Head of Legal – Top National P&C Carrier
Position Summary
The Head of Legal & Corporate Secretary serves as the organization’s senior legal executive and a strategic advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Directors. The role oversees corporate governance, securities and public company matters, insurance legal affairs, regulatory compliance, risk management, strategic transactions, and Board administration.
This executive will partner closely with leadership across the organization, providing practical legal guidance on corporate, insurance, regulatory, transactional, and operational matters while leading the Legal function and managing external counsel.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as a senior legal advisor to executive leadership and the Board on corporate, regulatory, strategic, and operational matters.
- Oversee corporate governance, Board administration, corporate policies, governance documents, and related compliance requirements.
- Advise the Board and executive leadership on fiduciary duties, governance standards, corporate structure, and public company requirements.
- Lead the preparation and review of SEC filings and other public company disclosures.
- Serve as the primary legal liaison to the Board and Board committees, coordinating meetings, materials, resolutions, and follow-up matters.
- Provide legal support across the organization’s insurance operations, including distribution, underwriting, reinsurance, claims, regulatory matters, and strategic partnerships.
- Draft, review, and negotiate complex insurance, distribution, producer, broker, reinsurance, service, and commercial agreements.
- Advise on insurance regulatory requirements, licensing, distribution structures, and other legal matters affecting the business.
- Support reinsurance transactions and other strategic risk-transfer arrangements.
- Oversee legal strategy for significant claims, litigation, disputes, regulatory inquiries, and other high-exposure matters.
- Support investor relations and other external communications to ensure compliance with applicable legal and disclosure requirements.
- Advise on relationships with rating agencies and support related reviews, submissions, and due diligence.
- Support mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions, including due diligence and negotiation of transaction documents.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Legal Department while managing outside counsel, budgets, and legal operations.
- Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal function through technology, process improvements, and other initiatives.
Qualifications
- J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
- 10+ years of progressively responsible legal experience.
- Significant experience with public company governance, securities matters, Board support, and executive-level legal counseling.
- Strong experience within the property and casualty insurance industry, including exposure to insurance distribution, reinsurance, regulatory, claims, or related matters.
- Experience negotiating complex insurance, commercial, distribution, and strategic agreements.
- Experience supporting M&A, strategic transactions, and other corporate initiatives.
- Strong executive presence, judgment, communication skills, and ability to operate as a strategic business partner.
- Experience leading and developing a legal team and managing outside counsel.
Location
Greater Philadelphia area with a regular in-office presence.
For additional information contact:
Peter French
VP & Executive Recruiter, Legal Practice Lead
(443) 691-1494