Assistant General Counsel – New Orleans

Oliver James Associates Ltd.; New Orleans (LA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Oliver James Associates Ltd. is seeking an experienced Assistant General Counsel to join a growing, highly regulated financial services organization in New Orleans.

The role requires 5+ years of legal experience with expertise in life/health or employee benefits insurance and a strong regulatory background. The candidate will partner with business leaders, compliance, product teams, and senior management on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters, including ERISA and insurance

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Admission to at least one U.S. state bar in good standing.
• 5+ years of relevant legal experience in life or health or employee benefits insurance.
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements and ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical business guidance.
• Excellent judgment, communication, drafting, negotiation, and issue-spotting skills.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with business and legal colleagues.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, commercially oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice to business leaders and functional teams on legal, regulatory, and product-related matters.
• Advise on the development, review, modification, and implementation of insurance and other regulated financial products.
• Support regulatory compliance and interpret applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Advise on ERISA, employee benefits, retirement plans, and related regulatory requirements, as applicable to the business.
• Partner with compliance and risk teams on regulatory inquiries, examinations, filings, policies, and emerging legal requirements.
• Review and negotiate commercial agreements, vendor agreements, distribution arrangements, and other business contracts.
• Identify legal and regulatory risks and provide practical, commercially focused recommendations.
• Support new business initiatives, product launches, strategic partnerships, and other corporate initiatives.
• Work with outside counsel as appropriate and manage external legal resources efficiently.
• Assist with corporate governance and other matters handled by the broader legal department.

Skills

Judgment

Communication

Drafting

Negotiation

Issue spotting

Independence with collaboration

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Work Arrangement: Hybrid - 3 days per week in office

Industry: Insurance / Regulated Financial Services

Experience: 5+ years of relevant legal experience

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Assistant General Counsel to join the legal team of a growing, highly regulated financial services organization. The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of relevant legal experience with meaningful experience in employee benefits or life or health insurance.

The successful candidate will be a practical, business-oriented lawyer who can partner closely with business leaders, compliance professionals, product teams, and senior management on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters.

Candidates with experience in insurance are particularly attractive, including attorneys with backgrounds in insurance product development, regulatory matters, ERISA, benefits, distribution, or insurance transactions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice to business leaders and functional teams on legal, regulatory, and product-related matters.
• Advise on the development, review, modification, and implementation of insurance and other regulated financial products.
• Support regulatory compliance and interpret applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Advise on ERISA, employee benefits, retirement plans, and related regulatory requirements, as applicable to the business.
• Partner with compliance and risk teams on regulatory inquiries, examinations, filings, policies, and emerging legal requirements.
• Review and negotiate commercial agreements, vendor agreements, distribution arrangements, and other business contracts.
• Identify legal and regulatory risks and provide practical, commercially focused recommendations.
• Support new business initiatives, product launches, strategic partnerships, and other corporate initiatives.
• Work with outside counsel as appropriate and manage external legal resources efficiently.
• Assist with corporate governance and other matters handled by the broader legal department.

Candidate Profile

Required

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Admission to at least one U.S. state bar in good standing.
• 5+ years of relevant legal experience, in life or health or employee benefits insurnace
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements and ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical business guidance.
• Excellent judgment, communication, drafting, negotiation, and issue-spotting skills.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with business and legal colleagues.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, commercially oriented environment.