Associate Counsel,TAB Legal Affairs (Legal Director)

Description

JOB TITLE:                          Associate Counsel TAB Legal Affairs 

SALARY RANGE:               $114,645 to $142,000 

DEPT/DIV:                           General Law #2/ Transit Adjudication Bureau 

SUPERVISOR:                    Deputy Executive Director TAB Operations  

LOCATION:                         177 Livingston Street 

HOURS OF WORK:            8:00 am - 4:30 pm (7 1/2 hours/day) 

This position is eligible for telework which is currently one day per week. New hires are eligible to apply 30 days after their effective date of hire.  

SUMMARY: 

This position will be responsible for all the MTA Law Department Transit Adjudication Bureau’s (TAB) legal affairs.  

The Associate Counsel TAB Legal Affairs will function as TAB’s Legal Director. The position has 3 main components. First, ensuring that TAB is compliant with all laws, rules and statutes governing the operation of TAB. Second, responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the adjudication process at TAB, including the management of approximately 35 per diem TAB Hearing Officers and third, overseeing the activities of the TAB Collection Attorney. 

This position will provide legal support to TAB with respect to the handling of litigation matters, complex subpoena responses, dispute resolution related to the operation of the Transit Adjudication Bureau. The individual must have extensive knowledge of Federal, State and Local Laws. The Legal Director will be responsible for all TAB related court matters, including litigation and Article 78 and Small Claims Court appearances. The Legal Director will be the chief resource to support legislative changes that will be required to implement the Blue-Ribbon Panel recommendations. 

Senior and middle management may refer to this individual for legal advice. The attorney should possess a high level of expertise in litigation matters. The position will be required to work collaboratively with other departments, agencies, and senior management. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

·    Manage approximately 35 per diem TAB Hearing Officers to ensure the effective and efficient operation of approximately 25k annual hearings at the TAB. TAB’s adjudication process is integral to its operation and requires coordination of multiple aspects to run smoothly and meet all statutory requirements, including timelines. This involves oversight of the TAB Hearing Officers in conducting hearings and internal appeals. 

·    The Legal Director will supervise the TAB Collection Attorney’s efforts to effectively pursue the collection of the 200 million dollars in uncollected debt and ensure that any collection efforts undertaken are legally compliant with all relevant laws. This includes ensuring TAB’s compliance with the NYS Department of Taxation Statewide Offset Program (SWOP) and garnishment of wages. The Legal Director will interact with the Bankruptcy Court on cases involving TAB debtors, appear at Article 78 proceedings and other court matters concerning TAB and respond to FOIL requests and respond to audit requests. 

·    The Legal Director will also participate in the preparation and negation of RFPs related to TAB contracts and providing counsel to senior management and staff on a variety of topics such as customer complaints and media requests. The Legal Director will handle a variety of special projects as assigned by Senior Management. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

• Must have significant knowledge and experience handling general litigation matters in State and Federal Court.
• Knowledge of administrative law is desired.
• Must have superior oral, written and interpersonal skills.
• Must possess ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines, with ability to prioritize projects and be open to suggestions and constructive criticism.
• Must demonstrate attention to detail. Excellent negotiating, drafting, practice-management skills and business judgment. Ability to identify creative, business-oriented solutions to legal and business risks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and clients in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence dealing with senior management and sophisticated clients. Proven capability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, problem solving, organizational and litigation skills and demonstrated ability to work on a multi-discipline team.
• Solid knowledge of Lexis-Nexis, Microsoft Office, Windows, and other relevant computer software programs.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school and New York State Bar Admission and license to practice law and have excellent academic credentials. 

The attorney must possess a minimum of five years of legal experience, with at least three years of experience in litigation in State and Federal Court. 

OTHER INFORMATION: 

Pursuant to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the “Commission”). 

Equal Employment Opportunity  

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including with respect to veteran status and individuals with disabilities. 

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.