Staff Counsel Jobs 2026 at Hiscox Los Angeles California
Hiscox is recruiting a Staff Counsel for their new in-house litigation office in Southern California with annual compensation ranging from $180,000 to $240,000. This isn’t a typical in-house counsel position joining an established team. You’ll be a founding member building a law practice from scratch aligned with Hiscox’s global brand and litigation philosophy.
The role combines active litigation work defending Hiscox insureds with management responsibilities overseeing office operations and growth. If you have seven to ten years of California insurance defense experience and want the entrepreneurial challenge of establishing a new legal practice with hybrid work flexibility, this opportunity offers something genuinely different from standard corporate counsel positions.
Job Overview
Hiscox operates as an international specialist insurer requiring sophisticated legal representation for their policyholders facing lawsuits. Rather than exclusively outsourcing defense work to law firms, Hiscox is establishing an in-house litigation capability in California handling general liability cases and other civil matters in state and federal courts.
Your responsibilities split between hands-on legal work and strategic leadership. You’ll personally manage a litigation caseload defending insureds, develop legal strategies, conduct legal research, and appear in court while simultaneously building office operations, establishing processes, and ensuring cost-effective case management aligned with Hiscox’s Claims and Legal philosophy.
The founding member aspect means significant autonomy shaping how this office functions rather than inheriting established procedures. Hiscox seeks someone with both litigation excellence and business acumen who can create a highly functional, efficient law practice from the ground up.
Available Positions
Staff Counsel
The Staff Counsel leads all activities relating to lawsuit defense for Hiscox insureds while managing office growth and operations. Your litigation work focuses primarily on general liability cases requiring deep familiarity with California personal injury law, civil procedure, and insurance defense strategies.
Managing a significant caseload independently in a fast-paced, high-volume environment demands excellent time management and prioritization skills. You’ll conduct legal research, draft pleadings and motions, negotiate settlements, and represent clients through all litigation phases from initial filing through trial when necessary.
The management component involves building systems and processes ensuring litigation gets handled cost-effectively without sacrificing quality. Your business acumen helps identify efficiency opportunities, implement appropriate legal technologies, and create workflows supporting phenomenal client service.
Developing legal strategies requires independent judgment balancing aggressive defense with practical risk assessment. Hiscox customers expect exceptional service, making client communication and relationship management as important as legal technical skills.
Eligibility Criteria
This senior position requires substantial proven experience and active bar credentials.
Educational and Licensing Requirements
A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school represents the fundamental academic credential. Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California is mandatory since you’ll practice in California courts exclusively. Admission to additional state bars or federal court bars provides advantage though isn’t required.
Professional Experience
Minimum seven to ten years of proven litigation experience specifically within California insurance defense and personal injury litigation is required. This timeline ensures you understand California civil procedure, local court rules, and the insurance defense landscape thoroughly rather than learning these fundamentals on the job.
At least three years of management experience demonstrates your capability handling the leadership aspects of building and running this office. Management experience in law firm settings, in-house legal departments, or comparable professional environments all count.
Technical and Professional Skills
Strong working knowledge of California law and civil procedure, particularly relating to personal injury and general liability cases, forms your legal foundation. Outstanding legal research, writing, negotiation, and analytical skills enable effective representation.
Expertise in legal case management software, e-discovery tools, and litigation-focused technologies ensures you can leverage modern legal tech efficiently. An ownership mentality driving work forward independently suits the entrepreneurial nature of this founding role.
Age Requirements
No age restrictions apply. Hiscox evaluates candidates based on experience, credentials, and demonstrated capabilities.
How to Apply
Hiscox manages recruitment through their Workday careers platform.
Access the official posting at Hiscox Workday careers portal where complete position details and the application interface appear.
Review the full job description carefully, noting both the litigation requirements and the entrepreneurial aspects of building this office from inception.
Prepare your legal resume highlighting your California insurance defense experience with specific examples of case types handled, trial experience, settlement negotiations, and any management responsibilities you’ve held.
Include your California Bar number and admission date, along with any additional bar memberships demonstrating your professional credentials.
Complete the Workday application form accurately and upload your resume along with any supporting materials demonstrating your litigation track record.
Submit your application and monitor email for responses from Hiscox’s legal recruitment team regarding interview scheduling.
Important Instructions
Senior legal positions attract highly qualified applicants, making differentiation critical. Beyond listing years of experience, provide specific examples of your litigation accomplishments, management successes, and any experience building or growing legal practices.
The founding member aspect deserves emphasis in your application if you have relevant experience establishing new legal departments, opening law firm offices, or similar entrepreneurial legal ventures.
Hybrid work flexibility suggests Hiscox values work-life balance while maintaining office collaboration. Your location within Southern California affects commuting logistics to their Los Angeles base.
Deadline
The posting does not specify an application deadline, indicating Hiscox reviews qualified candidates continuously. Given this is a founding position for a new office, applying promptly ensures earlier consideration as they establish this practice.
Additional Career Resources
While exploring senior legal opportunities, consider browsing financial analyst senior jobs 2026 for additional senior professional career opportunities across different functional areas.
Common Questions
What does it mean to be a founding member of a new in-house litigation office?
Being a founding member means you’ll establish the office’s operations, processes, and culture from inception rather than joining an existing team with established ways of working. You’ll make foundational decisions about case management systems, workflow processes, communication protocols, and office operations that shape how this practice functions long-term. This provides significant autonomy and influence but also requires entrepreneurial drive since you won’t have existing infrastructure to rely on initially. The role combines building something new with delivering immediate litigation results.
How does staff counsel work differ from traditional law firm insurance defense work?
Staff counsel are employed directly by the insurance company rather than working at outside law firms retained by insurers. This creates closer alignment with the insurer’s litigation philosophy and claims strategy, eliminates billing hour pressures common in law firms, and provides more predictable compensation through salary rather than billable hour metrics. Staff counsel typically handle higher case volumes with greater efficiency expectations but enjoy more stable work-life balance than law firm associates grinding toward partnership. The trade-off involves less independence than firm practice but more strategic alignment and stability.
Is trial experience absolutely required or can strong pre-trial litigation experience qualify?
The posting requires “proven litigation experience” including managing cases through all phases, which typically implies some trial exposure though it doesn’t explicitly state “trial attorney” as mandatory. Strong candidates should demonstrate comprehensive litigation skills including discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiation, and courtroom experience. If your experience is primarily pre-trial with strong motion work and negotiation success, highlighting these accomplishments may qualify you, though actual trial experience strengthens applications significantly. During interviews, be prepared to discuss your litigation experience comprehensively including any trial participation even if limited.
Final Thoughts
Hiscox’s Staff Counsel position in Los Angeles represents a unique opportunity combining senior litigation work with entrepreneurial practice building. The annual compensation between $180,000 and $240,000, hybrid work flexibility, and founding member status create compelling packages for experienced California insurance defense attorneys ready for new challenges.
If you hold an active California Bar license, bring seven to ten years of insurance defense and personal injury litigation experience, possess at least three years of management background, and want to build a legal practice aligned with a global insurer’s philosophy while maintaining work-life balance, submit your application through Hiscox’s Workday portal emphasizing your litigation accomplishments and entrepreneurial capabilities.
