Associate General Counsel, Reinsurance

Associate General Counsel – Reinsurance

Employment Type: Full Time | Remote | USA

Our client, a multi‑national capital‑backed insurance group rated A-/VIII by A.M. Best, and comprising insurance carriers domiciled in the US, is seeking their new Reinsurance focused Counsel to join the business. As a technology‑enabled hybrid insurance carrier, with underwriting expertise and operational agility to deliver tailored insurance programs, the carrier partners with MGAs, captives, and other intermediaries to develop niche insurance products that meet the evolving needs of businesses across various industries.

New Role

The Associate General Counsel (Reinsurance) will partner primarily with the carriers Ceded Reinsurance team and provide legal support for outwards reinsurance placements. Reporting to the Group General Counsel, you will bring deep technical expertise, sound commercial judgment, and the ability to execute complex reinsurance transactions.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

• Partner with the Ceded Reinsurance placement team from deal inception through execution, taking primary legal responsibility for structuring, drafting, negotiating, and finalizing reinsurance agreements across the carriers full portfolio of property and casualty business.
• Draft and maintain trust agreements, collateral agreements, and risk transfer frameworks, ensuring collateral sufficiency, sound trust operations, and signatory governance.
• Provide end‑to‑end legal support for complex reinsurance‑related transactions, including captive programs, collateralized arrangements, and insurance‑linked securities (ILS), advising on structure, documentation, and offshore risk transfer frameworks.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with the reinsurers, brokers, and their contract wording teams, serving as a trusted and responsive legal counterpart across the market.
• Manage reinsurance disputes and commutations, coordinating with external counsel, claims, and finance teams to protect companies contractual interests and achieve timely resolution.
• Monitor and interpret reinsurance regulatory developments across relevant jurisdictions, partnering with Compliance colleagues to keep programs structurally sound, well‑documented, and ahead of regulatory change.
• Negotiate trust agreement language with reinsurers and their financial institutions, ensuring alignment with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on complex cross‑border transactions and regulatory matters, managing external relationships efficiently and cost‑effectively.
• Drive the development and continuous improvement of legal guidelines, standard contract templates, and governance frameworks for reinsurance documentation across the organization.
• Contribute to special projects and strategic legal initiatives as directed by the Group General Counsel.

Experience and Knowledge

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant legal experience at a law firm, in‑house at an insurance carrier or reinsurer, or a combination of both, with a substantial focus on reinsurance transactional work.
• Deep, hands‑on experience negotiating and drafting ceded reinsurance treaties, quota shares, facultative certificates, trust agreements, and commutation documentation.
• Strong working knowledge of collateralized reinsurance, ILS market structures, and offshore risk transfer frameworks.
• Solid understanding of US reinsurance law, including regulatory requirements, coverage interpretation, claims cooperation provisions, and arbitration clauses.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi‑party transactions independently in a time‑sensitive, commercially driven environment.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills with meticulous attention to contractual detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; comfortable engaging with senior business leaders, external counsel, brokers, and reinsurance market counterparties.
• Highly organized with strong project management skills and the ability to manage a broad portfolio of matters simultaneously.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction required.

Preferred

• Experience with offshore collateralized structures, Cayman Islands or other offshore domicile regulatory frameworks, and associated governance requirements.
• Familiarity with UK/London market practices and UK/London market reinsurance documentation.
• Experience advising on reinsurance aspects of M&A, portfolio transfers, or corporate restructurings.
• Knowledge of specialty reinsurance products.
• Exposure to fronting arrangements and MGA/MGU program business.

Skillset

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast‑paced, commercially driven legal environment with competing priorities.
• High degree of professional judgment and discretion when handling confidential or sensitive legal matters.
• Comfort operating in an ambiguous, high‑growth environment where legal frameworks and processes are still being built.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to partner effectively across legal, compliance, underwriting, finance, and operations.
• Proactive approach to identifying legal risk and developing practical, business‑oriented solutions.
• Ability to leverage AI tools (e.g., Claude) to enhance productivity and support role‑specific responsibilities.

Benefits and total compensation available upon request.