Assistant General Counsel – Global Litigation

Allison Transmission•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

The Assistant General Counsel – Global Litigation (AGC – Litigation) serves as the enterprise-wide leader for all litigation, disputes, and significant claims involving the Company and its global subsidiaries. The role is responsible for developing, executing, and governing the Company’s global litigation and dispute-resolution strategy, managing material legal risk, and ensuring consistent oversight, reporting, and cost discipline across all contentious matters. Reporting directly to the Deputy General Counsel, the AGC – Litigation operates as a senior enterprise legal leader within the centralized Legal organization. The role partners closely with Business Unit General Counsel and senior business leaders by managing litigation portfolios, setting resolution strategy, and advising on escalation, settlement, and risk trade-offs, while retaining enterprise ownership of litigation governance and execution.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
12+ years of litigation experience, including:
Significant experience at a top-tier law firm and/or Senior in-house litigation leadership experience at a publicly traded company
Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters
Experience advising senior executives and Boards on litigation risk and exposure

Nice To Haves

Experience with product liability litigation in manufacturing, automotive, industrial, or similarly regulated industries
Experience managing global litigation portfolios and cross-border matters
Familiarity with public company disclosure obligations related to litigation
Experience leading internal investigations or government enforcement matters
Experience operating within a centralized, enterprise legal organization
Experience coordinating litigation strategy across multiple business units and regions
Experience working closely with finance, audit, and compliance functions

Responsibilities

Enterprise Litigation Leadership & Strategy Develop, own, and lead the Company’s global litigation and dispute-resolution strategy across all jurisdictions, aligned with enterprise and business unit risk tolerance, business objectives, and cost-management goals.
Serve as the primary advisor to the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer on litigation and dispute resolution, litigation risk, exposure, trends, and systemic issues affecting the enterprise.
Provide strategic guidance to Business Unit General Counsel (BUGC) and senior business leaders on dispute avoidance, escalation, and resolution strategy.
Proactively assess litigation trends and root causes to recommend policy, process, contractual, or operational improvements that reduce future legal exposure.
Establish and maintain litigation metrics, dashboards, and reporting to support data-driven decision-making.
Litigation & Dispute Management Oversee all significant litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings globally, including: Product liability and warranty litigation OEM, supplier, and complex commercial disputes Employment and labor litigation Environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) enforcement actions Regulatory investigations and enforcement matters Class actions and multi-jurisdictional matters Other complex pre-litigation disputes and claims
Establish and enforce enterprise standards for litigation management, case assessment, escalation, and decision-making.
Prepare and deliver executive-level briefings, risk assessments, and recommendations regarding active and potential litigation, including settlement strategy.
Direct litigation strategy for high-exposure matters and provide advice and recommendations to BUGCs on matter resolutions, including settlement, trial, and appellate approaches.
Ensure litigation practices comply with applicable laws, regulations, and internal governance standards.
Public Company & Governance Support Partner with the Deputy General Counsel, CFO and finance team, Securities Counsel, and public reporting teams to ensure accurate and timely litigation-related disclosures in SEC filings.
Oversee litigation reserves and accruals in compliance with applicable accounting standards, and coordinate with Finance and Internal Audit.
Support reporting to Board of Directors and Audit Committee on material litigation, claims, and risk trends.
Lead or support internal investigations and crisis-response matters as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel.
Outside Counsel & Cost Management Participate in the selection, retention, and management of outside counsel globally, including law firms, experts, and alternative legal service providers.
Develop and manage the global litigation budget, including forecasting, spend controls, and cost-containment initiatives.
Implement performance metrics, preferred counsel frameworks, and alternative fee arrangements to drive efficiency, predictability, and value.
Risk Prevention & Process Improvement Identify systemic litigation drivers and partner with business, compliance, EHS, quality, and operational teams to mitigate future risk.
Develop and maintain litigation playbooks, training, and best practices for dispute readiness and early resolution.
Leverage data and analytics to identify trends, exposures, and opportunities for proactive risk mitigation.
Collaboration & Enterprise Integration Lead and coordinate a global litigation support model, including indirect oversight of litigation paralegals and support resources.
Partner closely with Business Unit General Counsel, functional AGCs (Compliance, Labor & Employment, IP, etc.), and subject-matter experts.
Foster a culture of disciplined risk management, accountability, and enterprise consistency across all litigation matters.
Participate on the Legal Leadership Team and other enterprise forums as appropriate.

Benefits

Choice of medical plans with prescription coverage
Employer HSA contribution
Dental & Vision Insurance
Paid Parental Leave
Short & Long-Term Disability
Other voluntary benefits including: Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Identity Theft Protection and Pet Insurance
401K with generous Company match & contribution
Accrued Paid Time Off
12 Paid Holidays + 1 Floating Holiday
Robust employee wellness program
Tuition assistance program