Corporate Counsel

California Dental Association; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-friendly environment

Generous PTO and holidays

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(k) with match

Parental leave

Wellness programs and discounts

Professional development

Disability insurance

EAP

Job summary

California Dental Association seeks a Corporate Counsel to protect the organization’s legal interests across multiple entities, including TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions. The role supports the Chief Legal Officer in analyzing laws, drafting key documents, and ensuring regulatory compliance in a multi-state insurance context.

You will advise leadership on legislative matters, coordinate with external counsel, and manage regulatory filings, policy forms, and product development.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate required with a minimum of three years in a related industry.
• Active State Bar licensure in at least one state; CA in-house status preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise on legal, legislative, governance and regulatory matters with focus on insurance.
• Interpret laws and regulations, provide actionable analysis for rapid business decisions.
• Draft and negotiate legislation, regulations, contracts and policy forms.
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies and external counsel on complex matters.
• Develop communications to educate members on laws and regulations.
• Support TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions product development and filings.
• Oversee outside counsel and manage litigation matters as needed.

Skills

Collaboration

Service

Respect

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Approachability

Education

Juris Doctorate

Job description

Job Title

Corporate Counsel

Pay Information

Exempt E18- $123,700- $171,000 per year

Location

Remote first work environment with occasional travel and in office meetings.

Company Benefits

• Remote and hybrid flexibility and technology to support remote work
• Generous time off program starting at 22 days of PTO and13 paid holidays (includes a floating holiday and winter closure)
• Highly competitive medical, dental and vision plans, including FSA and HSA account options
• 401(k) plans, with a generous match and safe harbor contributions upon eligibility
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness programs, including incentives and an In-Shape Family Fitness discount
• Opportunities for professional development, training and leadership skill-building
• Critical illness, accident, life, pet, short term and long-term disability insurance options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for support navigating day-to-day challenges

Universal Competencies

• Collaboration: Proactively engages with an iterative mindset to enhance ideas and achieve organizational results; Cultivates relationships, builds partnerships, shares and learns without boundaries.
• Service: Focusing on meeting needs and exceeding expectations for those served inside and outside the organization.
• Respect: Embracing others for their true authentic self; nurture and promote an environment that values diversity of thought, input, experience and expertise.

Role Specific Competencies

• Problem Solving: Applies analysis, creativity, resilience and logic to reach optimal outcomes; develops and implements solutions.
• Decision Making: Decides with intention, reflection and reason while maintaining a big-picture mindset; clarifies purpose, evaluates alternatives and analyzes risks.
• Approachability: Is consistently approachable, open to feedback & truthful; builds trust and authentic professional relationships.

Job Purpose

The Corporate Counsel is responsible for assisting in protecting the organization's legal interest and maintaining its operations within the scope established by law. The Corporate Counsel will assist the Chief Legal Officer in identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, presenting clear recommendations, and assuring legal compliance for the California Dental Association, The Dentists Insurance Company (TDIC), TDIC Insurance Solutions (TDICIS) and related companies.

Essential Functions – must be able to perform with or without a reasonable accommodation

• Engages in creative, original legal thought in an experienced and poised manner while addressing legal issues in a variety of formats, across multiple states, multiple lines of business, and for-profit and not-for-profit contexts. Partners and collaborates with other legal staff to deliver exceptional service and results for internal customers.
• Advises the California Dental Association, CDA Foundation, The Dentists Insurance Company and TDIC Insurance Solutions on all legal, legislative, governance and regulatory matters, with an aptitude for insurance matters.
• In partnership with the Chief Legal Officer, takes accountability for interpreting laws, rulings and regulations, including current and past legislation, analyzing legal implications, and providing optional strategies for responsive actions. Must be able to quickly and confidently identify relevant regulations, analyze them accurately, and deliver actionable, understandable analysis enabling rapid business decision making for supported lines of business. Able to work in a multi-state, highly regulated environment and navigate multiple levels of law and governance.
• Communicates directly with senior leadership and boards of directors in a fashion that builds confidence and understanding of legal operations and applicable law by virtue of clear, concise and precise guidance. Able to respond to questions confidently in a variety of contexts, including response to verbal questioning during meetings.
• Assists staff in negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations. Works with outside regulatory agencies to review legal impact of past and newly introduced legislation.
• Researches and prepares legal memoranda as requested by Chief Legal Officer.
• Develops communications to inform and educate members regarding laws and regulations affecting members. Researches and stays abreast of changes in the law related to associations, non-profits, and the insurance industry.
• Engages with and supervises utilization of specialty external counsel to support the organization’s legal needs on highly technical or specialized areas of law, or with respect to litigation or actions in other states. Includes directly managing and overseeing external counsel involved in the defense or prosecution of legal actions on behalf of multiple regulated entities.
• Assists with regulatory filings with the various state governmental agencies that oversee the insurance industry in California and the other states in which TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions are licensed to sell insurance.
• Assists with development of policy forms, underwriting guidelines and procedures in compliance with department of insurance requirements. Participates in development and preparation of all form and rate filings. Works with outside legal counsel to create policy forms. Serves as TDIC’s liaison with state insurance regulators.
• Provides legal support in the development of new products and services for TDIC and TDIC Insurance Solutions.
• Coordinates work with Department of Insurance for all market conduct exams.
• Reviews treaty language in conjunction with TDIC reinsurance renewal.
• Assists Chief Legal Officer in management of pending litigation involving either TDIC or TDIC Insurance Solutions. Monitors and acts as a resource for outside counsel to manage various matters. May be responsible for small litigation cases in-house.

Non-Essential Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate required, with a minimum of three years of experience in a related industry.
• Active State Bar licensure in at least one state required; eligibility for Registered In House Counsel status in California preferred; California law license highly preferred.
• Requires strong computer skills, including mastery of Windows/Microsoft Office and the ability to quickly learn and adopt other technology platforms, as well as the ability to conduct computerized legal research.
• Requires confident, legal analysis and the ability to deliver clear, direct responses to complex questions.
• Excellent research and drafting abilities coupled with attention to detail and the ability to self-generate professional contracts, pleadings, memos, responses to inquiries and similar documents, while offering internal peers in the organization a high level of professionalism, responsiveness and customer service.
• Familiarity with insurance law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness and ability to learn insurance codes and regulations in California and other states.
• Knowledge and understanding of the insurance industry, particularly related to professional liability, property, cyber and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Experience with the Knox-Keene Act, insurance law, and healthcare law preferred.
• Experience with negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations preferred.
• Requires excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Must demonstrate diplomacy and tact while interacting with all levels within and outside of the organization.
• Must be able to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Must be able to perform job duties independently, exercising good judgment and professionalism.
• The ability to quickly and accurately analyze complex regulatory, statutory or contractual matters and provide concise, practical, actionable and useful guidance that is legally appropriate and also aligned with business needs.
• Well-developed organizational skills enabling the management of multiple matters at the same time with complex or intersecting work product, deadlines and production expectations, including the ability to use project tracking tools and electronic resources to track and provide visibility into project and matter status.
• Experience with negotiation and drafting of legislation and regulations preferred.

Working Conditions:

Occasionally (1-33%) Frequently (34-66%) Constantly (67-100%)

• Constantly standing, bending, sitting, kneeling.
• Performing computer-based tasks and to visually inspect and review physical documents.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to hear, understand, speak to, communicate with and persuade small or large groups of people in a variety of educational, advisory or advocacy roles
• Must have the ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

We Are CDA

Over our 150-year history, the California Dental Association (CDA) has become a leader in oral health throughout California and the country. Today, we continue to support our community of over 27,000 dentists through our family of companies, which include The Dentists Insurance Company (TDIC), TDIC Insurance Solutions, Rotunda Partners and the CDA Foundation. At CDA, we value individual talents, encouraging a diverse, collaborative, and innovative work environment fueled by new ideas. As our organization continues to grow, we invite you to be a part of what’s next.

CDA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and providing a safe work environment. CDA does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and all employment decisions are based on job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran or military status.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail].

To see our privacy policy, go to www.cda.org/Home/About/Careers-at-CDA/Apply