Senior Counsel, Coverage – Claim Center Counselor

Travelers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 146,000 - 242,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) matching

Pension Plan

Paid Time Off

Wellness program

Volunteer program

Job summary

Travelers in Houston seeks a Senior Counsel for the Texas Claim Center to serve as the primary legal resource on insurance coverage matters. The GC collaborates with Claim Legal and executive leadership to support property, auto, general liability and workers compensation claims, and to guide staff on evolving regulatory inquiries.

The role requires extensive experience as a practicing attorney, strong regulatory and contractual knowledge, and the ability to train and mentor others while

Qualifications

• JD required and bar admission in applicable state(s).
• Minimum of 7 years practicing attorney experience.
• Strong knowledge of insurance coverage and related litigation concepts.

Responsibilities

• Provide counsel to senior management on complex legal issues.
• Negotiate with clients and management on significant matters.
• Research legal principles and precedents relevant to claims and coverage.
• Identify and communicate risk and provide mitigation recommendations.
• Draft, negotiate and review legal documents and agreements.
• Maintain awareness of external judicial developments and regulatory inquiries.

Skills

Legal counsel

Risk assessment

Contract law

Regulatory compliance

Education

Juris Doctorate

Tools

Legal research tools

Job description

Who Are We?

Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.

Compensation Overview

The annual base salary range provided for this position is a nationwide market range and represents a broad range of salaries for this role across the country. The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment. As part of our comprehensive compensation and benefits program, employees are also eligible for performance-based cash incentive awards.

Salary Range

$146,400.00 - $241,600.00

Target Openings

1

What Is the Opportunity?

The Senior Counsel, Texas Claim Center General Counselor (the GC), acts as the primary legal resource for the claim center with respect to insurance coverage matters. The GC is a member of the Claim Legal organization and provides counsel primarily to claim professionals and management assigned to the Houston office. The Claim Center handles Property, Auto, General Liability and Workers Compensation claims, and includes several national accounts. The GC will coordinate and collaborate effectively with all areas within Claim Legal and Claim and will serve as a member of the Claim Center Executive Management Team. This position provides support on a variety of legal issues, including but not limited to preparing written legal coverage opinions and coverage advice, claim initiatives, compliance, regulatory inquiries including market conduct exams, claim handling practices, contracts and emerging trends and developing and training delivery for claim staff. In addition, the GC will collaborate with Underwriting and other business units within Travelers where appropriate.

What Will You Do?

• Provides counsel to senior management on complex legal issues within a respective line of business or practice area.
• Negotiates with clients or management and/or attempts to influence leaders at all levels regarding matters of significance to the legal community.
• Researches legal principles and precedents within area of specialization or expertise.
• Proactively identifies and communicates risk to internal and/or external customers and provides recommendations on how to mitigate that risk.
• Drafts, negotiates and executes legal documents.
• Maintains awareness of external judicial climate and legal developments.
• Builds and maintains strong internal and external client relationships.
• Acts as a mentor and coach to less senior attorneys and/or paralegal/staff.
• May prepare or review annual legal fees budget for assigned matters. Review invoices from outside counsel and recommend adjustments. Within authority level, approve invoices.
• Makes effective use of technology and automation in the practice of law.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What Will Our Ideal Candidate Have?

• Ten years of prior legal experience as a practicing attorney.

What is a Must Have?

• Juris Doctorate or equivalent International legal degree; graduate of an accredited law school
• 7 years of prior legal experience as a practicing attorney.
• Active license in good standing to practice law in the state(s) in which representation is required.

What Is in It for You?

• Health Insurance: Employees and their eligible family members – including spouses, domestic partners, and children – are eligible for coverage from the first day of employment.
• Retirement: Travelers matches your 401(k) contributions dollar-for-dollar up to your first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum. If you have student loan debt, you can enroll in the Paying it Forward Savings Program. When you make a payment toward your student loan, Travelers will make an annual contribution into your 401(k) account. You are also eligible for a Pension Plan that is 100% funded by Travelers.
• Paid Time Off: Start your career at Travelers with a minimum of 20 days Paid Time Off annually, plus nine paid company Holidays.
• Wellness Program: The Travelers wellness program is comprised of tools, discounts and resources that empower you to achieve your wellness goals and caregiving needs. In addition, our mental health program provides access to free professional counseling services, health coaching and other resources to support your daily life needs.
• Volunteer Encouragement: We have a deep commitment to the communities we serve and encourage our employees to get involved. Travelers has a Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program that enables you to give back to the charity of your choice.

Employment Practices

Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We value the unique abilities and talents each individual brings to our organization and recognize that we benefit in numerous ways from our differences.

In accordance with local law, candidates seeking employment in Colorado are not required to disclose dates of attendance at or graduation from educational institutions.

If you are a candidate and have specific questions regarding the physical requirements of this role, please send us an email so we may assist you.

Travelers reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting.

To learn more about our comprehensive benefit programs please visit http://careers.travelers.com/life-at-travelers/benefits/.