SVP and General Counsel
Job Brief
Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the General Counsel will be a deeply experienced, seasoned and capable legal executive, who will serve as an integral and critical member of IFG Companies' Executive Leadership team.
Founded in 1985, IFG Companies (“IFG”) is one of the largest privately-held insurance companies in the United States, providing property & casualty insurance solutions on both an admitted and non-admitted basis. IFG is comprised of two underwriting divisions – the Bind Division and the Brokerage Division.
The Bind Division offers liability and property coverage for smaller business and other entities written through a network of contacted producers; and has two business units being Property & Casualty and Garage. The Brokerage Division offers liability and property coverage to meet the specialized needs of small to medium-sized firms as well as certain larger businesses. This division has four business units: Primary Casualty, Excess Casualty, Inland Marine and Primary Property. Business is conducted through 7 offices nationwide: Alpharetta, GA; Chapel Hill, NC; Chicago, IL; Hartford, CT; New York City, NY; and Scottsdale, AZ.
In 2018, IFG wrote $202M in Direct Written Premium and is on track to meet or exceed the same in 2019. The company maintains a Statutory Surplus of $430M. As a result of this focus and reflecting the IFG Companies' historic financial performance, all insurance company affiliates of IFG Companies have an "A" rating from the A. M. Best Company.
POSITION SUMMARY / OBJECTIVE
Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the General Counsel will be a deeply experienced, seasoned and capable legal executive, who will serve as an integral and critical member of IFG Companies' Executive Leadership team. As a valued & trusted business partner and the primary legal advisor, this role will be responsible for providing guidance and counsel to the President, the Executive Leadership Team and to the Chairman of International Financial Group, Inc. ("IFG"), the parent of IFG Companies. The General Counsel will maintain complete, and end to end oversight of all legal matters for the insurance operations of IFG, manage IFG Companies' relationships with outside counsel, serve as the Corporate Secretary of IFG Companies; and assist with other legal matters as applicable for IFG Companies, IFG, the Boards of Directors and the Chairman of IFG.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
- Managing and developing a high performing team of legal professionals in support of the insurance operations of IFG Companies, including both underwriting and support functions
- Collaborating with business and functional leaders to monitor legal trends, to draft or review any employment-related contracts or agreements and institute workforce policies and procedures to minimize legal risk and/or financial exposure
- Drafting or reviewing of all business-related vendor contracts, including, but not limited to, agent and broker contracts, information technology agreements, intellectual property agreements and joint venture agreements
- Providing guidance and advice to the Chairman, the President/CEO and other members of the Executive Leadership Team on a variety of transactions, including those that support entry into new businesses, new investments and possible business acquisition and internal workforce/cultural matters
Assisting the President/CEO in the drafting and reviewing of all commercial leases and real estate transactions
- Managing the selection, budgeting and utilization of non-claim outside counsel; and serving as the primary point of contact on non-claims corporate litigation matters;
- Overseeing corporate governance policies and practices as are applicable to all IFG operations
- Serving as the Corporate Secretary for IFG and the Boards of Directors of subsidiaries as may be requested
- Working directly with, among others, IFG's Chairman and the President/CEO of IFG's insurance company subsidiaries on a variety of business and legal matters
CANDIDATE PROFILE
The General Counsel will possess significant and relevant legal experience with a preference for a prior General Counsel role or a strong deputy role with the requisite substantive and management, and leadership experience. The successful candidate will possess strong business acumen and have the ability to translate difficult legal principles into effective business solutions, while at the same time demonstrating the strong attention to detail and legal drafting skills required to support a growing business. S/he will provide the highest quality legal counsel to the CEO, Board of Directors, and other executives in the organization and will serve as a strategic business partner who collaborates with other senior leaders to accelerate the evolution of the Company. S/he will be comfortable operating and advising on issues where there may not be a clear precedent, and where ambiguity requires careful thought and good judgment.
The successful candidate will exhibit strong project management skills, exceptional communication skills and a high energy level and commitment to success. The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent judgment, strong relationship and influencing skills, and a proactive and practical approach to managing legal matters and driving results.
DESIRED QUALITIES, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Proactive, with a high level of energy and executive presence. Strong interpersonal skills and persuasive communication skills are required (enthusiastic, can-do and customer centric attitude, gets along with others, thick-skinned, great manager, responsive, proactive). Highly motivated with a spirit and passion for working in a high-growth environment.
- Able to deftly integrate the legal function with the business function, balancing the need for effective legal risk management and strong transaction quality. Demonstrates ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse professional backgrounds in a fast-paced environment is critical.
- Brings a consummate attention to detail and strong legal drafting and negotiation skills
- Strong mentoring and coaching abilities to enable career development for all members of the legal team and possess the ability to set a vision and lead and develop highly effective teams
- Strong executive presence and proven ability to influence at all levels. Experience advising C-level executives and Boards. Demonstrate a collaborative and balanced approach in a fast-paced, growth and team-oriented environment.
- High integrity and a strong work ethic; and able to adapt and work at ease under pressure; willing to work at a detailed level that comes with having a smaller team
- Highly responsive and customer-oriented, assisting all areas of the business with proactive advice, guidance and information sharing, coupled with strong problem-solving abilities
- Organized and skilled in matrix management with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, while effectively prioritizing matters
- Proactively stay apprised of and communicate the effect of changes in the laws affecting IFG Companies in general and the property and casualty insurance business and regulatory matters in particular
- Strong academic credentials including a J.D. degree from a top-tier law school and Bar Admission
- At least 10+ years' experience in general corporate legal practice including experience serving for at least 4 years as an in-house legal partner within a corporation. Experience in financial services industry or property and casualty insurance considered a plus, but not required.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Physical demands are considered to be that of an office environment, climate controlled, with minimal physical exertion. This position requires prolonged sitting, ability to utilize a computer and interactions with others meetings or via phone.
Ability to travel as necessary for business reasons.
BENEFITS
We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible spending, short-term and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, long-term care, education assistance and paid time off, including paid parental leave and a birthday holiday.
IFG Companies is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce. M/F/D/V
