Litigation Associate, Bodily Injury Defense

Litigation Associate | Tampa, FL | $125,000 to $200,000 | Bodily Injury / Personal Injury

There's a quiet test for whether a firm is serious about developing associates: look at who took the last ten depositions on your files.

If the answer is mostly partners, you're being trained slowly. If it's mostly you, you're being trained properly.

I'm Ryan Jaiswal from Distinct Recruitment. I'm hiring a Litigation Associate in Tampa for an insurance defense firm with a strong bodily injury and personal injury defense practice. They pass the test.

The opportunity

Associates here run their own BI and PI files. That means deciding the strategy, taking the depositions, arguing the hearings and reporting to the carrier. Partners are there for support and second opinions, not to take over at the interesting moments.

You'll be working on

- Bodily injury and personal injury defense arising from auto, premises and general negligence claims

- Early case evaluation and reporting to adjusters

- Medical record review, causation analysis and damages assessment

- Depositions of plaintiffs, treaters and expert witnesses

- Motions and hearings

- Mediations

- Trial preparation and trial

You'll need

- 2+ years of litigation experience

- Florida Bar admission

- BI, PI or general defense experience is helpful

- Good instincts for when a case should resolve and when it should be fought

- Strong client communication

The terms

- Hybrid, based in Tampa

- 1,950 billable hours a year

- $125,000 to $200,000, a broad range built to include associates from mid level up to counsel level

What you'll get from it

The kind of exposure that changes how you see yourself as a lawyer. After a year in a seat like this, you'll have taken more depositions, argued more motions and sat in front of more juries than many associates do in three. That experience is valuable wherever your career goes next.

Who'll enjoy it

- Associates who want to be trusted

- People who enjoy the medical detail in damages work

- Lawyers who like being on their feet

- Anyone who has quietly counted the depositions they've taken and been disappointed by the number

Why Tampa makes sense

The Tampa Bay area has a thriving insurance defense scene and a lifestyle that's hard to argue with. Pair that with hybrid working and real responsibility, and it's a strong place to build a practice.

Reach out

If you'd like to chat before applying, call me, Ryan Jaiswal at Distinct Recruitment, on View phone number on click.appcast.io, or connect with me, Ryan Jaiswal, on LinkedIn. You can book a time in my calendar at as well. Use it to ask questions before you apply, or after you've applied to go through your application with me.