SUSAN L. KNOWLES

Home: 260-***-**** Cell: 260-***-**** acvwan@r.postjobfree.com

Legal Counsel / Corporate Attorney

Effective Communications Risk Management

Motivated and high-energy Attorney and Senior Leader with diverse experience. Dedicated team player providing top-rate client service. Highly effective in communications and negotiations. Extensive skills in drafting and negotiating contracts. Keen attention to detail with a focus on managing business functions. Responsible self-starter, determined and seeking to showcase skill-set with forward-thinking organization.

Customer-focused leader with years of cross-industry experience driving impactful change and results

Articulate communicator skilled in delivering insightful and dynamic presentations and strengthening relationships with business partners, peers and senior leadership

Skilled organizer with innate ability to manage and direct cross-functional teams

Legal Counsel

Effective Communications

Employment Litigation

Corporate Law

Problem Solving

Client Relationship Management

Team Building / Leadership

Negotiating Agreements

Critical Thinking

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FRONTIER NORTH / VERIZON NORTH, Fort Wayne, IN

Legal Counsel / Director – Engineering, 2004 - 2015

Managed and directed the Centralized Joint Use Team including attorneys, managers, negotiators, paralegals and senior specialists

Drafted and negotiated joint-use agreements, pole attachment license agreements and railroad right-of-way agreements

Spearheaded development and implementation of legal and negotiation strategy on federal, state and regulatory litigation

Drafted litigation pleadings, motions, briefs, discovery and expert testimony and exhibits

Skilled with legal, substantive, training and fact-expertise regarding regulatory issues and contract strategies

Worked within cross-functional teams to ensure legal compliance

Provided subject matter expertise for FCC and state commission pole-related dockets and legislative activities in multiple states

Functioned as expert witness in pole dockets

Served as lead spokesperson and played integral role in mediations and settlement meetings

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Realized cost savings of $95M+ for electric utility and railroad expenses during 11 year tenure, exceeding objective every year by average of 282% (range of 107% - 977%)

Deployed and managed a pole, railroad and federal land use expense budget of $45-58M+

Awarded a bonus at or exceeding the 100% target based on individual performance in five recent years: 105%, 105%, 110%, 102% and 100% (most recent year first)

Honored to earn Verizon Excellence Awards, Above and Beyond Recognitions and Executive Recognition Award (stock grants) for Centralized Joint Use Team activities

PARKVIEW HEALTH SYSTEMS, Fort Wayne, IN

Legal Counsel / Risk Management Director, 2003 - 2004

Directed risk management system-wide program for seven hospitals, behavioral health center and affiliated healthcare facilities

Authored and edited employment, medical director and independent contractor agreements

Counseled behavioral health clients on all legal issues including detentions, commitments and consents

Developed and implemented comprehensive risk-management materials and handbooks; Conducted training on new risk programs

Advocated guardianships and other legal, quality and risk issues

Managed and directed Board of Director goals for event reporting and risk management

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Improved processes and culture to exceed goal three times over for accurate reporting of hospital events

Led team to implement new event-reporting database on schedule

Identified need for and produced flow charts of complex detention and commitment laws and an on-call reference guide for in-house counsel department

SWISS RE LIFE and HEALTH AMERICA INC. / LINCOLN NATIONAL REASSURANCE COMPANY

Assistant Vice President and Counsel, Fort Wayne, IN, 1999 – 2003

Primary legal interface and advisor on employer stop-loss insurance, National Group Product (group direct insurance), state insurance laws, producer licensing and compensation and other life and health insurance issues

Authored third-party administrator and provider agreements

Reviewed all advertising and marketing materials for compliance with internal policies and federal and state laws and regulations

Handled intellectual property issues, including trade and service marks, copyright and software licensing agreements

Oversaw outside counsel for patent matters

Co-chaired privacy task forces and conducted privacy training

Directed Department of Insurance and consumer complaints from communication to resolution

Demonstrated urgency in completing and implementing comprehensive complaint handling guidelines and procedures

Designed highly acclaimed complaint reports for senior management

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Earned “A Player” designation (top 10% talent) in Topgrading exercise for all senior managers using Brad Smart’s Chronological In-Depth Structured (CIDS) interview assessment technique

Contributed significantly to successful, expedited exit from HMO and provider excess of loss and carrier medical reinsurance business lines within five months of starting job

Led legal audit team on two extensive aggregate stop-loss claim reviews

Played lead role in providing comments to National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on Model Privacy Regulation resulting in exemptions for employer stop-loss business functions

GTE NORTH INC. / GTE SERVICE CORPORATION, Attorney, Fort Wayne, IN, 1994 - 1998

Advocated numerous regulatory proceedings before Illinois and Wisconsin public service commissions

Arbitrated over 20 union labor disputes including a lengthy, complex class action

Oversaw outside counsel in up to 60 litigation cases per year

Worked directly with business clients to provide legal counsel on employment, labor, communications, lobbyist, real estate, vendor contracts and other issues

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Accomplished second best resale discount rate of all GTE lawyers nationwide in Wisconsin Public Service Commission hearing as lead counsel against adversarial telecommunications giant

Initiated the first assertion of GTE’s rural status nationwide under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 with Illinois Commerce Commission

Won GTE’s preferred abbreviated dialing format in Illinois Commerce Commission’s adversarial pay-per-call rule-making docket

First GTE attorney to obtain regulatory approval of GTE’s “highest-priority” advanced credit management program allowing GTE to require deposits and limit toll charges

Earned President’s Leadership Award for team leadership

SUTKOWSKI & WASHKUHN, LTD., Associate Attorney, Peoria, IL, 1992 - 1994

Represented business clients in commercial and employment law and litigation

Volunteered and excelled at becoming the firm’s expert on the Family and Medical Leave Act

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Acclaimed for quickly developing solid client relationships

Obtained dismissal of four out of five employment discrimination cases at administrative level

Achieved reputation as excellent presenter of employment law seminars for business management

ROTHGERBER, APPEL, POWERS & JOHNSON, Associate Attorney, Denver, CO, 1990 - 1991

Represented business clients in commercial and employment law and litigation

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Achieved summary judgment for largest employer client in significant disability discrimination lawsuit

Earned “Best in Class” distinction from Speechmasters in training for all firm associates

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, IL, 1990

Class Rank: 11/192 (Top 5%); GPA: 4.6/5.0

Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, Political Science, Minors – Economics, Legal Studies

Illinois State University, Bloomington-Normal, IL; GPA: 3.85/4.0

Law Prose Seminars, Bryan A. Garner

Advanced Legal Drafting

Advanced Legal Writing & Editing

The Winning Brief

Darden Executive Education, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Charlottesville, VA

Strategic Decision Making

Creating and Sustaining a High-Performing Organization

Power and Leadership

STATE BAR ADMISSIONS: Indiana, Illinois, Colorado

Contact this candidate