Assistant General Counsel - Litigation

Career Area:

Legal and Compliance

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Your Impact Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

This is Caterpillar

Job Summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking an experienced attorney to join its in-house Legal Services Division as Assistant General Counsel – Litigation. The successful candidate will provide legal support on highly complex litigation and investigations matters, including patent and other intellectual property matters, complex commercial disputes, and highly involved investigations. The candidate is expected to be familiar with complex eDiscovery, legal holds, high-volume data management, case strategy, taking and responding to discovery, motions practice, trial experience, and/or appellate practice. The role will work directly with outside counsel on matters, including early case assessments, budgets, and review and management of outside counsel billings. The cases often require the attorney to work with Caterpillar attorneys in other practice areas or personnel in the Global Government and Corporate Affairs Division.

The attorney will be responsible for working internally with paralegals, engineers, the eDiscovery group, Legal IT and witnesses in a variety of roles, including matters involving complex data preservation, collection, review and production obligations. The attorney may also be expected to participate on cross-functional teams with other members of the legal department, including intellectual property and government affairs colleagues. A successful candidate should be comfortable counseling business managers about risk management, commercial issues, and litigation or investigation risks arising from complex technical and regulatory matters.

What You Will Do:

• Providing day-to-day legal counseling on complex litigation and investigative matters, including but not limited to patent and other Intellectual Property litigation, high exposure insurance disputes and complex investigations;

• Drafting, reviewing and monitoring pleadings, briefs, discovery, subpoenas, investigative demands and related responses;

• Managing complex eDiscovery workflows, legal holds, data preservation, document review and production issues involving high volumes of data;

• Working with paralegals and witnesses to develop cases for trial;

• Counseling business clients on litigation risks, as necessary, and providing training;

• Working with insurers and Caterpillar Risk Management personnel to establish insurance coverage and working with accounting teams on case reserves;

• Working with outside counsel and leading multidisciplinary teams of attorneys to develop case strategy in complex litigation and investigation matters; and

• Maintaining excellent relationships with outside counsel and work to be a valued member of the Caterpillar litigation program.

What You Have:

We are seeking candidates with a minimum of 8-12 years of active litigation experience, including significant roles in litigated cases, experience managing complex and high exposure litigation matters, experience and familiarity with complex eDiscovery and high-volume data issues, and a self-starter approach to handling cases with relative independence. Experience with patent and other intellectual property litigation, complex government investigations, and large-scale discovery or data-intensive matters is preferred.

• J.D. from an accredited law school;

• Strong academic credentials;

• Membership in the State Bar of any U.S. State and qualifications for admission as in-house counsel under Illinois Rule 716, if no