Senior Litigation Attorney – General Liability/New York Labor Law

At CNA, we strive to create a culture in which people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring the abilities of all employees are used to their fullest potential. The Law Offices of Fishman and Cabrera at CNA Staff Counsel seek an independent, organized, and self-motivated Senior Trial Attorney with insurance defense experience handling commercial lines matters.

About the Role

The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge of general liability, including substantive experience with New York Labor Law 240(1) and 241(6), contractual indemnification issues between parties, commercial premises liability, and commercial auto claims. The attorney is expected to handle matters from inception through trial (pre-suit through resolution) with timely reporting to clients and claims partners.

Responsibilities

• Handles highly complex or specialized insurance defense or coverage matters from pleadings through trial, driving for superior results.
• Manages litigation preparation, develops litigation strategy, and prepares/directs the preparation of all necessary materials (e.g., briefs, motions, discovery, depositions, experts).
• Advises whether a case should be tried or settled and actively drives cases to resolution with an appropriate sense of urgency.
• Handles high-complexity or high-exposure bench and jury trials as first chair in both state and federal court as necessary.
• Conducts all aspects of trial work, including court appearances, trial preparation, motions, discovery, and negotiations.
• Provides trial coaching, oversight, or assistance to other attorneys as needed.
• Communicates regularly and concisely with clients, claim professionals, leadership, and others to ensure effective case management.
• Conducts legal research and analysis of facts and information to provide counsel and guidance on legal questions or issues.
• Prepares opinions or position papers on various legal issues and interpretations.
• Counsels clients, management, and claim professionals to avoid legally unsound decisions or plans and adapts to changes in the law.
• May supervise, train, or mentor other attorneys and paralegals.
• Educates department staff on appropriate procedures (e.g., claims).
• Collaborates with clients, claim professionals, underwriting, risk control, and other third parties while resolving legal issues.
• Works independently in resolving legal cases with minimal supervision.
• Responds to government regulatory agencies as needed.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor with active New York bar admission.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in claims and/or law firm settings with progressively increasing responsibility.
• Proven trial and/or litigation experience with a track record of results.
• Experience handling New York Labor Law matters, including strong deposition experience with Labor Law Sections 240(1) and 241(6).
• Experience with contractual indemnification issues between parties.

Skills

• Senior-level advanced knowledge of the law, legal theories, principles, practices, and procedures of litigation management within an insurance organization.
• Ability to work collaboratively to achieve desired results.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Strong negotiation, consultative, and facilitation skills with the ability to interact effectively with all internal and external business partners.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and work with confidential and sensitive information.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with senior-level ability to manage ambiguous situations and issues.
• Proven ability to take a proactive, long-term view of business goals and objectives to achieve strategic results.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other business-related software (e.g., Adobe, Westlaw, TeamConnect, or other case management software).
• Value-driven to provide superior solutions to internal and/or external clients.
• Acts with a sense of urgency to advance priorities of the client/organization.
• Builds strong relationships and collaborates to help self and others excel.
• Thinks creatively and uses diverse ideas to solve problems.
• Raises expectations of self and others by continuously learning and broadening industry and technical skills.

Pay

In New York, the average base pay range for the Senior Litigation Attorney role is $187,000 to $235,000. Salary determinations are based on various factors, including but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and location. In District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, the national base pay range for this job level is $97,000 to $189,000 annually.

Benefits

CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help employees—and their family members—achieve their physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being goals. For a detailed look at CNA’s benefits, please visit cnabenefits.com.