Assistant General Counsel

If you would enjoy working in a dynamic environment and are looking for an opportunity to become part of a stellar team of professionals dedicated to service, we invite you to apply online today.

This position offers a flexible hybrid work arrangement, allowing employees to balance in-office collaboration with the benefits of remote work. We provide the necessary tools and technology to ensure seamless productivity, whether you're working from home or the office.

SUMMARY:
The Assistant General Counsel, Litigation is responsible for managing the Credit Union’s litigation, dispute resolution, legal process administration, and select recovery-related legal matters. The Assistant General Counsel serves as the Credit Union's lead attorney for litigation, dispute resolution, legal process administration, and related risk management matters, partnering with the General Counsel, business leaders, and operational stakeholders to manage legal risk and achieve favorable business outcomes.

This position manages litigation matters, oversees and coordinates with outside counsel, supports resolution of complex member disputes, and oversees administration of legal process requests.

The position requires an experienced attorney with strong litigation, dispute resolution, and risk management experience. The Assistant General Counsel must possess excellent analytical, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to provide practical legal advice and business-focused solutions. This role offers the opportunity to manage a diverse portfolio of litigation, dispute resolution, and legal risk management matters within a collaborative in-house legal department.

The Assistant General Counsel will work collaboratively with the General Counsel, business leaders, and operational stakeholders, manage assigned matters independently and proactively, and provide practical, risk-based counsel that supports the Credit Union's strategic and operational objectives.

The position offers meaningful responsibility and direct business engagement without the demands of billable hour requirements, business development activities, or client generation responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Litigation Management & Strategy

• Manage a portfolio of litigation and dispute matters involving the Credit Union, including consumer claims, member disputes, collections-related litigation, employment-related matters, and commercial disputes, while partnering with the General Counsel on significant or high-exposure matters.
• Assess legal and business risks associated with litigation and disputed matters and recommend practical resolution strategies that align with organizational objectives.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with outside counsel, including oversight of matter management, budgets, performance, and outcomes, in consultation with the General Counsel on significant matters.
• Review and provide guidance on pleadings, motions, discovery responses, settlement proposals, and other litigation-related documents prepared internally or by outside counsel.
• Coordinate internal discovery efforts, document preservation, witness preparation, and document production.
• Support resolution of complex, high-risk, and legally sensitive member complaints and escalations requiring attorney involvement.
• Conduct legal risk assessments and provide guidance to business partners regarding dispute resolution strategies involving member complaints, claims, and threatened litigation.
• Manage and participate in settlement negotiations, mediation efforts, and alternative dispute resolution processes where appropriate.
• Prepare litigation status reports, risk assessments, and recommendations for the General Counsel and business stakeholders.

Regulatory Response, Legal Process & Investigations

• Support and coordinate responses to subpoenas, summonses, and other legal process requests involving the Credit Union.
• Coordinate legal responses to escalated member complaints involving regulatory agencies, legal claims, or potential enforcement actions.
• Support and advise on internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct, fraud, policy violations, member complaints, or other legal concerns, in coordination with Human Resources, Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit, and the General Counsel.
• Identify recurring litigation, complaint, regulatory, and enforcement trends and assist in developing risk mitigation strategies.
• Partner with Compliance, Risk Management, Human Resources, Internal Audit, and Operations teams to address legal and regulatory matters.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, reporting, and remediation activities are completed in response to identified legal risks.

Legal Operations & Advisory Support

• Provide legal advice and guidance to business partners regarding claims, disputes, member complaints, regulatory requirements, and pre-litigation matters.
• Assist in developing policies, procedures, controls, and training designed to mitigate litigation, complaint, and dispute-related risk.
• Support improvements to litigation management processes, reporting capabilities, and operational efficiencies.
• Assist in managing outside counsel spend and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce legal costs.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school required.
• Active admission to practice law in Georgia and membership in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia required.
• Minimum of 5 to 8 years of litigation experience, preferably within financial services, banking, credit unions, consumer finance, or other regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing litigation matters and outside counsel.
• Prior in-house legal experience preferred but not required.
• Experience handling member disputes, consumer claims, regulatory inquiries, or financial services litigation preferred.
• Prior experience supervising legal support staff, paralegals, administrators, or project teams preferred.

ADDITIONAL/IMPORTANT SKILLSETS:

• Strong knowledge of litigation processes, civil procedure, discovery, evidence, and dispute resolution strategies.
• Knowledge of consumer financial services laws and regulations applicable to credit unions, including lending, collections, consumer protection, privacy, and unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices (UDAAP).
• Experience managing subpoenas, legal process requests, regulatory inquiries, and enforcement-related matters.
• Strong legal drafting and writing skills, including experience reviewing pleadings, motions, discovery, settlement agreements, and legal analyses.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to balance legal risk, operational objectives, member experience, and business priorities.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple complex matters simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion.
• Effective at managing change, driving process improvement, and leading organizational initiatives.
• Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical business solutions.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, the employee must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. All employees must be able to communicate face to face or through technology with or without reasonable accommodation. Employee will be in an office environment (well-lighted, heated, and air-conditioned) typically stationed at a desk or table. Employee will be asked to sit and stand for various increments of time, and to lift/push up 10 lbs. Clerical office duties on various forms of technology are required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

All positions that have lending responsibilities must comply with all requirements under the SAFE ACT, as well as the Credit Union’s policies and procedures related to the SAFE ACT. This includes an obligation on the employee’s part to ensure that NMLA registration pertaining to the SAFE ACT is kept current. The employee must notify the Credit Union within 30 days of any changes that need to be reflected on the NMLS registry.

Georgia’s Own Credit Union is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Consistent with obligations under federal law, every company that is a federal contractor or subcontractor is committed to taking affirmative action to employ and advance women, minorities, disabled veterans, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, and other eligible veterans. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color or any other protected class.