Litigation Counsel

Purpose/Introduction

CPChem is seeking qualified candidates with relevant experience and a passion for helping clients achieve business objectives to serve as Litigation Counsel.  The position is based in CPChem’s headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, and reports to the Assistant General Counsel, Litigation, HR & Business Services. CPChem’s Legal & Public Affairs Department is comprised of approximately 70 professionals responsible for managing legal, communications, and government affairs activities across CPChem’s global operations.

The Litigation Counsel performs litigation management support as a member of the corporate litigation staff, supporting all facets of preventive and reactive litigation and regulatory work for CPChem.  The Litigation Counsel will be the liaison between the businesses and retained counsel, managing litigation matters in several areas, with a focus on toxic tort, product liability, personal injury (worker’s comp & OCIP), construction law, and commercial litigation.  This position requires an individual with litigation management experience, problem solving skills, reliable judgment, excellent written and oral communications skills, and comfort engaging with clients.

Responsibilities

• Manage a range of litigation and regulatory proceedings, including review of pleadings and motions, respond and propound written discovery, prepare witnesses, and participate in depositions, hearings and trials, as necessary.
• Direct case dockets including both personal injury (e.g., toxic tort, product liability & premises liability (OCIP & worker’s comp)) and commercial issues (e.g., contract claims, construction law claims, product quality issues, indemnities & collections).
• Advise the business on a broad range of potential disputes and litigation aspects and frequently bring such matters to resolution without use of outside counsel.
• Respond to subpoenas and other information requests and inquiries from third parties.
• Negotiate and resolve pre-litigation claims against the company in collaboration with legal leadership and the business unit.
• Work cross-functionally with commercial, compliance and intellectual property attorneys to mitigate litigation risk and to ensure compliance with litigation and regulatory obligations.
• Provide risk management and other general advice to the legal department, business partners and customers.

Responsibilities (continued)

• Collaborate with outside counsel to efficiently manage all aspects of outside counsel relationships, including staffing, budgets, and developing initiatives for reducing outside counsel spend.
• Review and research applicable law and interpretations and apply judgment to particular situations.
• Practice litigation prevention through dissemination of lessons learned, training, policy development and other measures.
• Provide routine training to company employees on substantive legal and risk management topics.
• Maintain database of all material litigation/claims matters in the company, reporting on the same on a regular basis to legal leadership.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and business units in connection with continued compliance with, and implementation of ESG initiatives.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate
• Licensed and in good standing in the State of Texas.
• 5+ years of relevant post-bar professional experience
• Demonstrated litigation experience across a variety of substantive legal areas such as toxic tort, premises liability, product liability, OCIP/worker’s comp, construction law, and commercial litigation.
• Excellent cross functional and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work with all levels of the organization.
• Strong communication and drafting skills – oral, written, presentation, ability to influence.
• Analytical and problem solving.
• Computer and software systems (Microsoft office family, etc).
• High integrity and results driven.
• Prior experience successfully operating in a fast paced and fluid environment.
• Team player and self-starter.

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house corporate litigation experience or strong experience working with in-house corporate legal departments.
• Prior work experience within the oil and gas, petrochemical, or energy industry.