Job Overview
This role involves handling complex workers’ compensation claims for former professional athletes, focusing on cumulative trauma cases from sports like NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and NHL. The position requires managing high-stakes litigation in a supportive, remote environment with a firm dedicated to advocating for clients with enduring orthopedic and neurological injuries.
Responsibilities
- Manage all phases of litigation from inception through resolution, including hearings, depositions, trials, and settlement
- Navigate the unique litigation complexities of former professional athletes’ claims arising from lengthy careers across multiple teams and states
- Represent clients at Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) proceedings, including conferences, hearings, and trials
- Defend client depositions and take the depositions of medical-legal evaluators and witnesses
- Develop and execute strategic case plans tailored to each client’s circumstances
- Negotiate settlements aligned with each client’s best interests
- Maintain consistent communication with clients, opposing counsel, and legal staff
- Handle day-to-day case administration, including correspondence, deadlines, and pre-trial conference statements
- Stay current on California workers’ compensation law and WCAB procedures
Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
- Active member in good standing with the State Bar of California (required)
- Minimum three years of workers’ compensation litigation experience; five years preferred
- Strong working knowledge of WCAB rules, procedures, and applicable California labor codes
- Deposition and hearing experience required
- Ability to manage a full caseload efficiently and independently
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience litigating professional athlete workers’ compensation claims, including depositions, hearings, trials, and appellate proceedings
- Familiarity with a broad applicant caseload, including law enforcement claims and SIBTF filings
- Civil litigation background, including brief writing and court appearances
- Trial experience as applicant counsel with a record of published decisions
- Law review participation or published legal writing
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and persuasive advocacy skills
- A genuine appreciation for athletes and the demands of a professional sport
