Assistant Vice President, Associate Counsel

Overview

This role involves supporting the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsels by providing legal counsel to a group of life and annuity underwriting companies. The Associate Counsel will advise executive management and various business units, helping to advance the interests and operations of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft, and provide legal advice on third-party vendor contracts, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, and other legal documents as requested.
• Improve contract review processes through template development, maintaining a contractual term knowledge library, and leveraging AI and other technology tools.
• Advise on legal requirements applicable to the business, including privacy and cybersecurity matters.
• Assist with threatened or pending litigation.
• Engage proactively with business processes to anticipate legal needs and risks, collaborating with business areas to manage them.
• Support the Director of Legal Services & Operations by responding to legal questions from policyowner services, claims, licensing and commissions, and new business teams.
• Provide legal interpretations to support the Compliance team regarding regulatory requirements.
• Conduct legal research as needed.
• Prepare legal memoranda summarizing state and federal statutory and regulatory requirements and their application.
• Handle special projects and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Minimum of 5 years practicing law.
• Direct experience in the life or annuity insurance industry.
• Licensed to practice law in the applicable state.

Qualifications

• Self-starter capable of engaging internal clients, understanding business issues, and delivering timely, quality legal advice.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, intellectually stimulating environment with professionals from multiple disciplines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate proactively on legal questions and risks.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Skills

• Excellent reading, analytical, and interpretive skills for complex documents.
• Effective communication skills, including producing clear written analyses and persuasive oral presentations on complex or sensitive topics.
• Mathematical skills to calculate figures such as discounts, interest, commissions, and percentages, and apply concepts like fractions, ratios, and proportions.
• Competency in learning new skills, using technology to increase productivity, adapting to change, and supporting team and organizational goals.
• Strong reasoning ability to apply logical thinking and interpret formulas, equations, and graphs to solve complex problems.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit.
• Frequently use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to stand and walk.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Requires close vision.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.