Lead Counsel, Consumer Litigation

The Team: 

Upstart is looking for a senior attorney to lead its consumer litigation team and oversee all aspects of litigation by or against consumers for Upstart’s range of consumer lending products and services. Ideal job seekers should be team players, excellent communicators, incredibly organized and have strong collaboration skills, with experience responding to and resolving consumer financial industry claims, negotiating settlements, managing outside counsel, managing case files, drafting legal documents and conducting legal research. If you are someone used to working in a fast-based legal environment and are a great teammate, please apply!

As Lead Counsel, Consumer Litigation, you will manage the consumer litigation team, which includes a Legal Specialist and others, serve as a subject matter expert on litigation strategy and coordinate with others within Upstart and the Product and Regulatory Legal team, who serve as subject matter experts on the laws and regulations impacting Upstart’s consumer lending platform, its bank partnership business line, and future products. 

How you’ll make an impact

• Manage a portfolio of 50+ consumer disputes of various size and complexity involving consumer lending and servicing, e.g. FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, ECOA, Bankruptcy and state consumer lending laws. 
• Drive case strategy for a full caseload, managing outside counsel as appropriate to align to such strategy.
• Manage an overall litigation budget for outside counsel fees and settlement to provide effective solutions to accomplish Upstart goals. 
• Utilize various tools to manage caseload, that includes reporting, status updates and other features to ensure efficient and timely handling of all threatened or filed actions against Upstart. 
• Engage directly with Upstart’s product, business, legal and compliance teams regarding Upstart’s products, features, functionality, configurations and integrations as necessary to respond to threatened or filed actions.  Assist attorneys with all aspects of case management including docketing deadlines, maintaining case files, scheduling, billing and providing reminders as necessary.
• Work with business partners to recommend non-monetary settlement operational activities and identify any root cause issues increasing litigation.
• Manage collection, review and synthesis of records from key stakeholders for the Litigation files..
• Oversee, coordinate and finalize responses to information requests and third-party subpoenas or search warrants.
• Review, summarize and prepare legal documents, including but not limited to, responses to attorney demand letters, indemnification letters and settlement agreements.
• Oversee and manage compliance with settlement agreements or enforcement of judgments.
• Assist with litigation activities, including tracking reporting, document management, and analyzing and drafting responses at the state and federal level.
• Maintain a Litigation Contact List with key stakeholders.
• Work with other members of the Legal team as well as other company functional departments.
• Design, develop, and implement or improve systems and processes to increase efficiency, support scalability, and ensure quality.

Minimum Qualifications 

• J.D. degree with superior academic credentials and a state bar membership.
• At least 7 years of experience in a top-tier law firm, in-house, and/or governmental agencies.
• Experience working for or with a fintech company, handling litigation matters in the consumer lending space.
• In-depth knowledge of federal and state banking, lending and consumer protection laws and regulations.
• Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide quick, concise, and practical legal advice.
• A self-starter mentality with the ability to work well under pressure, thrive working under limited direction, and an attitude that no job is too challenging or too small.
• Ability to provide solutions to a variety of issues of varied scope and complexity and to prioritize and balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

What you'll love: 

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart 
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave  
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

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