Senior Complex Claims Consultant / Claims Counsel - EPL/Professional Liability

About this role

Our Story
Imagine being part of a team that’s not just shaping the future but actively driving it. At Davies North America, we’re at the forefront of innovation and excellence, blending cutting-edge technology with top-tier professional services. As a vital part of the global Davies Group, we help businesses navigate risk, optimize operations, and spearhead transformation in the insurance and regulated sectors.
Davies North America is looking for a candidate that will be responsible for managing and resolving high-severity, complex insurance claims with a strong emphasis on coverage analysis, policy interpretation, and strategic claim resolution. The position focuses primarily on Employment Practices Liability (EPL) and Professional Liability claims, with additional exposure to Businessowners Policy (BOP) and General Liability (GL) claims within program structures.

The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of complex claims that may involve seven-figure exposures, class or collective action risk, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour allegations, professional negligence, breach of duty, reputational exposure, excess implications, and significant settlement negotiations.

This role requires strong technical claims expertise, sound litigation judgment, coverage analysis capability, and the ability to partner effectively with carriers, insureds, defense counsel, coverage counsel, employment counsel, mediators, and internal stakeholders.

This position is well-suited for either an attorney with employment litigation, insurance coverage, EPL, professional liability, or claims counsel experience, or a senior complex claims professional with demonstrated experience managing high-exposure EPL and professional liability claims.

Key Responsibilities

Complex EPL & Professional Liability Claims Management

• Independently manage a portfolio of high-severity EPL and professional liability claims from assignment through resolution.

• Handle matters involving significant financial exposure, including claims with seven-figure reserves, demands, settlements, or potential judgments.

• Evaluate liability, damages, employment law risk, professional negligence allegations, venue risk, reputational exposure, coverage position, and potential excess exposure.

• Analyze pleadings, employment records, personnel documentation, investigation materials, expert reports, wage and hour exposure models, settlement demands, and damages assessments.

• Develop and execute claim resolution strategies based on investigation, legal risk, policy obligations, litigation posture, and business objectives.

• Provide clear, independent evaluations and recommendations to carriers and internal stakeholders.

• Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of claim strategy, liability evaluation, damages analysis, reserves, coverage issues, and resolution activity.

Litigation Management & Strategy

• Oversee complex litigated EPL and professional liability claims, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, breach of duty, professional negligence, and other specialty liability matters.

• Direct and partner with defense counsel on litigation strategy, discovery, expert retention, dispositive motions, mediation preparation, and trial planning.

• Review and analyze pleadings, discovery responses, employment records, deposition summaries, expert reports, class or collective action exposure assessments, mediation briefs, and trial evaluations.

• Establish litigation plans, budgets, and key milestones in partnership with counsel and carriers.

• Attend and actively participate in mediations, settlement conferences, strategy meetings, and significant litigation events.

• Provide strategic recommendations regarding settlement, continued defense, alternative dispute resolution, or trial preparation.

Coverage Analysis & Policy Interpretation

• Review and interpret EPL, professional liability, E&O, management liability, excess, umbrella, and specialty liability policies.

• Analyze policy language, endorsements, exclusions, claims-made provisions, notice issues, prior acts, related claims, wage and hour exclusions, punitive damages issues, and allocation concerns.

• Provide recommendations related to defense obligations, indemnity exposure, reservation of rights, coverage defenses, and settlement authority.

• Draft, review, or provide input on reservation of rights letters, coverage position letters, disclaimers, and denial letters, as appropriate.

• Partner with coverage counsel, in-house legal teams, carriers, and internal stakeholders on complex coverage matters.

• Identify and escalate coverage disputes, bad faith concerns, excess exposure, regulatory issues, and other high-risk claim developments.

Settlement, Negotiation & Resolution

• Evaluate settlement demands and develop negotiation strategies based on liability, damages, employment law exposure, professional liability exposure, venue, coverage, reputational risk, and potential verdict exposure.

• Negotiate settlements within authority and make recommendations for matters requiring additional approval.

• Manage reserves in accordance with carrier guidelines and claim exposure.

• Participate in mediations and settlement conferences involving high-value EPL and professional liability disputes.

• Balance legal risk, financial exposure, policy obligations, reputational considerations, and business objectives when recommending claim resolution.

Skills, knowledge & expertise

Required (one of the following):

• Juris Doctor (JD) with active bar membership in good standing, or

• 7–10+ years of senior-level experience handling EPL, Professional Liability, GL, or similar complex liability claims.

• Demonstrated experience handling claims with significant financial exposure, including seven-figure settlements, reserves, demands, or potential judgments.

• Strong litigation…