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