Underwriter Lawyers Professional Liability

Position Overview

The Lawyers Professional Liability (LPL) Underwriter is a skilled professional dedicated to underwriting risks within our exclusive LPL program with Everest for law firms of 1 to 25 attorneys, supporting both our direct customers and our Access third-party distribution partners. This role assists the Insurance Product Team in refining the program’s risk appetite and product/market fit and in shaping strategic initiatives for the program. The LPL Underwriter is responsible for underwriting program business that falls outside of our online quoting platform, expanding the program appetite of our online quoting platform, optimizing the program portfolio, and translating manual underwriting insights into a scalable, digitized experience for solo practitioners and small law firms.

Job Duties

• Grow the Business:  Production underwriting for all Lawyers Professional Liability referrals for new and renewal business within the Everest LPL program, covering solo practitioners and law firms of up to 25 attorneys, across both our direct channel and our Access third-party distribution channel. Import lessons from manual underwriting to maximize the program appetite, market penetration, and growth of the online platform.
• Profitability:  Set profitable terms, conditions, retentions, and pricing for LPL referrals to ensure risk-adjusted underwriting profitability. Assess manual underwriting trends to ensure profitability and to strategize and translate learning into a digitized experience. 
• Risk Assessment & Analysis: Analyze LPL applications, supplemental questionnaires, loss runs, and firm information to assess risk, with particular attention to areas of practice (e.g., real estate, estate planning, IP, securities, plaintiff work), attorney count and firm structure, client concentration, risk management procedures (conflict-check and docket control systems), lateral hires, prior acts, and claims history.
• Underwriting Decisions: Make sound underwriting decisions regarding acceptance, modification, or declination of law firm risks within delegated authority and in accordance with the Everest program underwriting guidelines and industry best practices, including prior acts coverage, exclusions, and endorsements. Refer risks outside of program authority as required.
• Policy Pricing: Develop and adjust premiums, limits, and deductibles according to risk assessment, the program’s filed rating plan, and step-rating for claims-made policies while maintaining profitability and competitiveness.
• Communication: Work closely with direct law firm customers and with Access agents and brokers to explain LPL coverage, premium determinations, and policy terms, including claims-made and reporting provisions, defense-cost structures, and extended reporting period options.
• Portfolio Management: Manage and monitor the Everest LPL program portfolio to ensure it remains within the program’s risk appetite and performance targets, with attention to practice-area mix, geographic concentration, and limit exposure. Recommend portfolio optimization improvements.
• Collaboration: Liaise with the Claims, Actuarial, and Insurance Product Teams to maintain updated and accurate LPL pricing models and to incorporate claims learnings into underwriting guidelines. Partner with Everest on program performance, underwriting audits, and guideline updates. Collaborate with Account Executives, Customer Success Managers, and the Access distribution team to support direct customers and third-party partners.
• Compliance: Ensure that all LPL underwriting decisions and processes comply with state insurance regulations, Everest’s filed rates and forms, the program agreement and delegated underwriting authority, and company standards.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Utilize data and analytics to identify LPL loss trends by practice area and firm profile, review portfolio performance, and make recommendations for improving underwriting guidelines.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay informed about LPL market conditions, emerging legal profession risks (e.g., wire-transfer and funds-transfer fraud, cyber incidents affecting client data, AI use in legal practice), and regulatory changes to ensure best practices in underwriting.
• Insurance Team Project Work:  Assist the Insurance Product Team in LPL program project work that drives growth, scale, and insurance profitability, including appetite expansion and enhancements to the online quoting platform. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, risk management, or a related field. A J.D. or professional certifications (e.g., CPCU, RPLU, AU) are a plus.
• 4+ years of Lawyers Professional Liability underwriting experience, preferably with solo and small law firms (1 to 25 attorneys). Experience underwriting within a program or MGA environment under delegated authority is desirable. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a focus on building and maintaining positive relationships with direct customers and Access agents and brokers, as well as internal Sales and Customer Success Teams.
• Ability to follow established program guidelines and state and federal insurance regulations to assist with compliance for underwriting activities. 
• Knowledge of LPL policy language and claims-made coverage concepts, law firm risk criteria, common sources of legal malpractice claims, and the regulatory environment governing the legal profession. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to communicate (oral and written) complex information to broad audiences.
• Ability to work cross-culturally on a global team. 
• Ability to perform at a high-level in a remote work environment.
• Prolonged periods of time sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Proficiency in all Google Suite products, as well as Salesforce and the company's proprietary quote platform.
• Travel as required when appropriate.