Senior Counsel

Tyson & Mendes LLP
San Diego, CA
Remote

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have 8+ years of insurance defense litigation experience and a desire for leadership opportunities.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 8+ years of litigation experience and a focus on insurance defense cases
    — “8+ years of solid litigation experience, specifically with litigation support, deposition and trial preparation”
  • Individuals seeking leadership roles and partnership pathways in a collaborative firm environment
    — “Several of our current partners and team leaders developed within these teams”
  • Professionals who value autonomy and ownership of complex litigation matters
    — “Independently handle court appearances, depositions, briefs and trials”

Things to consider

  • The role demands full case handling responsibilities, including discovery and trial
    — “manage full case handling responsibilities, including all facets of discovery and trial”
  • Candidates must be licensed in California and have a professional demeanor
    — “Must be licensed in the State of California”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your ability to lead and mentor junior attorneys in your resume and interviews
    — “Provide leadership and direction with respect to less experienced attorneys”
  • Emphasize your experience in complex civil litigation, especially insurance defense
    — “Our San Diego attorneys handle a broad range of insurance defense matters”
  • Demonstrate your independent work ethic and minimal supervision capability
    — “Ability to think and act independently and with minimal supervision”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Handled complex personal injury and wrongful death cases
  • Developed case themes
  • Managed court appearances and trials
Typical background
8+ years of litigation experienceActive California Bar License

Skills & requirements

Required

Litigation ExperienceCase ManagementLegal ResearchClient Counseling

Preferred

LeadershipMentorship

Stack & domain

LitigationInsurance DefensePersonal InjuryWrongful DeathPremises LiabilityAutomobile And Transportation LiabilityProfessional LiabilityMedical MalpracticeConstruction And Construction DefectProducts LiabilityEmploymentComplex Civil LitigationCommunicationTeamworkLeadershipLegal

About the role

Original posting from Tyson & Mendes LLP via Greenhouse

Senior Counsel | Insurance Defense | San Diego

You’ve Built the Experience. Now Build What Comes Next.

An active California Bar license is required.

Tyson & Mendes is seeking an experienced Senior Counsel with 8+ years of litigation experience to join our San Diego team.

At this stage in your career, your next move should offer more than another caseload. It should give you the opportunity to use the experience you’ve built, take ownership of sophisticated matters, strengthen client relationships, mentor others, and continue moving toward the next level of your career.

For attorneys interested in leadership and partnership opportunities, Tyson & Mendes offers room to build what comes next.

Own Your Cases. Use Your Judgment.

Our San Diego attorneys handle a broad range of insurance defense matters, including complex personal injury and wrongful death, premises liability, automobile and transportation liability, professional liability, medical malpractice, construction and construction defect, products liability, employment, and other complex civil litigation.

As Senior Counsel, you’ll be trusted to bring your experience and judgment to your cases, from strategy and discovery through depositions, dispositive motions, mediation, client counseling, and trial preparation.

You’ve spent years developing your skills. We want you to use them.

Experienced Leaders. Strong Teams.

The San Diego office is led by Daniel Fallon, an experienced litigator and former Board Member of the San Diego Defense Lawyers, and overseen regionally by Kristi Blackwell, California Regional Managing Partner.

Across the office, you’ll work with experienced partners and team leaders with different practice areas and approaches to litigation. This gives senior attorneys the opportunity to collaborate with accomplished litigators while bringing their own perspective and experience to the team.

Your Career Doesn’t Stop at Senior Counsel

We’re not simply hiring experienced attorneys to handle cases. We’re looking for attorneys who can help strengthen and grow our San Diego teams.

Several of our current partners and team leaders developed within these teams, creating a natural path for experienced attorneys who want to take on greater responsibility.

For the right attorney, that can mean mentoring associates, developing client relationships, becoming a team leader, and pursuing partnership opportunities.

If leadership is where you want your career to go, we want to help you get there.

Flexibility + Autonomy

Our San Diego office offers a highly flexible, primarily remote work environment, with office space available for attorneys who prefer to come in.

With that flexibility comes trust and accountability. Attorneys who thrive here are self starters who communicate well, take ownership of their work, adapt, and stay connected to their teams without needing constant oversight.

Your Experience Should Open Doors.

If you’re ready for greater autonomy, sophisticated litigation, opportunities to lead, and a path toward the next stage of your career, we’d love to talk.

Bring your experience. Build your reputation. Help shape the future of Tyson & Mendes San Diego.

Responsibilities 

Develop a case theme that is more compelling than any plaintiff ploy for sympathy or anger

Refuse to accept mediocrity, the average, the standard or the norm in anything

Independently handle court appearances, depositions, briefs and trials

Work as part of a team with all levels of experiences

Routine communications with clients

Cultivate relationships with the firm’s existing and future clients

Provide leadership and direction with respect to less experienced attorneys 

Requirements 

JD from an ABA approved school

Must be licensed in the State of California

8+ years of solid litigation experience, specifically with litigation support, deposition and trial preparation

Ability to manage full case handling responsibilities, including all facets of discovery and trial

Experience handling insurance defense matters preferred

Experience with time management systems

Proficiency in MS Suite, specifically Word, PowerPoint and Outlook

Ability to think and act independently and with minimal supervision

Outstanding listening, verbal and written communication skills

Professional appearance and demeanor 

Compensation Package 

The base salary for this position ranges from $160,000-$190,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications

Attorneys are eligible for an annual billable hours bonus ranging from $10,000 and then aggregating with $7,500 for every additional tier

Comprehensive benefits coverage offered, including plans available at zero employee cost (average annual employer contribution for health/vision/dental/life coverage is $700-$1,700)

Employees benefit from a 401(k) program that includes a 100% match on the first 3% contributed and a 50% match on the following 4-5%

Student loan repayment assistance or 529 college savings plan (full-time attorneys after one year with the firm) $100-$200/month

Paid parental leave at base pay

Employees receive a monthly technology reimbursement of $60 

Benefits  

Employee Assistance Program through HealthAdvocate

Comprehensive in-house training and leadership development opportunities

Firm Provided CLE Programs and Paid Bar License Renewal Fees

Flexible vacation policy for attorneys

Defined pathway to partnership

Internal diversity and inclusion programs, such as the Women’s Initiative and Young Professionals Initiative

Firm-wide charitable giving program

Numerous social and off-site events each year to enrich your relationships with your colleague

Flexible Work Model: Remote, hybrid, or onsite options available 

About Tyson & Mendes 

Click here to learn more about the Tyson & Mendes Office!  (944) The Tyson & Mendes Office - YouTube 

We’re one of the fastest-growing civil defense firms in the country—known for breaking the mold of the traditional law firm. Our dynamic, diverse team of trial attorneys delivers exceptional results, from landmark cases like Howell v. Hamilton Meats to numerous defense verdicts across the nation. 

But we don’t stop at great legal work—we invest in our people. With specialized training in our proven defense methods, clear paths to leadership, and robust professional development, we empower attorneys to grow their careers, build their personal brands, and become leaders in the field. 

Follow along with the firm on Twitter and LinkedIn, or visit www.tysonmendes.com.   

Equal Opportunity Employer Notice 

OK, now for the legal copy (we are a law firm, after all). It is Tyson & Mendes’ policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. By the way, if you read all of this, congratulations – we can already tell your attention to detail is exceptional. 

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS/EMPLOYEES OF TYSON & MENDES: Please take notice that the Firm collects certain information about you. For more information on the Firm’s policies, please refer to the document provided here. 

No recruiters/agencies  

#li-remote 

#ZR

Pay Range$160,000—$190,000 USD

Source: Tyson & Mendes LLP careers (Greenhouse)

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