Remote insurance defense roles let litigators handle robust caseloads from anywhere, thanks to virtual hearings, e-filing, and cloud case management. National carriers and panel firms—Kennedys, Liberty Mutual, Farmers Insurance, Chartwell Law, and Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer—are hiring for fully remote and hybrid posts with competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.
Why Consider Remote Insurance Defense in 2025
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Strong demand: Insurers and TPAs continue to expand remote panels for personal injury, first-party property, bad faith, workers’ compensation, and professional liability.
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Attractive compensation: Average salaries cluster around the mid-$100Ks nationally, with top earners higher depending on jurisdiction and trial experience.
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Work style: Video depos, electronic discovery, and virtual court appearances support fully remote practice in many jurisdictions.
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Career growth: Clear paths into coverage counsel, trial teams, practice leadership, and client relationship management.
What These Roles Typically Involve
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Manage a defense docket from pre-suit through trial: pleadings, discovery, depositions, mediations, and dispositive motions.
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Evaluate liability and damages; draft coverage or exposure analyses; report to carriers and clients on budget and reserves.
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Appear remotely (and sometimes in person) for hearings, EUOs, IMEs, and settlement conferences.
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Use litigation tech (relativity/e-discovery tools, Westlaw/Lexis, Trial Director) and insurer reporting portals.
Core Requirements
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Education & license: JD and active bar in the state(s) where you’ll appear; multi-state admission is a plus (e.g., CA, NY, TX, FL, NJ, PA, IL).
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Experience: 1–7+ years in civil litigation/insurance defense (PI, premises, auto, first-party property, bad faith, med mal, or WC).
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Skills: Case strategy, motion practice, depos, client reporting, negotiation/mediation.
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Set-up: Reliable internet, secure home office, familiarity with Zoom/Teams, e-filing.
Compensation Snapshot (2025)
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Typical range: ~$112,000–$155,000+, with senior litigators and trial lawyers commanding more.
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Bonuses/benefits: Performance bonuses, 401(k) match, health/dental/vision, CLE/CME budgets, bar dues, malpractice coverage, tech stipends.
Firms and Employers to Watch
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Carriers/Staff Counsel: Liberty Mutual, Farmers Insurance, Allstate/Esurance units, Nationwide.
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Panel/Defense Firms: Kennedys, Chartwell Law, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, Resnick & Louis, Kubicki Draper, Cozen O’Connor, Lewis Brisbois (practice dependent).
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Boutiques & Regionals: First-party property and bad-faith boutiques in FL/TX/CA; med-mal and WC shops nationwide.
Where to Find Roles
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Job boards: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn (set alerts for “remote insurance defense attorney,” “coverage attorney,” “workers’ compensation defense”).
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Legal recruiters: BCGSearch, Major, Lindsey & Africa (coverage/complex), regional recruiters for WC/PI defense.
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Firm sites: Careers pages for carriers’ staff counsel teams and national panel firms.
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Groups: LinkedIn groups for insurance defense and coverage counsel; state defense bars (e.g., DRI chapters).
Visa & Work Authorization (International Candidates)
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Common reality: Most roles require current U.S. work authorization and active state bar admission. Sponsorship (H-1B/EB-3) is uncommon but possible at larger organizations for niche coverage roles; confirm early.
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LLM → bar route: Some firms will consider internationally trained lawyers with a U.S. LLM plus bar admission in a relevant state and strong coverage or reinsurance background.
How to Position Your Resume
Headline: “Insurance Defense Attorney | First-Party Property & Bad Faith | Remote Litigation”
Bullets with outcomes (examples):
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Obtained summary judgment in premises case (exposure >$500K); drafted MSJ and argued remotely.
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Managed 45-case docket; cut average cycle time 18% through proactive discovery and early mediation.
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Tried auto liability case to defense verdict; preserved appellate record on Daubert/Frye issues.
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Authored coverage opinions (CGL/ homeowners/ excess); negotiated tenders and additional insured status.
Tech: Relativity, CaseMap, TrialPad/Trial Director, e-filing portals, Zoom/Teams.
Licenses: List all state bars prominently.
Interview Prep: What to Expect
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Substantive: Duty/breach/causation damages, bad-faith standards, spoliation, privileges, IME/EUO practice, appraisal/umpire for property claims, WC defenses.
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Case walk-through: Be ready to discuss strategy, budget, carrier reporting, and outcome on 2–3 representative matters.
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Writing sample: A clean MSJ, opposition, or coverage memo (5–10 pages).
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Client service: How you manage adjuster expectations, reserves, and mediation strategy.
Sample Cover Letter (Short)
Dear Hiring Committee,
I am a [X]-year insurance defense attorney licensed in [States], with recent remote experience handling first-party property and bad-faith matters. I manage high-volume dockets, deliver succinct carrier reporting, and drive early resolutions through targeted discovery and dispositive motion practice. Enclosed are my resume and a writing sample. I welcome a conversation about how I can support your team’s litigation and reporting goals.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Tech Stack for Remote Success
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Case management: Clio, Litify, Filevine, or firm CMS.
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Research & drafting: Westlaw/Lexis, Brief analysis tools (as permitted).
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Evidence: Relativity/Logikcull for e-discovery; TrialPad/Trial Director for hearings.
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Ops: Timekeeping/billing accuracy, secure document workflows, e-signature.
Common Pitfalls (and Fixes)
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Generic resumes: Add verdicts, MSJs, settlement ratios, and cycle-time results.
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Weak writing samples: Pick a clean, recent motion or coverage opinion; scrub PII.
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Under-licensure: If your target docket is multi-state, add one more strategic license (e.g., FL or TX).
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Reporting gaps: Show sample carrier report sections (facts, liability, damages, reserves, plan).
Application Steps (End-to-End)
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Pick your niche: PI auto/premises, first-party property, WC, med mal, or coverage/bad faith.
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Tune materials: 1-page results-driven resume + 5–10 page writing sample + concise deal sheet/verdicts.
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Target employers: Create a list of 15–20 firms/carriers with remote or hybrid policies.
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Apply smart: Use LinkedIn Easy Apply plus direct firm portals; tailor 3–4 bullets to each posting.
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Activate referrals: Message former colleagues, mediators, or adjusters for warm intros.
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Prep interviews: Two matter walk-throughs, one failure/lesson story, and your mediation framework.
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Negotiate: Ask about bonus structure, origination credit, CLE budget, bar dues, tech stipend, and remote office reimbursement.
FAQs
Do I need trial experience?
Not always, but dispositive motion and deposition experience are highly valued. Trials help for senior roles.
Which state bars are most useful?
Jurisdiction-heavy states like CA, FL, TX, NY, NJ, and PA often open more remote dockets.
Coverage vs defense—what’s hotter remotely?
Coverage/bad faith counseling and briefing remain strong for remote-first roles; PI/WC also robust with hybrid options.
Clear Next Steps
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Set job alerts on LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter for “remote insurance defense attorney,” “coverage attorney,” and your target states.
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Rewrite your resume with outcomes: one verdict, one MSJ win, one early-resolution result, and your average cycle-time or case load.
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Assemble a writing sample (5–10 pages) and scrub PII.
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Make a target list of 20 employers (10 panel firms, 5 carriers/staff counsel, 5 boutiques) and apply this week.
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Request two referrals from ex-colleagues or adjusters; add them to your applications.
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Book two mock interviews covering a case strategy walk-through and a mediation plan.
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Negotiate offers for bonus, CLE/bar dues, tech stipend, malpractice, and remote office support.