JOB OVERVIEW :
Darden Restaurants, Inc. has an opening for an experienced litigation paralegal to join the legal department's Employment Law and Litigation team. The candidate selected will support the team and the business in general in all aspects related to litigation, particularly public liability litigation. This includes representing the interests of the Company by understanding the business and business needs, working to gain efficient resolution of issues, and mitigating risks by applying knowledge of the business, policies, laws, and regulations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES :
- Provide support to the Company in all aspects of public liability matters, including but not limited to conducting factual and legal research, gathering and analyzing documents, reviewing discovery requests and responses, composing memos / summaries / timelines, interviewing relevant individuals, representing the Company at mediations, and effectively communicating information to attorneys and business partners;
- Paralegal will be responsible for managing their own caseload of matters in collaboration with and under the direct supervision of an attorney, organizing files and calendaring deadlines, assisting with discovery requests, factual investigations, employee / witness preparation and testimony, organizing matters files, and working closely with the company's third-party claims administrator and insurers.
- Work directly with and closely manage outside counsel, providing resources, documents, and information, and keeping outside counsel on reasonable timelines by setting appropriate goals;
- Provide information and training on legal proceedings or issues to Company functions and departments outside of the legal team;
- Utilize online case management system to open matters, prepare litigation holds, track progress, maintain electronic file, drive the matters to resolution, and close out the files.
REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS :
Five or more years of relevant work experience, preferably in a large publicly-traded company and / or law firm;Knowledge of legal terminology, litigation concepts, and legal environments;Proficiency in MS Office Suite software including : Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook required.REQUIRED EDUCATION :
Bachelor's degree or completion of a paralegal certification program from an ABA accredited program (will consider relevant work experience in lieu);OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS :
Experience developing and maintaining effective working relationships with senior management, colleagues, and other business professionals;Proven ability to perform under pressure of tight schedules and multiple deadlines;Possession of a professional, positive, and service-oriented demeanor;Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing, and show strong organizational, prioritization, and problem solving skills.Excellent analytical, organizational, drafting, negotiation and communication skills.Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, prioritize higher value work, monitor and meet shifting deadlines and keep sensitive and / or confidential information.Strong multi-tasking and project management skills required.Intellectually curious and adaptable to change.Works well individually and as part of a team and demonstrates reliability, resourcefulness, a strong work ethic and an ability to collaborate and cooperate with other team members.Ability to think critically and strategically and be an active contributor to efforts to achieve team and departmental goals and objectives.Proficient in adopting and utilizing existing and new technologies to drive efficiency.Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook and Teams).PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE :
Bilingual (Spanish / English) abilities a plusExperience with Legal Tracker software#LI-DNP
#LI-Hybrid
recblid 9lzxw6yd346lz3bbkfozurd6n342l1