), or the Director of the No-Fault Unit in the consolidated MTA Legal Department.

Responsibilities

• Provides legal representation on complex litigation matters with light supervision, including expert discovery, defending class and collective action certification motions, and making and defending motions at trials and hearings.
• May second-seat trials, conduct direct examinations, and argue in state and federal appellate courts.
• Occasionally supervises junior attorneys, liaises with outside counsel, and advises on non-litigation matters.
• Handles highly complex and sensitive litigation matters with minimal supervision, including cross-examination of witnesses and making evidentiary objections at trials and hearings.
• Frequently supervises attorneys, serves as lead in-house counsel on class actions and litigation with major policy implications, and leads complex settlement discussions.
• Takes leadership in drafting agency rules, procedures, and proposed legislation, and provides strategic guidance on litigation and compliance issues.
• Operates with substantial independence on high-stakes litigation matters, acting as first seat at trials and hearings and directing strategy across multiple divisions and agencies.
• Very frequently supervises attorneys, finalizes Board-level staff summaries, and leads negotiations with regulators.
• Provides counsel on novel and sophisticated non-litigation issues and manages complex matters involving multiple departments and operating agencies.
• Serves as a key advisor on litigation strategy and organizational risk at the highest level.

Requirements

• Required Education And Experience: JD from an accredited law school and licensed to practice law in New York. A minimum of five (5) years of relevant law firm, public sector legal or in-house legal experience.
• PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Public sector legal experience, particularly in New York City or New York State. Transportation sector experience. History of successfully supervising or mentoring junior attorneys. Record of communicating with and advising organization’s senior management. A deep understanding of open records access for public agencies. Record of workflow optimization experience.

Qualifications

• Strong legal research and writing ability.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface effectively with people at all levels of the organization and external parties.
• Demonstrated knowledge base and practice skills relating to the various practice areas and responsibilities of this position.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex records requests from start to resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to provide clear, practical legal advice in high-pressure, real-time environments.
• Excellent organizational and presentations skills.
• Demonstrated ability to complete short-and-long-term projects effectively and as efficiently as possible.
• Demonstrated analytical capabilities and quantitative skills.