Attorney III - Insurance Defense

Overview

Join an amazing team that is consistently recognized for our achievements and culture, including our most recent Forbes award of being one of America s Best Midsize Employers for 2025!

An Attorney III is the primary attorney assigned to a caseload defending 1st and 3rd party cases relating to the defense of personal injury lawsuits. Most cases are complex and involve completed surgeries, traumatic brain injuries, punitive damages, or other serious injury with potential excess exposure and case values up to $500,000. Cases are handled from inception through posttrial motions including bench trials, jury trials, and binding arbitration.

Benefits include competitive base salary, incentive compensation, flexibility to work remotely, and a company vehicle.

* Candidate must reside in California.

An in-person interview may be required during the hiring process.

• Essential job functions include a comprehensive review of new and transfer file assignments with initial evaluation letter to claims and service of initial discovery within 30 days of receipt of assignment.
• Summarizing discovery responses and medical records within 30 days of receipt.
• Taking and defending depositions of parties, lay witnesses, and expert witnesses and completion of deposition summaries within 20 days.
• Law and motion: legal research; preparation of motions, oppositions and replies to motion; court appearance at law and motion.
• Trial preparation, trial and posttrial motions. This includes but is not limited to preparation of pretrial documents, motions in limine and oppositions thereto; all facets of a jury trial, trial motions and posttrial motions.
• This position includes accepting file transfers on cases set for trial in the next 30-60 days.
• Mentoring of lesser experienced attorneys and other miscellaneous tasks as may be necessary to adequately defend the insured including assignments from managing and senior managing attorneys.

• Minimum:
  Requires a law degree and admission to the bar in the state(s) were practicing.
• Preferred:
  Requires a law degree from a state accredited or ABA accredited law school and admission to the bar in the state(s) were practicing.

• Minimum: 5+ years of insurance defense or related experience. Experience as the primary attorney defending high exposure cases including but not limited to completed surgeries. 10+ insurance defense personal injury trials to verdict or equivalent litigation experience.
• Preferred: 10+ years of insurance defense experience; 3+ years of experience as the primary attorney defending higher exposure cases including but not limited to completed surgeries. Preferred 20 insurance defense personal injury trials to verdict, 5 of which involved high exposure cases.

• Minimum:
  Comprehensive knowledge of insurance, torts, evidence, civil procedure, and trial practice. Effective communication, persuasion and analytical skills. Requires considerable automobile travel, up to 20% of work time. Must meet established company standards regarding personal driving history and current license status to be eligible for position. Must be able to work independently with minimum direction and good organizational skills necessary to manage a caseload of exposures up to $500,000.
• Preferred:
  Exceptional communication, use of persuasion and analytical skills. Advanced knowledge of insurance, tort, evidence, civil procedure, and trial practice.

• Competitive compensation
• Flexibility to work from anywhere in the United States for most positions
• Paid time off (vacation time, sick time, 9 paid Company holidays, volunteer hours)
• Incentive bonus programs (potential for holiday bonus, referral bonus, and performance-based bonus)
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance
• 401 (k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Engaging work environment
• Promotional opportunities
• Education assistance
• Professional and personal development opportunities
• Company recognition program
• Health and wellbeing resources, including free mental wellbeing therapy/coaching sessions, child and eldercare resources, and more

Mercury Insurance is an equal opportunity…