Corporate Counsel (Litigation)

Overview

This role involves independently managing routine and moderately complex mortgage-related litigation matters while also supporting higher-exposure litigation, class actions, regulatory matters, appeals, and special projects. The attorney will provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to internal business leaders and coordinate with outside counsel, regulators, customers, and vendors.

Key responsibilities include managing a portfolio of mortgage-related litigation and pre-litigation matters, and serving as the primary attorney for third-party subpoenas, records requests, court orders, and other information demands.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of mortgage-related litigation and pre-litigation matters, including origination, servicing, title, consumer protection, contract, and business disputes.
• Serve as the primary attorney responsible for management, oversight, and legal response to all third-party subpoenas, records requests, court orders, and other demands for information, including:
  • Advising on scope, objections, privilege, confidentiality, privacy, and applicable legal requirements
  • Preparing related responses, objections, and court filings as necessary
• Develop and maintain subpoena response procedures, training, and best practices to ensure timely, consistent, and legally compliant responses.
• Partner with the SVP, Litigation to develop litigation strategy and evaluate legal, operational, financial, and reputational risk.
• Monitor litigation developments and provide legal analysis and recommendations regarding case strategy, settlement, and resolution.
• Review and analyze pleadings, motions, discovery requests, subpoenas, settlement agreements, and other litigation-related documents.
• Participate in mediations, settlement conferences, hearings, arbitrations, and other proceedings as appropriate.
• Prepare case assessments and litigation summaries for internal stakeholders.
• Manage outside counsel on assigned matters.
• Review legal spending, budgets, staffing plans, and invoices.
• Monitor litigation activity to ensure matters are handled efficiently and consistently with organizational objectives.
• Evaluate and recommend litigation strategy, settlement authority, and reserves.
• Conduct factual and legal investigations related to customer disputes, demand letters, complaints, title issues, and other legal escalations.
• Partner with business units to resolve disputes before litigation when appropriate.
• Draft and review responses to pre-litigation demands, attorney correspondence, and regulatory inquiries.
• Assist with discovery strategy, document preservation, legal holds, and document production efforts.
• Review and analyze loan files, servicing records, title records, and other business records relevant to litigation matters.
• Coordinate with business units and litigation support personnel regarding document collection and witness identification.
• Support responses to regulatory investigations, examinations, inquiries, and enforcement matters.
• Monitor legal developments, emerging litigation trends, and changes in applicable laws and regulations.
• Provide practical legal advice designed to mitigate litigation and regulatory risk.
• Serve as a legal resource for internal stakeholders on litigation-related issues.
• Develop and deliver training materials related to litigation avoidance, recordkeeping, subpoena response, and legal risk management.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Servicing, Originations, Default, Capital Markets, Risk, and other business groups on legal issues affecting the organization.
• Maintain accurate matter records and reporting within Legal Tracker and other legal management systems.
• Assist with litigation reporting, reserves analysis, insurance reporting, budgeting, and executive presentations.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school required.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and in good standing required.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience practicing law.
• Minimum three (3) to seven (7) years of litigation experience.
• Knowledge of federal and state litigation processes and procedures.
• Experience managing litigation matters from inception through resolution.
• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to evaluate legal risk and provide practical business-oriented advice.
• Experience reviewing and analyzing discovery, pleadings, motions, and other litigation documents.
• Strong negotiation and dispute-resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while effectively collaborating across organizational levels.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• Travel may be required up to 20% based on business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling civil litigation, financial services litigation, mortgage litigation, consumer litigation, or commercial litigation.
• Experience managing outside counsel.
• Experience with subpoenas, discovery, depositions, mediations, and motion practice.
• Mortgage lending, mortgage servicing, title, foreclosure, bankruptcy, or consumer finance experience.
• Experience with Legal Tracker, Exterro, or similar litigation management platforms.
• Familiarity with mortgage banking, loan origination, servicing, foreclosure, bankruptcy, title, consumer finance, or financial services litigation.
• Knowledge of litigation management systems, e-discovery tools, and legal technologies.

Compensation & Benefits

• Anticipated annual base salary range (national): $141,000 to $175,000.
• Anticipated annual base salary range in certain high-cost geographic markets (CA): $163,000 to $200,000.
• Actual compensation will depend on skills, experience, qualifications, and work location tied to geographic pay structure.
• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical/Dental/Vision.
• Wellness program to support mental and physical health.
• Generous paid time off for both exempt and non-exempt positions.
• Extensive internal growth and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement.

Location

National opportunity.

Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity employer; does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.