Senior Litigation Attorney

20% - Identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate medical, legal, and fiscal issues related to covered claims (potential or asserted) against SIP participants.  Responsible for identifying, reviewing, investigating, and analyzing claims (potential or asserted) against SIP participants.  Conduct full factual investigations of assigned claims files.  Evaluate claims in terms of negligence, causation, and compensable damages.  Present initial claims summaries to SIP internal committees.  Prepare claim summaries, and make indemnity and allocated loss expense reserve recommendations pursuant to established protocols.  Serve as advisor to and investigator for the SIP Program Council and its Claims and Litigation Committee.  Provide such assistance as required in fulfilling SIP administrative responsibilities.  Present claims summaries and related reports.  Participants (with whom the incumbent has daily contact) include (but are not limited to) faculty members, staff members, and administrators of:

- UF Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine (including the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH)), Health-Related Professions, and their affiliated facilities and programs throughout the State of Florida, including the Shands Teaching Hospital Inc. facilities

- Shands Jacksonville Medical Center and its affiliated facilities

- Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine and its affiliated facilities and programs throughout the State of Florida

- University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine and its affiliated facilities and programs throughout the State of Florida

- Florida Atlantic University (FAU) College of Medicine and its affiliated facilities and programs throughout the State of Florida

- Florida International University (FIU) College of Medicine and its affiliated facilities and programs throughout the State of Florida

20% - Coordinate and manage litigation processes in defense of lawsuits filed based on covered claims.  Responsible for identifying, reviewing, investigating, and analyzing claims with legal interest asserted against SIP participants.  Monitor and continue the full factual investigation of asserted claims through litigation.  Coordinate and ensure timely response to interrogatories and production.  Track the progress of all assigned cases in litigation to ensure that an aggressive proactive defense and claims resolution is accomplished within the timeframe set by SIP management.  Initiate employment and retention of experts.  Undertake preparing witnesses, including assisting outside legal counsel hired by the program in preparing fact and expert witnesses for depositions related to claims in litigation, and to assist outside legal counsel during said depositions.  Develop defense strategies.  Assist in selecting outside legal counsel and participating at all significant hearings, depositions, mediations, and trials.  Monitor files to ensure appropriate reserves are in place and allocated loss expense and indemnity payments remain within authorized limits.

15% – Coordinate, manage, and resolve (including denying, settling, or defending) all covered claims with or without notice of intent (potential or asserted), against SIP participants.  Coordinate, manage, and execute all pre-suit legal and administrative processes required by Florida statute.  Responsible for managing and resolving (including denying, settling, or defending) all assigned covered claims (potential or asserted), against entities and individuals protected by the SIP.  Undertake a full factual investigation and timely response to assigned claims (asserted and potential).  Prepare timely appropriate responses to pre-suit information requests and production.  Track the progress of all assigned cases in pre-suit to ensure that appropriate responses, negotiations, and settlement offers (or alternatively, denials and aggressive proactive defense) are accomplished for the timely resolution of claims, as required by Florida statute and policy set by SIP management.  Initiate the employment and retention of experts.  Undertake preparing witnesses.  Participate in unsworn statements and other pre-suit discovery.  Monitor files to ensure appropriate reserves are in place, and that allocated loss expense and indemnity payments remain within authorized limits.

15% - Travel.  Meet with and prepare fact and expert witnesses for deposition and trial.  Attend depositions throughout the United States, and occasionally in foreign countries.

10% - Iden