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Posted July 19, 2019

Chief Legal Officer

QBE
New York, NY Full Time

Lead the Corporate Legal Department through formulating and carrying out the approved strategy by overseeing appropriate corporate legal services,...

Lead the Corporate Legal Department through formulating and carrying out the approved strategy by overseeing appropriate corporate legal services, managing insurance regulatory and compliance functions, overseeing contract language, providing Group consultation, supervising legal investigations and serving as the Corporate Secretary for all holding companies and major insurance subsidiaries.
Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Legal Leadership - A Trusted Advisor

• Execute corporate legal strategy by organizing the best mix of internal and external legal services through the balance of equity and cost while mitigating legal and regulatory exposures relative to North American operations (NAO)

• Lead insurance regulatory and compliance functions by adhering to globally defined standards while also aligning resources to meet divisional business needs to ensure state relations are upheld

• Provide strategic corporate legal and regulatory advice to the Chief Executive Officer, the NAO Executive Management team and the NAO board and its committees

• Drive a partnership that both enhances Business Unit Support team capabilities and embeds legal professionals into the go-to-market strategy and decisions that will drive profitability

• Manage all non-claims litigation, bad faith litigation, arbitration along with state and federal relations involving insurance regulators

• Oversight of merger and acquisition efforts to ensure appropriate counsel is chosen, proper due diligence is conducted, and transaction negotiations and integration is successfully and expeditiously completed

• Serve as QBENA’s legal advisor during complex issue resolution. by identifying and utilizing innovative legal strategies and collaborating with internal and external legal support network to build an appropriate case for the protection of the organization and protect against corporate liability

• Manage policy creation and other contract language to ensure contracts are up-to-date and adhere to the applicable state and federal regulator statues

• Advise Human Resources to provide legal advice around benefits, employee relations, and other sensitive issues and evaluate potential employment practice risks

• Actively participate as a key member of the Global Legal Leadership Team, aligning with and driving an integrated agenda by promptly communicating legal risks to the North American management team and where appropriate, to the Group General Counsel . This includes advising on any financing involving the publicly-traded parent company and reporting on North America division corporate legal matters

Working with External Counsel

• Build strong external relationships by networking and communicating with external attorneys and business experts, sharing legal expertise and best practices

• Establish and oversee outside counsel strategy by leading efforts to identify and choose appropriate outside law firm and other legal service providers to assure appropriate legal and regulatory advice is provided on a timely basis

Create, Nurture and Grow a World Class Legal Team

• Display the QBE DNA and lead a legal team that practices the QBE DNA everyday. Encourage a supportive working environment and build a team of leading, fast paced and accountable legal and compliance professionals

Building and Maintaining a Leading Compliance Team

• Lead efforts to build a fit for purpose compliance team. Establish and maintain a compliance framework that applies to all laws and regulations applicable to NAO, and implement process and procedures related thereto. Encourage the participation by the QBENA Compliance team in the Global Compliance team at QBE

Sound Fiscal Management

• Plan, allocate and manage financial budget by anticipating expenditures, accurately forecasting resource needs/costs and properly accounting for expenses to meet requirements and achieve fiscal responsibility

Required Qualifications

• Education:  Doctoral Degree

• Experience:  10+ years relevant experience

• Licenses/Certifications:  Admitted to the Bar

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:  Doctoral Degree

• Education Specifics: 

• Experience:  Litigation and regulatory practice; corporate governance; experience in a global insurance company; experience in a major law firm; experience managing a staff of 20 or more; increasing levels of responsibility; private practice and/or litigation experience; 2 years leading legal teams; insurance industry experience

Preferred Knowledge

• Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process, especially commercial and insurance laws

• Change management principles and best practices

• Current and possible future corporate legal and secretarial policies, practices, trends, and information affecting the business and organization

Preferred Competencies/Skills

• Leverage business and legal expertise

• Use relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards

• End-to-end strategic planning and implementation including risks, benefits and opportunities analysis to ensure organizational competitiveness and satisfaction of established long-range objectives

• Utilize information and knowledge to take calculated risks

• Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others

• Utilize effective communication skills to influence and persuade decision makers

• Advanced written and oral communication skills

• Pragmatic and results oriented

• Maintain composure by responding calmly, quickly and decisively to the unpredictable or unexpected

• Work effectively under high pressure

• Collaborate with internal and external customers and stakeholders across multiple levels to enhance the business

• Use creativity and alternative, open thinking to generate and support new or better ways of doing things; desire to drive net combined operating ratio beyond merely reducing the expense ratio

• Use wise, astute and insightful judgment to make sound decisions

• Utilize motivational, inspirational and enthusiastic approach to leading organization; keen to lead and develop staff

• Participate in required continuing legal education

• Adapt and be flexible in a complex changing environment

QBE Cultural DNA

Everything we do at QBE is underpinned by our DNA (which interlinks seven cultural elements) – because we know it's not just what we do that matters, it's how we do it that makes the difference. We expect all employees to role model and inspire the right behaviors that link to our cultural elements:

•  We are customer-centered

•  We are technical experts

•  We are diverse

•  We are fast-paced

•  We are courageous

•  We are accountable

•  We are a team

All employees are expected to adhere to QBE’s Code of Ethics and Conduct and apply sound risk management practices

Work Environment

• Travel frequency:  Frequent (approximately 10+ trips annually)

• Physical demands:  General office jobs: Work is generally performed in an office environment in which there is not substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Must have the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time. Must be able to operate basic office equipment including telephone, headset and computer. Incumbent must be able to lift basic office equipment up to 20 lbs.

US Disclaimer

To successfully perform this job, the individual must be able to perform each essential job responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential job responsibilities.  

Global Disclaimer

The duties listed in this job description do not limit the assignment of work. They are not to be construed as a complete list of the duties normally to be performed in the position or those occasionally assigned outside an employee’s normal duties. Our Group Code of Ethics and Conduct addresses the responsibilities we all have at QBE to our company, to each other and to our customers, suppliers, communities and governments. It provides clear guidance to help us to make good judgment calls.

This listing expired on Sep 17. Applications are no longer accepted.

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