Senior Counsel, Claims & Litigation

Overview

A well-established transportation company headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, is seeking a Senior Counsel for Claims & Litigation. This role supports the in-house auto and general liability claims and litigation function, focusing on early-stage litigation work and overseeing matters transitioned to outside counsel.

Responsibilities

• Lead initial case investigation, assessment, and early-stage litigation preparation for accident and transportation claims.
• Handle substantive discovery tasks, including drafting discovery requests and responses, preparing discovery-related motions, and managing early discovery.
• Review and analyze discovery responses, medical records, accident reports, ELD data, driver qualification files, video evidence, maintenance records, and other litigation documentation to identify key facts and inform defense strategy.
• Conduct legal research on tort liability, insurance defense issues, relevant case law, and FMCSA/DOT regulations, including negligence standards, regulatory compliance, and federal preemption defenses.
• Oversee and manage matters transitioned to outside counsel by setting strategy, reviewing processes, and ensuring alignment with company objectives.
• Prepare internal and external case summaries, status reports, and exposure assessments; communicate significant developments to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Claims, Safety, Risk Management, and Operations teams to align litigation insights with accident response, safety initiatives, and risk mitigation.
• Utilize legal technology and AI tools to enhance efficiency in legal research, document review, discovery analysis, and summarization.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active U.S. bar license in good standing.
• Experience in auto defense litigation, particularly involving commercial transportation or trucking accident matters.
• Working knowledge of transportation liability and FMCSA/DOT regulations.
• Strong analytical, research, and writing skills; ability to independently draft discovery documents and analyze complex factual records.
• Experience managing or overseeing litigation matters and coordinating with in-house or outside counsel.
• Proficiency with legal and enterprise technology; experience with AI tools for research, document review, and workflow efficiency is highly desirable.

Equal Opportunity

The employer is an equal opportunity at-will employer and does not discriminate based on age, race, religion, color, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.