Claims & Litigation Counsel

Job Title: Claims & Litigation Counsel
Company: Paul Holdings
Location: Tulsa, OK  | Onsite/ Hybrid
Job Type: Full-Time
Schedule: Monday to Friday 
Experience: 5+ Years
Reports to: Director of Risk Management 
Salary:$135,000 - $165,000 + Bonus

About us

Paul Holdings is the parent of two asset-based transportation companies, Paul Transportation and Frontier Leasing, and a logistics company, Paul Logistics. Together they move roughly 100,000 loads a year. We run a self-insured liability program and handle claims in-house, close to the facts and close to the business.

The role

We're adding a licensed attorney to own liability claims for Paul Transportation, Frontier Leasing, and Paul Logistics from first report through resolution. You'll evaluate liability and exposure, negotiate directly with claimants and plaintiff counsel, and set strategy on every litigated file. Our local litigation counsel will file and appear in court on our behalf, working at your direction.

This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to resolve claims early where the value is there and defend firmly where it isn't. You won't have billable hours or business development. Your job is better outcomes on claims.

What you'll do

Auto liability claims

• Evaluate liability, causation, damages, and exposure on third-party bodily injury and property damage claims.
• Engage claimants early to resolve claims before attorney involvement; negotiate directly with plaintiff counsel on represented claims.
• Set and adjust reserves within your authority, and document the reasoning behind them.
• Deny or defend claims that don't merit payment, and hold that position.
• Direct preservation of ELD, telematics, onboard video, driver qualification, maintenance, and dispatch records; issue litigation holds.
• Attend mediations and settlement conferences with authority; attend or monitor trials.

Litigation

• Work day to day with our local litigation counsel, who files suits and appears in court as counsel of record. You set the strategy and approve the filings.
• Draft or review pleadings, discovery, and motions; handle early discovery in-house.
• Direct affirmative suits for subrogation, cargo recovery, and contractual indemnity.
• Select and manage outside defense counsel where needed; approve budgets and review invoices.
• Coordinate with our insurers on notice, tender, and consent-to-settle on larger losses.
• Cargo, brokerage, and contracts
• Handle litigated and high-value cargo claims under Carmack and state law.
• Pursue carrier recovery and subrogation.
• Defend broker negligent-selection claims, and advise on carrier vetting practices that support that defense.
• Tender and respond to contractual indemnity and additional-insured claims; advise on indemnity and limitation language in customer and carrier contracts.

Reporting and prevention

• Report claim exposure, reserves, and litigation status to leadership.
• Share loss trends with Safety and Operations to cut future claims.
• Track case law and regulatory changes affecting motor carriers and brokers.

Qualifications

Required

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active bar license in good standing in any U.S. state, and eligible to register as in-house counsel in Tulsa, OK.
• 5+ years of civil litigation, with substantial auto liability, trucking, or insurance defense experience.
• Experience with depositions, motions, and mediations, taking files from pre-suit through resolution.
• Working knowledge of the FMCSRs, Carmack, and broker liability.
• The ability to explain exposure and strategy to non-lawyers clearly and directly.

Preferred

• First-chair trial experience.
• Background at a trucking defense firm, or in-house claims experience at a carrier, broker, or commercial auto insurer.
• NBTA Board Certification in Truck Accident Law.
• Experience directing local or panel counsel across multiple jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with self-insured retention, excess, or captive insurance programs.
• Comfort with claims systems, telematics and video platforms, and AI tools for document review.

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary: $135,000–$165,000, depending on experience
• Annual bonus tied to claim outcomes.
• Annual bonus tied to claim outcomes.
• Competitive salary
• 401(k) with company match
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off