Corey Vail Sautner, Esq.’s Post

Ordinarily I'd post a periodic market update as we close on Q2, but my colleague Corey Vail Sautner, Esq. did a great job distilling New Jersey numbers. As he noted, insurance positions are booming right now, in both coverage and defense litigation. If you're in ID and not loving your firm, now is definitely the right time to explore the market! We have also seen growth in other sectors, and a lot of demand for partners. My inbox is always open at katie.kopecki@lhh.com if you'd like to discuss the legal market and what it means for you.

📊 Q1 2024 In Review (Philadelphia) As Q1 winds to a close, there's a couple interesting metrics in the Philly Attorney Hiring Market worth pulling here for your referene: 👑 Long Live the King: Just as was the case with Jersey, and as is the case nationally, Litigation dominates as the most sought-after practice area (43% market share). And again, Litigation is one very deep, diverse, and complex bucket that includes everything from Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury, to more specialized areas like Cybersecurity Breach and Architect Malpractice. Of course, in the civil arena, the universal truths of the FRCP and PA RCP remain constant, so litigators with comprehensive Motion Practice experience can (and have had) success either 1.) finding roles in their discrete practice, or 2.) pivoting into new practices in the Litigation bucket. ⏰ The (Not Rude at all) Awakening: In Philly, Corporate Transactional practices (10% of market share) are heating up at the rate anticipated for Q1 and after the usual Q4 deal-closing, number-crunching slowdown. Opportunities in M&A, Executive Compensation and Corp. Governance, and general Corporate practice are gaining steam in both the posted and unposted job markets. This is exciting as it projects for continued growth, especially given Philly being a major metropolitan city and a stone's throw away from Wilmington. 🏒 3rd Place in the Metro Division: Just like our Flyers, who are continually in-and-out of their 3rd place playoff spot, several practices are vying competitively for 3rd place in the Philly lateral market share. L&E Counsel, IP (mostly Patent Prosecution), Insurance Coverage (not Insurance Defense), and Data Privacy Advisory are all in contention and all growing in demand. L&E continues its hot streak as-experienced in NJ, and should continue to grow moving forward. Meanwhile, sweeping State / Fed legislation and booming tech industries are bringing Patent Pross and Data Privacy into demand- and the anticipated fallout, naturally, leads to Insurance Coverage sharing the limelight Interested in making a move? Wondering where your practice will project moving forward? Simply wish to chat about the state of the market? Let's connect! Corey Vail Sautner, Esq. 908-510-5033 Corey.Sautner@LHH.com LinkedIn DMs Welcome Data sourced and modeled by Firm Prospects Calculations done by my iPhone #LegalHiring #LegalTrends #LawFirmHiring #LawFirmJobs #LegalJobs #LawyerJobs #AttorneyJobs #PhillyJobs #PhillyLawyer #Litigation #CivilLitigation #CommercialLitigation #CorporateLaw #EmploymentLaw #DataPrivacy #InsuranceLaw #PatentLaw #LHH #LHHRecruitmentSolutions

If you're an insurance defense or insurance coverage attorney, you'll want to read this. The data reinforce what my LHH colleagues and I already felt in our bones: Insurance law is HOT in Chicago. In Q1 2024, there have been more lateral insurance hires in Chicago than any other city in the country, nearly doubling the next closest contender (NYC). In fact, Chicago has seen a whopping 75% Q/Q increase in the number of lateral insurance hires, and we still have roughly two weeks to go in Q1. Surprisingly, national numbers paint a very different picture, reflecting a 23% Q/Q *DECREASE* in the number of lateral insurance hires. You could say that nationwide is NOT on your side. (Figured you earned a dad joke for reading this far.) Bottom line, if you are an insurance coverage or defense attorney in Chicago, you are in extremely high demand at a time when insurance law has cooled significantly in other markets. When is the last time you explored your career options? Strike while the iron is hot. My team is working on multiple insurance litigation/coverage roles right now in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Troy, and elsewhere. If you're ready to make a change, let's talk. stephen.scovil@lhh.com (630) 204-3760 Book a timeslot to chat: https://lnkd.in/gd-nqCsu #legaljobs #insurancecoverage #insurancedefense #insurancelitigation #chicagolawyer

Turns out it's harder than you think to find the free image you really want to make your list of new jobs seem witty and perfectly on-point. Luckily the makers of the ever reliable Suzuki Swift are far more relaxed about these things. This week has been somewhat of a revelation on the new vacancy front. It's too early in the year (and probably not entirely correct) to say everything is returning to normal but these roles have all gone live in the last 5 days: - Commercial litigation, 2-5 years at a top-tier firm who probably haven't recruited in anger for the last 6 months - Employment law, 3-8 years at the same firm (and there's actually an identical role at another top-tier by pure coincidence) - Funds/FSR, 2-5 years with a fantastic small team who pay all the money as well as being nice to you - Competition, 3-6 years with a team who seem to not have any competition when it comes to winning awards - Insurance Litigation, 2-5 years with a genuine top-tier firm, not a top-tier insurance firm, actually one of the 6 firms anointed as top-tier (by someone old) We are certainly turning a corner so if you've crawled this far into 2024 and still can't shake off the feeling that you and your boss really should never, ever have gotten back together - call me on 0411 857036 or email me at matt@montgomeryadvisory.com.au

Cruser Mitchell has expanded its reach with the addition of seasoned, talented individuals to serve clients in Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, and nationwide.    CHICAGO Partners Tom Hanekamp, John Maniatis, Nick Daly, and Daniel Berkowitz lead a team of 8 lawyers based in Chicago, the firm’s flagship Illinois office. This team brings a national reputation and extensive experience representing insurance companies in insurance coverage matters involving general liability, cyber, toxic tort, management liability and professional liability. They handle matters in state and federal courts, representing individuals, small businesses, and corporations in the transportation field, construction industry, religious institutions, non-profits, and cases involving serious injury and wrongful death. 205 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 4240 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 748-1302   MIAMI An 8-lawyer team led by partners Pete DeMahy, Kenneth Drake, and Orlando Cabeza has opened the firm’s Miami office. They have an extraordinary amount of trial experience, having tried hundreds of cases and serving as national trial counsel for carriers and insureds. The Miami team also deepens the firm's experience in professional liability, E&O, D&O, products liability, construction, EPL and other complex litigation.  806 Douglas Road, 12th Floor Coral Gables, FL 33134 (305) 488-4950   PHILADELPHIA We are expanding our presence in Philadelphia with the addition of Partner Meghan Henry and Of Counsel Jennifer Kapp. Meghan is a seasoned attorney specializing in general liability defense. Her legal expertise includes premises liability, products liability, trucking and transportation, sexual abuse and assault, catastrophic construction injuries, bad faith, and E/O claims. Meghan also hosts an industry-leading podcast, Claims Never Sleep. Jennifer Kapp returns to CM after several years with Chubb, where she handled complex claims in financial lines including EPL and E/O. 1650 Market Street, Suite 3600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (703) 403-5362   DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION MANAGEMENT, TRAINING & QUALITY ASSURANCE Bob Walsh joins Cruser Mitchell as Director of Litigation Management, Training & Quality Assurance following a nearly 30-year career with The Hartford. Bob brings years of experience overseeing the handling of catastrophic claims and participating in 400+ mediations as Director of Claims for The Hartford’s Complex Liability Solutions business. Prior to his career with there, Bob worked as a lawyer in private practice, focusing on product liability defense.   Cruser Mitchell was founded on a vision of providing legal services of the highest quality while utilizing metric-based litigation management practices to minimize clients' legal exposure and expenses. We have published The Disruptive Lawyer's Little Black Book of Litigation Management and The Disruptive Lawyer’s Little Black Book of Negotiation, and offer a series of free webinars beginning on Jan 17. Registration links below.  

If you’re a mid-level associate, you’re likely looking to the future this time of year and you may not like what you see.  Maybe you’re not getting the experience you want.  Maybe you’re not appreciated and getting the recognition that you’re due.  Maybe you’re working on a team that is not invested in your future. I’ve been there.  Maybe you’re stuck on a soul-crushing case. And it’s possible that it’s time for a change.  That said, we have an opening for a litigation associate with our insurance recovery team in DC. A little bit about us: (𝟏) 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 – 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. We represent only policyholders not insurance companies, and we take pride in leveling the playing field for commercial insureds. (𝟐) 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬. After my wife recently had a baby, I was off for a few weeks. I never once had to question whether our clients’ needs were being met because we look out for one another. We’re committed to ensuring associates working with us receive substantive experience to enhance their skills and don’t wake up as a senior associate and realize that they need to focus on client development. We want our associates attending hearings, taking depositions, and presenting to clients and prospective clients. (𝟑) 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.  In litigation, while there are some folks with natural proclivities, there is no prosthetic for hard work. We’re not a sweatshop but we do work long hours on tasks that can be tedious. We focus on specific provisions of insurance policies, drilling down on every aspect of the language. It doesn’t bother us. We know it’s the difference between good lawyering and great lawyering and between winning and losing, and we love the work. If you think you may be a fit and you’re not intimidated by the sexiness of insurance, I invite you to apply or reach out to discuss.

#hiring General Liability Claims Specialist I, Dallas, United States, fulltime #jobs #jobseekers #careers #Dallasjobs #Texasjobs #InsuranceSuperannuation Apply: https://lnkd.in/g2Yb2Zq7 At Zurich North America Claims 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 Claims 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 one of the following North American Claims offices: Dallas, Atlanta, Omaha, Overland Park, Schaumburg, Sacramento, Parsippany, Rancho Cordova, Addision, Rocky Hill, Woodland Hills, Owings Mills or Maitland. Zurich North America is hiring an General Liability Claims Specialist I to join our team! With moderate direction, handles general liability single and multi-party personal or commercial line claims of low to moderate exposure and complexity within specific limits of authority by following established protocols to ensure that claims are handled in the most efficient, effective way while delivering a customer-centric claims service. In this role you will be responsible for: Document claims file by accurately capturing and updating claims data/information in compliance with best practices for low to moderate exposure and complexity personal or commercial line claims. Exercise judgement to determine liability by gathering and analyzing relevant facts; utilizing applicable law; establishing basic principles of negligence. Exercise judgment to determine policy verification and coverage determination by analyzing applicable coverage for claims and determining whether the loss falls within the coverage. Work to have a timely resolution to claims by developing case strategy; developing a case evaluation; escalating issues as appropriate. Establish timely reserves and perform ongoing review throughout claims cycle within authority limit by estimating and validating value of claims. Assess damages by calculating applicable damages or range of damages allowed by law. Negotiate settlement of claim by establishing appropriate negotiation strategy and utilizing available tools and resources within authority limits. Meet quality standards by following best practices. Ensure customer service by proactively communicating information; responding to inquiries; following customer protocols and may participating in customer marketing efforts. Manage expenses by working within vendor approved networks and managing scope of work assigned to outside contractors

#LawFirms! Need to hire Attorneys in key practice areas? Rely on us to deliver only those Mid to Snr. Associates that unequivocally want your seat - right now - for the comp you're currently offering. Only Pay-when-you-hire! Read these client references from 2023 and call me! Our references | https://lnkd.in/ggEfYm-5 t (949) 396-2515 | michael@missionrecruiting.com ✔ No upfront costs, exclusivity or redundancy! ✔ Only meet the Candidates that actually WANT YOUR JOB! ✔ HIRE - with 3 money-back guarantees, including 2 complete refunds! Michael Shand Mission Recruiting, LLC 🍾 Snr. Director of Business Development Mission Recruiting, LLC HQ - Irvine, California t: (949) 396-2515 | michael@missionrecruiting.com #USA #California #Headhunter #legalrecruiter #Attorney #Associates #Law #Legal #recruiter #recruiting #recruit #lawfirm #lawyer #Partner #managingpartner #hiringpartner #HR #ALA #FirmAdministrator #HumanResources #Lateral #Associates #seniorassociate #Paralegal #legalassistant #Attorneys #Litigation #transactional #USA

Let’s continue our series on different types of lawyers. Today, we are talking about plaintiffs’ attorneys. In industry parlance, plaintiffs’ attorneys usually refer to those attorneys who handle personal injury, employment cases for the employee, product liability, etc. on behalf of individuals. Many plaintiffs’ attorneys see their job as a calling representing the little guy. I want to add a quick editorial. Plaintiffs’ attorneys sometimes get a bad rap as “ambulance chasers” just like defense attorneys sometimes get a bad rap as working for the big bad insurance companies. It is very easy to over generalize. But here’s the thing. There are people who get injured due to someone else’s negligence or illegal conduct and deserve to be compensated just as there are those who attempt to treat a lawsuit as the lottery. There are good reputable attorneys and bad attorneys. But to paint them all with the same brush is really unfair and should be avoided. Plaintiffs’ attorneys operate under a very different business model than defense attorneys. Defense attorneys usually bill by the hour (or what we call the billable hour). Plaintiffs’ attorneys usually bill on contingency. This means that they get paid only if the client wins and that payment is generally a percentage of the award plus expenses. This also means that the attorney may have to advance all of the up front costs. There are a few business models in this area. Some plaintiffs’ attorneys are very selective in what cases they take. They may limit themselves to a relatively few high value cases. Other firms may take a lot lower value cases. And there are different variations on this. With this type of business model, generally attorneys “eat what they kill.” In other words, where a general insurance defense attorneys might be on salary or other guaranteed payment, a plaintiff’s attorney may get a percentage of what the firm makes in fees on a case. There are relatively few barriers to entry. A young attorney right out of law school can hang a shingle and get right into this area of the law. Some of the issues are: (1) making sure you know how to litigate a case (which you can learn); (2) getting clients; (3) getting funding for your first cases (see comments below). In most cases, especially with personal injury, there is some kind of insurance at play. This means that a plaintiff’s attorney really needs to understand coverage and insurance. Plaintiffs’ attorneys will also need to learn various industry-specific issues like medicine to handle injury cases, safety regs and practices for product cases, employment law for employment cases, etc. Just as with insurance defense attorneys, if you want to litigate cases, this is a great area to get into. You will litigate everything from maybe a pre-suit demand to appeals. Any other thoughts David Goodman, Christopher Earley, Darl Champion, James Frogale, and anyone else?

#hiring General Liability Claims Specialist I, Dallas, United States, fulltime #jobs #jobseekers #careers #Dallasjobs #Texasjobs #InsuranceSuperannuation Apply: https://lnkd.in/g2Yb2Zq7 At Zurich North America Claims 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 Claims 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 one of the following North American Claims offices: Dallas, Atlanta, Omaha, Overland Park, Schaumburg, Sacramento, Parsippany, Rancho Cordova, Addision, Rocky Hill, Woodland Hills, Owings Mills or Maitland. Zurich North America is hiring an General Liability Claims Specialist I to join our team! With moderate direction, handles general liability single and multi-party personal or commercial line claims of low to moderate exposure and complexity within specific limits of authority by following established protocols to ensure that claims are handled in the most efficient, effective way while delivering a customer-centric claims service. In this role you will be responsible for: Document claims file by accurately capturing and updating claims data/information in compliance with best practices for low to moderate exposure and complexity personal or commercial line claims. Exercise judgement to determine liability by gathering and analyzing relevant facts; utilizing applicable law; establishing basic principles of negligence. Exercise judgment to determine policy verification and coverage determination by analyzing applicable coverage for claims and determining whether the loss falls within the coverage. Work to have a timely resolution to claims by developing case strategy; developing a case evaluation; escalating issues as appropriate. Establish timely reserves and perform ongoing review throughout claims cycle within authority limit by estimating and validating value of claims. Assess damages by calculating applicable damages or range of damages allowed by law. Negotiate settlement of claim by establishing appropriate negotiation strategy and utilizing available tools and resources within authority limits. Meet quality standards by following best practices. Ensure customer service by proactively communicating information; responding to inquiries; following customer protocols and may participating in customer marketing efforts. Manage expenses by working within vendor approved networks and managing scope of work assigned to outside contractors