Assistant Counsel - Litigation

bcbsla; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana seeks a qualified in-house counsel to provide legal services across the organization, focusing on governance, regulatory filings, contracts, employment, privacy, and litigation.

You will advise senior management, interact with outside counsel and regulators, draft and edit a wide range of legal documents, and support strategic initiatives to advance the company’s mission.

Qualifications

• J.D. required.
• Admission to Louisiana Bar within 12 months of hire date.
• Minimum of two years' experience in the practice of law.
• Insurance or healthcare industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in corporate law (governance, regulatory filings, contracts, employment, privacy, litigation) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services to the organization including governance, regulatory filings, contracts, employment, privacy, and litigation.
• Advise senior management on legal ramifications of corporate strategies and regulatory developments.
• Prepare, edit and analyze legal documents and participate in state and federal regulatory processes.
• Participate in dispute resolution and, for litigation roles, assist with pleadings, hearings, and coordination with outside counsel.

Skills

Legal knowledge

Organizational skills

Communication

Self-motivation

Teamwork

Education

J.D.

Louisiana Bar admission within 12 months

Job description

We take great strides to ensure our employees have the resources to live well, be healthy, continue learning, develop skills, grow professionally and serve our local communities. We invite you to apply for a career with us.

Residency in or relocation to Louisiana is preferred for all positions.

Position Purpose

This position is responsible for providing legal services to all areas of the organization (which includes Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company d/b/a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, and all of its subsidiaries), with responsibilities as assigned by legal department management. This position will have a general focus and handle any potential corporate law matters, including, but not limited to, governance, regulatory filings, contracts, employment, privacy, litigation, etc.

Nature and Scope

• This role does not manage people
• This role reports to this job: Chief Legal Officer or their designee
• Necessary Contacts: In order to effectively fulfill this position, the incumbent will be in contact with: Senior management, officers of the organization, fellow employees, outside counsel, professional associations, governmental entities, regulatory agencies, and consultants.

How You Contribute to the Organization's Mission in this Role

• Performs legal research and analysis in numerous areas of law and policy, often involving novel and complex issues, to provide a thorough legal analysis with regard to pending legal issues.
• May prepare, negotiate and evaluate contracts and other legal documents associated with transactions for the organization, including health care provider services, outsourcing, professional services agreements, delegated entity contracting, administrative services only agreements, reinsurance and stop-loss contracting, risk management and risk sharing agreements, and vendor agreements to contractually mitigate risks and protect the competitive interests of the organization.
• Assists with advising senior management of the legal ramifications of proposed corporate strategies, resolution of corporate legal issues, and legislative and regulatory developments, to position the organization as the preeminent health care organization.
• May participate in dispute resolution and administrative and medical necessity appeals.
• Drafts, edits and analyzes a wide variety of documents, such as legal memoranda, and actively participates in the state and federal regulatory processes to maximize the organization's strategic position in the marketplace.
• Promotes the ethical and professional practice of law while interacting with other company attorneys, customers, litigants, members of the bar, members of the judiciary and their staff and others while engaged in the practice of law on behalf of company.

For Litigation specific role only

• May participate in litigation, arbitration, administrative proceedings, and dispute resolution, including, but not limited to, preparation of pleadings, trial and appellate briefs, negotiations between the parties, the conduct of trials and hearings, and all other court, arbitration, or dispute resolution appearances, and high level legal research and analysis in numerous areas of law and policy, often involving novel and complex issues, and coordinates the efforts of outside counsel in order to most effectively represent the interests of the company.
• May perform routine motions, arbitrations, bench trials, and basic jury trials.

Skills and Abilities

• Must have legal knowledge, extending beyond the insurance legal and regulatory fields.
• Must have excellent organizational skills.
• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Must be self-motivated and have the ability to motivate others. Must have the ability to work with others. Ability and willingness to take actions necessary to improve departmental performance is necessary.
• Must be willing to promote and support department and organization projects and strategies.

Qualifications

• Education
• J.D. required
• Admission to Louisiana Bar or limited admission to Louisiana Bar as in house counsel within twelve months of hire date required
• Work Experience
• Minimum of two years' experience in the practice of law.
• Insurance or healthcare industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in corporate law, including, but not limited to, governance, regulatory filings, contracts, employment, privacy, litigation, etc. is preferred.
• Eligible to practice law in Louisiana. Admission to Louisiana Bar or limited admission to Louisiana Bar as in house counsel required within twelve months of hire date. Must be in good standing with the Louisiana Bar.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the accountabilities and essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions Perform other job-related duties as assigned, within your scope of respons