PI Litigation Associate (Insurance Defense)

Hiring: Insurance Defense / PI Litigation Associate
Location: Houston, TX
Salary: $115,000 $175,000/yr
Schedule: Full-time Hybrid after 6-month in-office ramp
Experience: 2 6 years insurance defense or PI litigation experience
Active Texas Bar Membership Required

Practice area: Insurance Defense / Catastrophic PI / Product Liability / Construction Defect
Firm quality: Established Houston litigation practice handling high-exposure matters

Central Texas Recruiting is seeking a mid-level Insurance Defense / PI Litigation Associate who can independently manage a litigation docket from day one. This role offers hands-on responsibility for catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and construction defect defense matters involving insurance carriers, oil & gas companies, Fortune 500 corporations, major retailers, and international delivery companies.

This role involves substantial litigation work in Texas state and federal courts, including defending and taking fact witness, expert, and corporate representative depositions, drafting and arguing motions, handling discovery, presenting oral arguments, and managing high-exposure cases involving $1M+ policy limits. The position also offers a documented partnership track and strong paralegal support while maintaining a high degree of attorney autonomy.

Key Responsibilities

Independently manage a docket of catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and construction defect defense cases
Defend and take fact witness, expert, and corporate representative depositions
Draft and respond to pleadings, motions, discovery requests, and discovery responses
Present oral arguments at hearings and proceedings in Texas state and federal courts
Develop strategic defense approaches for high-exposure litigation matters
Represent insurance carriers and major corporate clients in complex litigation
Collaborate with dedicated paralegal support to develop and maintain case defenses Participate in settlement negotiations and case resolution strategy
Maintain strict contemporaneous time-entry and billing discipline
Meet a minimum billing floor of 154 hours per month
Progress through the documented Associate Non-Equity Shareholder Shareholder career track

Qualifications & Requirements:

U.S. Work Eligibility Required
Education & Experience:
JD from an accredited law school
Active Texas State Bar membership in good standing
2 6 years of insurance defense or personal injury litigation experience
Experience independently owning and managing a litigation docket
Experience defending and taking fact witness, expert, and corporate representative depositions
Experience drafting and arguing motions in state or federal court
Experience independently handling discovery requests and responses
Experience with catastrophic injury cases involving $1M+ exposure
Writing sample required with application

Technical Skills & Competencies:

Deposition preparation, defense, and cross-examination proficiency
Strong motion practice and oral argument experience
Strong discovery skills
Rigorous contemporaneous time-entry and billing discipline
In-court hearing and presentation experience
Familiarity with insurance-carrier reporting and litigation guidelines preferred

Working Conditions:

Full-time position in Houston, TX
In-office for the first 6 months
Eligible for 2 days/week work-from-home after 6 months, subject to performance and compliance
Minimum 154 billable hours/month
Strong paralegal support structure
Collegial, open-door work environment