Senior Counsel, Litigation (Managing Attorney) - Transit Adjudication Bureau

Senior Counsel, Litigation - Transit Adjudication Bureau

This position is eligible for telework. New hires are eligible to apply 30 days after their effective date of hire.

About the role

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.
• Conducts second-seat trials, conducts direct examinations, and argues in state and federal appellate courts.
• Occasionally supervises junior attorneys, liaises with outside counsel, and advises on non-litigation matters.
• Prepares comments on legislation, drafts staff summaries for Board review, and ensures a strong understanding of MTA business operations.
• 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.

Division and Position Overview

The Transit Adjudication Bureau is seeking a Senior Counsel I, II, or III to join the team, depending on their experience level as described below.

The Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB) is expanding its operations to include enforcement and adjudication of fare violations for Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), as well as implementing an escalating fine system for fare evasion violations pursuant to amended Public Authorities Law 1209-a.

The Senior Counsel will provide systemwide legal leadership, supervise adjudication operations, oversee collections and compliance, and manage high-stakes litigation.

This role ensures consistent and legally defensible processes across all MTA rail systems while supporting revenue protection, collection effectiveness, and risk mitigation.

As a Senior Counsel in the Legal Division, the candidate will be responsible for:

• Exercising managerial authority over TAB legal personnel, including performance oversight, strategic direction, and professional development.
• Serving as the accountable legal authority for TAB’s adjudicatory and enforcement framework.
• Ensuring that TAB’s legal positions are consistent, defensible, and aligned with broader MTA objectives.
• Directing overall litigation strategy and determining institutional posture in matters involving constitutional claims, systemic challenges, class actions, and appeals.
• Evaluating and approving legal risk positions in matters with significant financial, operational, or reputational exposure.
• Providing executive oversight of revenue enforcement legal strategy, including large-scale collections initiatives and statutory enforcement mechanisms.
• Managing high-stakes and precedent-setting litigation, including constitutional challenges, systemic Article 78 matters, class actions, appellate advocacy, and development of enterprise-level legal strategy.
• Implementing regulatory, procedural, and policy changes across TAB to support multi-system operations and new fare evasion penalty structures.
• Advising on structural and procedural reforms necessary to support expanded rail jurisdiction and multi-agency coordination.
• Leading development of regulatory proposals, rule amendments, and legislative initiatives affecting fare adjudication and enforcement.
• Coordinating with multiple MTA agencies, courts, and external vendors to resolve disputes, negotiate agreements, and ensure legal and regulatory compliance.
• Representing TAB at the executive level in discussions involving agency leadership, oversight entities, and cross-agency legal coordination.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Significant experience in complex litigation, administrative law, regulatory compliance, and supervision of legal professionals within a public sector or large institutional environment.

Skills

• 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.

Benefits

May need to work outside of normal work hours (i.e., evenings and weekends).

Travel may be required to other MTA locations or other external sites.

Pay

$145,231 - $181,539

Schedule

8:00 AM- 4:30 PM