Litigation Counsel

Overview

Counsel - Litigation serves as a trusted advisor and subject matter resource for a portfolio of consumer claims, warranty disputes, mediations, and litigation matters, including matters arising under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.

This role assesses legal and business risks, develops litigation and resolution strategies, directs outside counsel, and provides legal guidance to business stakeholders on matters that may impact the organization financially, operationally, and reputationally.

The position collaborates with cross-functional partners, including consumer experience, technical, quality, warranty, and regional operations teams, as well as outside counsel, to investigate claims, develop defense strategies, assess risk, and achieve effective and efficient resolutions.

Responsibilities

Consumer Litigation / Lemon Law / Consumer Mediation (90%)

• Independently manage a portfolio of consumer litigation, warranty, and lemon law matters, providing strategic direction on:
  • Case assessment
  • Litigation approach
  • Dispute resolution options
  • Settlement considerations
  • Overall matter management
• Provide legal counsel and strategic guidance to internal partners and the pre-litigation department on case handling and resolution.
• Provide training for different business units and dealerships.
• Attend mediations and trials.
• Evaluate legal and business risks associated with assigned matters and provide practical recommendations to business stakeholders.
• Direct and oversee outside counsel on assigned matters, including litigation strategy, discovery activities, case evaluations, settlement recommendations, trial preparation, and resolution activities.
• Monitor litigation trends, claim outcomes, settlement activity, and emerging legal developments affecting consumer litigation and warranty matters.
• Review and approve litigation budgets, invoices, and case strategies in partnership with outside counsel.
• Prepare case status updates, risk assessments, and reporting summaries for legal and business leadership.
• Support preservation, collection, and review of documents and information relevant to litigation matters.
• Identify trends and recurring issues arising from consumer claims and litigation activity and recommend process improvements or risk mitigation strategies.

Other Assigned Matters and Learning Opportunities (10%)

• Handle other litigation, dispute resolution, and legal matters as assigned, including support related to:
  • Product liability
  • Class actions
  • Dealer matters
  • Regulatory inquiries
  • Other legal department initiatives
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all policies and standards.

Requirements

• 6+ years experience as an attorney in a law firm and/or corporate legal department, including litigation, dispute resolution, or consumer protection matters.
• Juris Doctor (JD) required.
• California State Bar Membership (Active) - State Bar of California required.

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house legal experience working as an attorney within the automotive, manufacturing, or consumer products industry.
• Experience handling consumer litigation, warranty, and lemon law matters.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong judgment and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work independently while ensuring the manager and, where appropriate, the Chief Legal Officer are consulted on legal matters and challenges.
• Advanced time management skills to organize, prioritize, and plan so assigned matters are handled with quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and timeliness.
• Effective and timely communication, orally and in writing, to keep the manager and other members of management updated as appropriate.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and service orientation when supporting internal stakeholders and external business partners.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including identifying risks, analyzing facts, and providing practical, timely legal guidance.
• Curiosity and desire for continuous process improvement.
• Empathy and strong teamwork skills, with the goal of sharing learnings and building consensus within and outside of the legal department.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and provide legal guidance within cross-functional teams.
• Ability to assess legal risk and provide practical, business-oriented recommendations.
• Strong negotiation and dispute resolution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple matters concurrently while maintaining quality and timeliness.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay range: Salary to be determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Location

Remote work is supported in the following states:

• Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

Physical Demands

• Stationary position/seated: constantly
• Communicate/talking: constantly
• Communicate/hearing: constantly
• Repetitive motions: constantly
• Seeing/observing: constantly