Senior Counsel (Claims)

ARCO a Family of Construction Companies; Downers Grove (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

ESOP

401k plan (Traditional)

Scholarship program

Sabbatical

Volunteer leave

Charitable match

Insurance

Maternity leave

Job summary

ARCO a Family of Construction Companies in Downers Grove, IL is seeking a service-oriented Senior Counsel (Claims) to analyze and resolve pre-litigation disputes, oversee litigated and arbitrated claims, and collaborate with senior attorneys and business leaders on claims handling and risk management strategies.

This role includes 10–15% transactional work, primarily negotiating owner and subcontractor agreements.

Qualifications

• Licensed attorney with 5+ years of litigation experience.
• Experience in a construction organization or large law firm; familiarity with Owner contracts, subcontracts, and mechanic’s lien processes.
• First- and second-chair trial and arbitration experience preferred.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, strategic and business acumen, and conflict resolution skills.
• Flexible, with effective and timely communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the legal team across the U.S. to manage pre-claim disputes and litigated/arbitrated claims.
• Partner with senior attorneys, project managers, and business leaders to address business objectives in claims.
• Implement enterprise-wide claims management and litigation best practices.
• Collaborate with Safety, HR, and Finance teams to identify risks and mitigation strategies.
• Manage outside counsel and work with insurance partners; present claims data reports.
• Stay informed of new laws, regulations, and industry trends affecting the enterprise.
• Multitask in a deadline-driven environment.

Skills

Litigation experience

Construction industry

Contract understanding

Communication skills

Education

Licensed attorney / JD

Job description

About You

We are looking for a service-oriented Attorney to join our team in our Downers Grove, IL office. The Senior Counsel (Claims) is primarily responsible for analyzing and helping resolve pre-litigation disputes, overseeing litigated and arbitrated claims, and partnering with senior attorneys and business leaders on claims handling and risk management strategies. This position also requires 10-15% transactional work, primarily negotiating owner and subcontractor agreements.

A Day In The Life

• Collaborate with other members of the legal team located in our offices across the U.S. to address pre-claim disputes and manage litigated and arbitrated claims, including payment disputes, mechanic’s liens, safety incidents, subcontractor performance and licensing issues, and day-to-day project management issues.
• Partner with senior attorneys, project managers, and business leaders to understand business objectives in addressing and resolving claims.
• Implement enterprise-wide claims management and litigation best practices.
• Collaborate with members of the Safety, HR, and Finance teams to identify business risks and strategies for mitigation.
• Manage outside counsel and collaborate with insurance industry partners.
• Manage and present substantive reports on claims-related data.
• Remain informed of new laws, regulations, judicial opinions, and industry trends affecting the enterprise.
• Multi-task in a deadline-driven environment.

Necessary Qualifications

• Licensed attorney with 5-plus years of litigation experience.
• Experience in a construction organization, construction-focused law firm, or large law firm preferred, including substantive familiarity with standard Owner contracts, subcontracts, and mechanic’s lien processes.
• First- and second-chair trial and arbitration experience preferred.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, strategic and business acumen, and conflict resolution skills.
• Flexible, with effective and timely communication skills.

What We Can Offer You

We are dedicated to the well-being of our associates and are proud to be consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work. Our compensation and benefits package not only supports our associates and their families but benefits local communities and communities around the world.

• Industry-leading performance-based bonus program
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Traditional and Roth 401k
• Tuition reimbursement for associates
• Scholarship for associates’ children up to $28,000 per child
• 1-month paid sabbatical after every five years of employment, plus $5,000 for travel
• 1-week paid volunteer leave each year
• 100% charitable match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• 100% paid 12-week maternity leave

At ARCO, our first core value is to treat people fairly and do the right thing. We are proud to be a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

From recruiting, training, and hiring practices to selecting our subcontractors, we understand that the diversity of all those involved in the construction process enhances our ability to deliver the best solutions to our customers. We hire the best and the brightest from across the country – constructing a team of experts in architecture, design, engineering, project management, and business services.

MAKE YOUR MOVE

We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in America, celebrating over 30 years of experience as design-build experts. We have completed over 7,500 design-build projects nationwide. We ranked #9 on ENR’s Design-Build Firms list and #34 on ENR's Top 400 Contractors list of 2026. Most importantly, our clients like us, trust us, and want to do business with us. We are looking for people with the same enthusiasm, passion, and respect for the hard work that brought us to where we are today. Are you a person who can make a difference at ARCO? If the answer is “Yes!” we look forward to meeting you.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

EOE, including disability/vets