Assistant Vice President, Senior Counsel - Litigation

Position Summary

Focus is seeking a litigation attorney to join our in-house Legal team as Assistant Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel – Litigation. Under the direction of senior members of the Focus Legal team, in this newly-created role, you will support a rapidly growing organization by helping to manage a range of commercial, business and employment-related claims and disputes, including mediations, arbitrations, administrative claims and litigation. You will work closely with internal stakeholders and outside counsel, with a particular focus on responding to subpoena and third-party record requests, assisting in the assessment, defense and resolution of disputes, and supporting insurance carrier claims and correspondence. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented, business-minded litigation attorney who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is eager to build and grow an in-house litigation practice.

This role can be based in St. Louis, MO (preferred); New York, NY; Boston, MA.

 

Primary Responsibilities

Litigation & Dispute Support

• Support management and resolution of claims and disputes, including drafting and reviewing claims, pleadings, motions, correspondence and internal matter summaries.
• Coordinate with Focus Legal and business teams, and outside counsel, on assessment, defense and resolution strategy in the context of demands, mediations, arbitrations, administrative claims and litigation.
• Lead administration of dispute-related processes, including insurance notices and claims management, document production, litigation holds, internal status reporting and budgeting.
• Assist with internal fact-gathering and review of case-related materials.

Insurance Coverage & Carrier Updates

• Assist with insurance claim notifications and maintenance of carrier contact information and correspondence files.
• Prepare and deliver periodic updates to insurance carriers on case status, key developments, budgets and upcoming milestones, working with supervising attorneys and outside counsel.
• Coordinate collection and sharing of pleadings, discovery, invoices and other supporting materials requested by carriers, consistent with confidentiality and privilege requirements.
• Help track defense costs and other coverage-related information needed for reporting and internal review.

Subpoenas & Third-Party Records Requests

• Support intake and tracking for subpoenas and third-party discovery/records requests.
• Review and help draft responses, ensuring alignment with legal requirements, internal policies and privacy obligations.
• Coordinate document collection and production with internal partners (e.g., IT, Human Resources, Compliance, etc.).
• Communicate with issuing counsel and agencies on scope and timing under guidance from supervising attorneys.
• Maintain accurate logs and reporting for subpoenas, records requests and related productions.

Discovery, Document Management & Legal Holds

• Assist with document review, including identifying responsiveness, confidentiality and privilege issues.
• Help evaluate and flag confidentiality and privilege risks, and support privilege log preparation as needed.
• Support implementation and administration of legal holds, including tracking acknowledgements and coordinating with custodians.

Matter Management & Process

• Track deadlines, filings, and matter calendars, and escalate issues promptly as needed.
• Help maintain and improve processes, templates, and matter-management tools.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Communications

• Partner with Focus’ compliance, operations, human resources and business teams to gather information, coordinate responses, and provide practical legal support.
• Assist in preparing periodic updates on litigation trends, risks, and outcomes for internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active attorney’s license in good standing in relevant jurisdiction(s).
• 2–5+ years of legal experience with a strong foundation in litigation (law firm, government, or in-house). Experience in the registered investment adviser / financial services space is a plus.
• Strong legal writing and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with civil procedure, discovery rules, and privilege concepts.
• Comfort with eDiscovery workflows and common matter-management or document-review tools (experience with specific platforms is helpful but not required).
• Experience supporting subpoena responses and third-party records requests.
• Demonstrated ability to manage insurance carrier reporting and coverage-related communications in connection with litigation is a plus.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive matters.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and able to adapt to changing priorities.
• Proactive problem solver with strong follow-through and a service mindset.
• Excellent organization and attention to detail, with t