Associate Counsel (Fort Lauderdale)

The first 3 letters in workplace safety are Y-O-U!

Responsible for (1) supporting in all phases of litigation, (2) managing caseload of claims and lawsuits (general liability (insured) and commercial liability (uninsured), and (3) advising corporate decision makers. Requires collaboration with internal attorneys, external counsel, and business stakeholders to ensure efficient case management, meticulous document preparation, and adherence to legal procedures and deadlines.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Operational Responsibilities: Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Developing and maintaining a litigation management system to track assignments to external counsel and insurers, to track court dates and all other time-sensitive deadlines, and to log status updates while ensuring compliance with retention policies;
• Responding to insurer information requests;
• Creating, disseminating and tracking responses to legal hold requests;
• Identifying witnesses and documents responsive to subpoenas and discovery requests, securing same, and preparing responses;
• Conducting legal research; and
• Assisting the Vice President, Chief Labor & Employment Counsel with the enforcement of restrictive covenants involving former TKE employees (non-compete, non-solicit, confidentiality and protection of trade secrets) including the drafting of cease and desist letters and tasks related to the management of any resulting litigation.

Litigation Management Responsibilities: Manage caseload of general liability and commercial claims which requires the following:

• Learning the essential issues;
• Learning applicable TKE policies and procedures;
• Reviewing and analyzing damage information;
• Developing strategies for the early and cost-effective resolution of claims;
• Retaining and managing external counsel in accordance with the Company’s litigation guidelines;
• Recommending/approving loss and expense reserves and financial accruals;
• Communicating, in writing, with the General Counsel and applicable management regarding key developments and resolution strategies;
• Maintaining oversight of the third-party claims administrator;
• Preparing and maintaining departmental reports;
• Identifying and ensuring that witnesses and documents are timely sourced for external counsel’s use in defending TKE’s interests;
• Analyzing factual developments from claims and lawsuits to determine if there are post-mortem recommendations applicable to Branch, Area, Region and Corporate operations regarding policies, practices and procedures that reduce financial risk to the organization;
• Reviewing invoices from external counsel and other legal department vendors and tracking same against budgets; and
• Delivering written and verbal presentations/trainings to Branch, Area, Region and Corporate operations regarding such recommendations.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• A JD from an accredited U.S. law school; be in good standing with and licensed to practice law in at least one state.
• Be permitted to practice as an in-house attorney in Florida; and have a minimum of three (3) years of experience either as a litigator or in an in-house legal department managing claims and working with third party claims administrators or insurance carriers.
• Proficient in litigation processes and settings (e.g., arbitrations, trials), e-discovery and case management tools and systems.
• Knowledgeable about the issues and law that drive general liability and commercial claims.
• A creative problem solver who is self-confident and communicates clearly and effectively - both verbally and in writing.
• A good listener and has strong relationship building skills.
• Someone who works well independently.
• Open to constructive feedback
• Someone who seeks to proactively learn about issues relevant to the tasks described above.

Provided they meet all eligibility requirement under the applicable plan documents, employees will be offered

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
• Health savings account (HSA)
• Supplemental medical plans
• Company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance
• Company-paid basic life insurance and AD&D
• Optional life and AD&D coverage
• Optional spouse and dependent life insurance
• Identity theft monitoring
• Pet insurance
• Company-paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition reimbursement
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match: Employees can contribute a portion of their pay on a pre-tax or Roth basis. The company provides a dollar-for-dollar match on the first 5% contributed.

Additional benefits include:

• 15 days of vacation per year
• 11 paid holidays each calendar year (10 fixed, 1 floating)
• Paid sick leave, per company policy
• Up to six weeks of paid parental leave (available after successful completion of 90 days of full-time employment)

Eligibility requirements for these benefits will be controlled by applicable plan documents. This is intended to provide a general description of benefits and other compensation and is not a substitute for applicable plan documents or company policies.

TK Elevator is an equal opportunity employer and committed to diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and veteran status or any other protected status required by applicable law.

Applicants with disabilities who require reasonable accommodation in connection with the application process are encouraged to email us directly at ElevatorJobs.ams@tkelevator.com or call 1-844-427-5461.