Sr. Liability Trial Attorney - Chicago

Zurich is currently looking for an experienced Sr. Liability Trial Attorney to join our Chicago Illinois Staff Legal Office.

This litigator will be responsible for representing the commercial insureds of a prestigious and financially stable commercial insurance carrier, by preparing and trying moderate to high exposure General Liability and Commercial Auto cases from a challenging and varied caseload.

If you are ready for a career move, consider working for a company with a global footprint that offers an excellent work / life balance, terrific benefits including a 401K match and a second 401K company contribution, flexible work options and a great culture.

This is an exciting opportunity to work for a well-respected Company and represent its insureds in all phases of litigation, while being part of a high-performing law office.

The ideal candidate will engage in the practice of law at all times in compliance with the ethical standards established by the Federal Courts and Illinois State Bar.

Duties of this position encompass all aspects of insurance defense, including initial investigation, legal analysis and advice, evaluating damages, preparing and filing legal pleadings and documents, performing legal research, preparing for and conducting pre-trial discovery, preparing for and aggressively handling hearing and trials, and conducting post-trial activities where appropriate.

The selected candidate will demonstrate a strong case analysis ability and have a track record of effective settlement and trial skills, as well as the ability to work independently without substantial supervision.

In addition they will be expected to mentor less experienced attorneys and provide leadership and training across the organization.

At Zurich North America we acknowledge that work life-balance and flexibility are a priority when it comes to choosing your next career move.

Designed with our employees' needs in mind, the ZNA hybrid work model emphasizes flexibility, allowing claims employees to conduct individual work in their preferred location, while facilitating in-person connections and collaborative activities when meaningful and valuable.

While the model provides a high level of flexibility and autonomy, occasional circumstances requiring in-office attendance should be expected.

The candidate selected for this opportunity should be able to report into Zurich’s Chicago Illinois Staff Legal Office.

Basic Qualifications :

• Juris Doctor and 7 or more years of experience in the Litigation area
• Member in good standing of the Illinois State Bar Association
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Adobe
• Experience working with Lexis or Westlaw
• Knowledge of the insurance industry, claims and the insurance defense litigation legal environment

Preferred Qualifications :

• Experience handling insurance industry claims and general commercial litigation, including but not limited to wrongful death, commercial motor vehicle torts, products and premises liability, and personal injury, from inception through trial.
• Must be well organized with good analytical skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, proactive approach to file handling and caseloads, and able to work independently as well as within a team environment.
• First chair jury trial experience
• Ability to budget costs and calculate exposure for clients.
• Efficient work habits, knowledge of billables and diary review with substantive and procedural legal knowledge.
• Understands the staff counsel function and role in overall business.
• Prior experience in an insurance defense environment
• Strong negotiation skills
• Effective problem solving skills
• Experience working in a team-based environment
• Strong collaboration skills
• PC literate

As a condition of employment at Zurich, employees must adhere to any COVID-related health and safety protocols in place at that time ().