Head of U.S. Litigation

gsknch; New Jersey; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Haleon in Warren, NJ seeks a Head of Litigation to lead North America litigation and dispute resolution, spanning commercial disputes, product liability, government investigations, and eDiscovery. You will partner with business and functional leaders to mitigate risk and protect the company’s brands.

The role requires practical judgment, collaboration, and the ability to manage outside counsel, oversee reserves and budgeting, and provide strategic legal guidance in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead Haleon's North America litigation and dispute resolution strategy across a diverse portfolio, including commercial disputes, product liability, consumer claims, government investigations, subpoena and regulatory matters, and eDiscovery.
• Serve as the principal legal advisor on litigation risk, dispute avoidance, crisis management, investigations, and strategic business decisions.
• Drive cost-effective management of litigation spend through budgeting discipline, staffing models, alternative fee arrangements, and technology-enabled solutions.
• Oversee reserves, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes, providing updates to legal leadership and business stakeholders.
• Direct all phases of significant litigation and investigations, from case assessment and discovery to trial preparation, settlements, and appeals.
• Develop proactive litigation prevention and risk mitigation strategies in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice balancing risk and commercial objectives.
• Manage Haleon's panel of outside counsel with accountability for results and alignment with objectives.
• Lead Haleon's eDiscovery strategy, including information governance, collection, review, and production, leveraging tech to reduce cost and risk.
• Advise on legal holds, data management, and collaboration with IT, compliance, records management, and privacy teams.
• Manage government investigations and high-profile matters, coordinating cross-functional responses with regulators and external advisors.
• Collaborate with Haleon's global legal organization to ensure consistency and enterprise-wide alignment.

Job description

Welcome to Haleon. We're a purpose-driven, world-class consumer company putting everyday health in the hands of millions. In just three years since our launch, we've grown, evolved and are now entering an exciting new chapter - one filled with bold ambitions and enormous opportunity.

Our trusted portfolio of brands - including Sensodyne®, Panadol®, Advil®, Voltaren®, Theraflu®, Otrivin®, and Centrum® - lead in resilient and growing categories. What sets us apart is our unique blend of deep human understanding and trusted science.

Now it's time to fully realise the full potential of our business and our people. We do this through our Win as One strategy. It puts our purpose - to deliver better everyday health with humanity - at the heart of everything we do. It unites us, inspires us, and challenges us to be better every day, driven by our agile, performance-focused culture.

About the Role

We are seeking a versatile and proactive Head of Litigation to join Haleon's legal team. Haleon is a leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of oral health, VMS, and over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare products. This position will lead the Haleon's litigation and dispute resolution strategy, overseeing all commercial, product liability, consumer, government investigational, and eDiscovery matters, while driving proactive, cost-conscious management of legal spend through innovative staffing models, alternative fee arrangements, as well as close strategic oversight of outside counsel. This role partners closely with business and functional leaders to mitigate legal risk, protect the company's brands and reputation, and support strategic business objectives. The ideal candidate will be practical, collaborative, and comfortable taking decisions and advising cross-functional stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.

The Head of Litigation will report to, and work closely with, the General Counsel of North America, and will have substantial interaction with key leaders throughout the North American and global Haleon business. The Head of Litigation will also partner with colleagues throughout Haleon's Group Legal department to bring broad expertise and support as required to help Haleon accomplish its business objectives. This role provides significant opportunities for career development both within the Haleon NA legal team and throughout the broader Haleon Legal department.

This is a full-time, hybrid position requiring three days per week in the office, reporting to Haleon's Warren, NJ location. Periodic travel to other offices may be required on a limited basis.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute Haleon's North America litigation and dispute resolution strategy across a diverse portfolio of matters, including commercial disputes, product liability litigation, consumer claims, government investigations, subpoena and regulatory response matters, and eDiscovery initiatives.
• Serve as a principal legal advisor on litigation risk, dispute avoidance, crisis management, investigations, and related strategic business decisions.
• Drive strategic and cost-effective management of litigation spend through budgeting discipline, innovative staffing models, alternative fee arrangements, technology-enabled solutions, and continuous evaluation of resource allocation.
• Oversee litigation reserves, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes, providing clear and timely updates to legal leadership and business stakeholders.
• Direct all phases of significant litigation and investigations, including case assessment, discovery, motion practice, trial preparation, settlement strategy, appeals, and alternative dispute resolution.
• Develop and implement proactive litigation prevention and risk mitigation strategies in partnership with commercial, regulatory, quality, safety, medical, compliance, HR, and corporate affairs stakeholders.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice that appropriately balances risk management with commercial objectives and operational realities.
• Manage and optimize Haleon's panel of outside counsel, ensuring high-quality legal representation, alignment with company objectives, accountability for results, and adherence to performance expectations.
• Lead the company's eDiscovery strategy, including information governance, preservation, collection, review, and production processes, while leveraging technology and process improvements to reduce risk and cost.
• Advise on legal holds, document retention, and data management matters in collaboration with information technology, compliance, records management, and privacy teams.
• Manage government investigations and other high-profile matters, coordinating cross-functional responses and engagement with regulators, enforcement agencies, and external advisors as necessary.
• Collaborate closely with members of Haleon's global legal organization to ensure consistency of positions, leverage subject matter expertise, and support enterprise-wide legal and compli