Associate Attorney

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

Responsible for managing and overseeing legal services with an emphasis on civil litigation, legal support for natural gas system emergency events and, employment law. Resolves issues affecting Peoples’ ability to accomplish business goals and objectives in a legal and ethical manner. Responsible for managing caseloads assigned by Peoples VP, General Counsel & Senior Counsel, Aqua VP, Managing Counsel and Essential EVP, General Counsel

Duties

- Provide a broad spectrum of legal services to internal clients and supervise the provision of legal services by outside counsel, when needed. Legal services will include the negotiation, drafting, review, and interpretation of legal documents, providing advice to internal clients concerning the applications of laws, regulations, orders, and legal opinions and management of civil litigation proceedings.

- Manage a caseload of civil litigation matters in Magistrate and County Courts, Public Utility Commission (PUC) Hearings and Workers Compensation proceedings. Provide direct legal representation in Magistrate, PUC and Arbitration proceedings.

- Analyze pertinent information and evidence in order to provide legal options to internal business clients and provide routine updates to Senior Leadership, Internal Clients and Legal Team regarding caseload status, including risks of adverse decisions.

- Develop strategies for contested proceedings and manage cases in a manner to minimize risk and costs to the Company through settlements and/or litigated decisions. Evaluate appeals of litigation decisions, as needed.

- Monitor legal developments, in areas of responsibility, and advise Senior Leadership, Internal Clients and Legal Team of emerging legal issues. Assist in researching and implementing changes to internal business processes, as needed, to mitigate negative impacts upon the Company due to emerging legal issues.

- Perform extensive legal research relative to utility regulation and litigation defense.

- Support Peoples VP, General Counsel, Peoples Senior Counsel, Aqua VP, Managing Counsel and Essential EVP, General Counsel, as directed.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

- Experience with and knowledge of state and federal public utility laws, regulations (PUC, FERC, DOT), management of civil litigation matters, employment law and issues and other legal matters related to the public utility industry.

- Ability to perform complex research, prepare briefs and pleadings, conduct discovery and trial preparation.

- Ability to exercise independent judgement in making decisions involving legal matters.

- Ability to work collaboratively.

- Proficient in Word and online legal research tools.

- Strong verbal and written communications, analytical, and advocacy skills.

Education And Experience

- Minimum seven (7) years of practicing law; experience in the natural gas industry preferred.

- Juris Doctorate degree required.

- Licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

- While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to:

- Working conditions include approximately 20% travel to work sites of PNG (and travel beyond Pittsburgh representing PNG).

- Sedentary work- Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

- See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity.

- Operate a computer and other business machines.

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.

Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).

To Maintain The Integrity Of The Recruitment Process And To Avoid Real Or Perceived Conflicts Of Interest Due To Employment And/or Assignment Of Family Members And Personal Referrals, Specific Guidelines Apply To The Hiring And Assignment Of These Individuals Including, But Not Limited To

- Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship

- Family members cannot work in the same department.