** Hybrid Role **

One of the most profitable mutual insurance companies in the country has retained The Carlisle Group seeking to hire a talented Senior Vice President, General Counsel. The role, reporting to the CEO, will own the full legal function for the organization. The client is seeking a talented executive with strong emotional intelligence, a broad legal understanding, and an individual with significant depth of experience pertaining to the insurance industry.

Position Summary : The General Counsel (GC) advises the Chairman, President and CEO of important legal, regulatory, and legislative issues, ensures the Company is compliant with all state licensing requirements, oversees any corporate litigation, and provides legal guidance and advice to operational areas for a broad range of topics, including general contract review, claims coverage, and claims litigation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Serve as an advisor to directors, officers, managers and employees on all legal matters, including claims, legal, and regulatory.
2. Keep abreast of, interpret, and consult with the Chairman and CEO on pivotal regulation and legislation that could impact the company.
3. Provide expertise in helping protect the interests of the company in furthering its mission and goals.
4. Responsible for all legal work done for the company, which may include guiding assistant general counsels on understanding and articulating legal issues and arguments, revising appellate briefs, motions and first and third-party disclaimer letters.
5. Monitor, direct, and act as liaison with outside counsel regarding legal matters for which outside counsel has been retained
6. Work with Product Development team to draft new policy forms, provisions, and endorsements
7. Review and handle all licensing issues for the Company and for other companies within the group.
8. Research, review, draft and/or make recommendations concerning all company contracts, including reinsurance treaties, vendor agreements, confidentiality agreements, and producer agreements
9. Serve as Company liaison to regulatory bodies and Industry Trade Groups
10. Answer all insurance department complaints against the company and appear at insurance department hearings on behalf of the company.
11. Report fraud to the proper legal authorities, work with these authorities to prosecute the guilty party and prosecute civil recovery claims against those who defraud the company.
12. Responsible for company compliance with all state and Federal laws, including The Department of Treasury’s Federal Office of Foreign Asset Control and anti-money laundering laws.
13. Provides advice and training to claim department on regulatory compliance, best practices claim file handling, and other relevant topics
14. As a member of the Senior Management Team, implement policies, provide counsel, and participate in special projects and performs additional duties as needed.

Education and Experience:

• JD and bar admission in New York, and the Southern and Eastern Federal District Courts required. NJ admission a plus.
• Insurance and litigation experience in matters including coverage litigation, appeals, and/or insurance regulatory compliance at a firm and/or in-house required.
• Experience in legal writing and review of motions, appeals, briefs, and other litigation and appellate filings required.
• Experience in legal research in insurance and corporate matters required.
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 required.

Skills:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the law, such as corporate and appellate law.
• Ability to analyze complex legal issues and questions regarding a wide variety of insurance related matters
• Ability to negotiate effectively
• Advanced research, writing, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead by example, demonstrating professionalism, ethics and integrity
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to adapt quickly in a changing environment, prioritize, and work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Methodical approach to organization and calendaring tasks to maintain deadlines.
• Effective management skills

Other Requirements:

• Occasional travel to offices outside of New York.