Overview
This role involves managing and supporting a broad portfolio of disputes and contested matters. Reporting to the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, the Director, Litigation Counsel also has a dotted-line relationship to the Chief Legal & Compliance Officer.
Work spans pre-litigation labor and employment claims, commercial contract disputes, regulatory filings and disputes, mediations, collections, intellectual property matters, privacy and data protection matters, and workers’ compensation claims.
This is a cross-functional position requiring early risk assessment, efficient dispute resolution, and coordination across business and internal stakeholders.
Responsibilities
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Manage labor and employment claims
- Manage and defend employment-related claims and administrative charges involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour, wrongful termination, and leave or accommodation disputes.
- Advise Human Resources and management on litigation risk and oversee outside employment counsel.
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Resolve commercial contract disputes
- Handle disputes arising from commercial agreements, including breach-of-contract, indemnification, and payment matters.
- Evaluate claims and defenses, quantify exposure, and develop resolution strategies from negotiation through trial.
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Lead regulatory matters
- Prepare and manage regulatory filings and responses to inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions.
- Represent the organization in contested regulatory and administrative proceedings, including matters involving fire code application, subpoenas, civil investigative demands, and information requests.
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Guide mediations and settlements
- Represent the organization in mediations and alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
- Prepare mediation statements, evaluate settlement ranges, develop negotiation strategies, secure settlement authority, and draft or review agreements and releases.
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Support collections
- Partner with Finance and Accounts Receivable on affirmative collection matters, including unpaid accounts, nonpayment claims, and judgment enforcement.
- Evaluate cost-effectiveness and pursue demand letters, litigation, or other recovery methods as appropriate.
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Manage intellectual property matters
- Handle trademark, copyright, patent, and trade-secret disputes where the organization is a defendant or claimant.
- Manage cease-and-desist demands, infringement claims, and coordinate with specialist outside counsel.
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Address privacy and data protection risk
- Manage disputes, claims, investigations, and regulatory inquiries involving consumer data rights, data incidents, and the organization’s collection, use, sharing, and protection of personal information.
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Partner on workers’ compensation and third-party claims
- Support Risk Management in defending workers’ compensation and third-party claims.
- Coordinate with Human Resources, Operations, insurers, third-party administrators, brokers, and outside counsel.
- Use claim insights to recommend improvements to safety, training, documentation, return-to-work processes, and loss prevention.
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Own matters from intake through resolution
- Lead case assessment, discovery, motion practice, hearings, and trial preparation.
- Implement litigation holds and coordinate e-discovery and document preservation.
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Manage outside counsel and spend
- Select, direct, and manage outside counsel while controlling litigation budgets, strategy, and settlement posture.
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Advise business leaders
- Translate complex legal issues into practical, business-oriented guidance for executives and cross-functional partners.
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Report on risk and exposure
- Prepare periodic reporting for senior leadership on matter status, exposure, reserves, and key developments.
Requirements
- Litigation experience: Approximately 4–7 years of litigation experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or a combination, with the ability to manage matters independently from intake through resolution.
- Broad practice exposure: Substantive experience across several relevant areas, particularly employment, commercial, privacy, consumer protection, regulatory, intellectual property, or workers’ compensation matters.
- Strategic judgment: Strong command of litigation strategy, procedure, mediation, and negotiation, with sound judgment in assessing risk and exposure.
- Business partnership: Ability to translate legal issues into practical advice and communicate clearly with executives, business teams, and external stakeholders.
- Caseload management: Ability to manage a high-volume, multi-practice caseload and prioritize effectively across competing deadlines.
- Outside counsel oversight: Experience selecting and managing outside counsel, litigation strategy, budgets, and spend.
- Advocacy experience: Excellent written and oral advocacy skills. First- or second-chair trial, arbitration, or hearing experience is preferred.
- In-house perspective: Prior experience supporting a corporate legal department is preferred.
- Privacy and consumer protection knowledge: Familiarity with major privacy and consumer protection regimes, including state comprehensive privacy laws, the FTC Act, and analogous state statutes, is preferred.
- Education and licensure:
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
- Active membership in good standing in at least one state bar where the organization operates
- Ability to obtain any required admission or in-house counsel authorization
- Multi-jurisdiction capability: Admission in multiple jurisdictions is preferred.
- Collaborative approach: Self-directed, collaborative, and comfortable operating with limited supervision in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting a corporate legal department
- Familiarity with major privacy and consumer protection regimes (including state comprehensive privacy laws, the FTC Act, and analogous state statutes)
- Admission in multiple jurisdictions
- First- or second-chair trial, arbitration, or hearing experience
Compensation & Benefits
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Salary range: $115,000 – $157,000
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Bonus: 15% of annual salary
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Health benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family; HSA with employer contributions; Flexible Spending Accounts.
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Flexible time off: No preset accruals; manage your time and work-life balance your way; plus 10 company-paid holidays.
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Financial security: 401(k) with company match; life and disability insurance; AD&D; business travel coverage.
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Professional development: Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per year; access to an online education center.
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Additional perks: Referral bonuses; pet insurance; associate assistance programs; discount programs; rewards; recognition; free access to virtual fitness programs.
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Physical requirements: Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting or standing while working on a computer.
The final compensation offered will be determined based on various factors, including the candidate’s location, level of experience, and skill set, and may fall outside the range listed.
Location & Work Environment
- Work environment: Remote-first; Tampa-based candidates preferred
- Travel: Approximately 10%
Application Timeline
The application window is anticipated to close 60 days from the date the job is posted.