Corporate Lawyer II

Zurich 56 Company Ltd; Schaumburg (IL); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Zurich North America in Schaumburg, IL is seeking a Corporate Lawyer II to join our Legal team. You will manage complex litigation and arbitration from inception through resolution, develop case strategy, oversee outside counsel, assess risk, and keep internal stakeholders advised with timely updates.

Basic qualifications include a Juris Doctor and 7+ years of litigation experience, active Bar admission, and proficiency with NILS, Lexis or Westlaw.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor and 7+ years of litigation experience.
• Active Bar admission.
• Experience with complex civil litigation and arbitration.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of complex litigation, arbitration, and pre-litigation disputes.
• Develop case strategy, oversee outside counsel, and manage budgets.
• Provide practical legal advice to internal stakeholders and escalate risks.
• Prepare clear matter updates and reporting for governance and executives.

Skills

Outside counsel management

Litigation management

Risk assessment

Communications with stakeholders

Education

Juris Doctor

Bar admission

Tools

NILS

Lexis

Westlaw

Job description

Zurich North America is hiring a Corporate Lawyer II to join our Legal team! We are open to hiring talent in our Schaumburg, IL headquarters locations.

Job Summary:

An experienced litigation attorney to manage complex litigation and arbitration matters from inception through resolution. The attorney will be responsible for developing case strategy, managing outside counsel, assessing legal and business risk, controlling litigation spend, and keeping internal stakeholders timely and clearly advised of material developments, strategic options, exposure, and recommended next steps.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of complex business, commercial, and bad faith litigation, arbitration, threatened litigation, and pre-litigation disputes involving significant financial, regulatory, reputational, operational, or business risk.
• Develop and execute litigation strategy, including early case assessment, risk analysis, discovery strategy, motion practice, settlement posture, trial preparation, appeal considerations, and resolution planning.
• Select, retain, supervise, and evaluate outside counsel; ensure counsel performance aligns with matter strategy, budgets, reporting expectations, and company objectives.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to internal stakeholders and senior leaders regarding litigation risk, exposure, likely outcomes, settlement opportunities, and strategic alternatives.
• Keep stakeholders advised through clear, timely, and concise communications, including matter updates, risk assessments, escalation notices, executive briefings, and recommendations for decision-making.
• Oversee discovery, document preservation and collection, legal holds, witness preparation, subpoenas, expert engagement, mediation, arbitration, and trial-related activities.
• Identify and elevate matters involving significant exposure, recurring fact patterns, systemic issues, reputational risk, regulatory implications, senior management involvement, or sensitive stakeholder concerns.
• Effectively manage litigation budgets, and legal spend, and drive cost-effective resolution of disputes while maintaining appropriate defense quality.
• Prepare and maintain accurate matter reporting, including exposure analysis, status updates, reserves or financial inputs where applicable, and reports required for internal governance or external disclosure processes.
• Support continuous improvement by developing litigation management practices, templates, guidance, training, and lessons learned from significant matters.
• Supervise and mentor paralegal staff as necessary.

Basic Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor and 7 or more years of experience in the Legal area
• Member of the Bar
• Knowledge of NILS, Lexis or Westlaw

Preferred Qualifications:

• Insurance Industry experience
• Strong organizational and analytical skills

Your pay at Zurich is based on your role, location, skills, and experience. We follow local laws to ensure fair compensation. You may also be eligible for bonuses and merit increases. If your expectations are above the listed range, we still encourage you to apply—your unique background matters to us. The pay range shown is a national average and may vary by location. The proposed Salary range for this position is $175,000.00 - $200,000.00, with short-term incentive bonus eligibility set at 20%.

We offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits for employees and their families. [Learn more about Total Rewards here .]

At Zurich, we value your ideas and experience. We offer growth, inclusion, and a supportive environment—so you can help shape the future of insurance. Zurich North America is a leader in risk management, with over 150 years of expertise and coverage across 25+ industries, including 90% of the Fortune 500.

Join us for a brighter future—for yourself and our customers.

Zurich North America does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer disability/vets.

Zurich complies with 18 U.S. Code § 1033.

Please note: Zurich does not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies. Preferred vendors should use our Recruiting Agency Portal.

• Location(s): AM - Schaumburg
• Remote Working: Hybrid
• Schedule: Full Time
• Employment Sponsorship Offered:No