Associate Pre-Litigation Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

About the Role

We’re looking for a motivated Pre-Litigation Attorney to join our fast-growing, dynamic personal injury law firm. In this role, you’ll guide clients from injury to resolution with speed, empathy, and excellence helping them achieve peace of mind and fair compensation without the stress of going to court. We are a Wilmington, NC based law firm and looking for a Pre-Litigation Attorney based in the Charlotte, NC area, this will require some travel.

What You’ll Do

• Evaluate new cases quickly and strategically.
• Build compelling demand packages that tell each client’s story.
• Negotiate directly with insurance carriers to secure the best possible results.
• Partner closely with clients and our dedicated pre-litigation team to deliver outstanding service and outcomes.

Why Join Us

• Flexibility: Focus on results, not the clock. Get the work done in the way that works best for you.
• Culture: Be part of a collaborative, positive team that values growth, innovation, and excellence.
• Impact: Make a meaningful difference in clients’ lives while avoiding the grind of court appearances and litigation.
• Growth: Join an ambitious, fast-scaling firm where your career can grow as quickly as we do.

Key Responsibilities

Case Strategy & File Management

• Triage new matters for liability and damages; develop early case strategy and timelines.
• Identify coverage (BI/UM/UIM/Med-Pay), policy limits, and subrogation issues.
• Track statutes of limitation and critical deadlines; make timely file-to-litigation recommendations.

Client Communication & Advocacy

• Serve as primary attorney contact for clients in pre-lit; conduct onboarding calls, status updates, and expectation-setting with empathy and clarity.
• Prepare clients for recorded statements, EUOs (when appropriate), and medical evaluations.
• Resolve routine client concerns and escalate complex issues thoughtfully.

Evidence Development & Demand Packages

• Direct evidence gathering (police reports, witness statements, photos/video, property damage, black-box data where applicable).
• Oversee medical record/ bill requests; analyze treatment, causation, and future care needs.
• Draft persuasive demand letters with clear liability analysis, specials summaries, and damages narratives.

Negotiations & Carrier Relations

• Negotiate settlements with adjusters; respond to counteroffers with data-driven rationales.
• Document all negotiations; maintain professional rapport with carriers while advocating firmly for clients.
• Identify when pre-suit mediation or early neutral evaluation could add value.

Collaboration & Workflow

• Partner with case managers and paralegals to maintain momentum, reduce cycle times, and ensure file hygiene.
• Coordinate with the lien resolution team on lien audits and reductions to optimize client net recovery.
• Prepare final settlement documents; review closing statements and disbursements.

Risk, Compliance & Quality

• Ensure ethical compliance, confidentiality, trust-account rules, and documentation standards.
• Use firm technology (Filevine, Microsoft 365, etc.) to maintain accurate notes, tasks, and reporting.
• Contribute to internal playbooks and continuous-improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active North Carolina bar license in good standing
• 3–5 years experience in personal injury pre-litigation; strong interest in negotiations and client advocacy.
• Clear, persuasive legal writing; confident, professional phone presence with clients and adjusters.
• Organized and metrics-minded. Comfortable working to cycle-time, settlement-rate, and client-satisfaction goals.
• Tech-savvy; experience with Filevine or similar case-management software preferred.

Key Success Metrics

• Weekly settlements reached
• Weekly demands sent
• Fee disbursement within 30 days of settlement
• Client satisfaction Net Promoter Scores

Why Work with Us

• Competitive salary with performance-based bonus potential.
• Medical, dental, vision; PTO and paid holidays; 401(k) with match.
• CLE/membership support and professional development.
• Working hours Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-3pm
• Closed for week of Christmas
• Firm sponsored events

Company DescriptionHorton & Mendez is a personal injury law firm based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. We primarily handle motor vehicle accident, worker's compensation, premise liability, medical malpractice, products liability, and other types of personal injury matters.

We are one of the fastest growing personal injury law firms in our market. We are committed to our core values and mission to best serve each client. We strive to be a bright spot during a dark time in many of our client's lives. We are committed to delivering exceptional client service, open lines of communication, and strong advocacy for each client.

We are very proud of our exceptional work culture and commitment to growing the firm together. Our work culture is based on team work and being hungry, humble, and smart. Hungry means having a strong work ethic and putting forth the time and effort to excel in your position. Humble is putting the team before yourself and sharing credit with others for the firm's accomplishments. And lastly, smart means showing empathy, having self awareness, and interacting well with others on the team.

Company Description

Horton & Mendez is a personal injury law firm based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. We primarily handle motor vehicle accident, worker's compensation, premise liability, medical malpractice, products liability, and other types of personal injury matters. \r\n\r\nWe are one of the fastest growing personal injury law firms in our market. We are committed to our core values and mission to best serve each client. We strive to be a bright spot during a dark time in many of our client's lives. We are committed to delivering exceptional client service, open lines of communication, and strong advocacy for each client. \r\n\r\nWe are very proud of our exceptional work culture and commitment to growing the firm together. Our work culture is based on team work and being hungry, humble, and smart. Hungry means having a strong work ethic and putting forth the time and effort to excel in your position. Humble is putting the team before yourself and sharing credit with others for the firm's accomplishments. And lastly, smart means showing empathy, having self awareness, and interacting well with others on the team.