Senior Legal Counsel, Ceded Reinsurance

About the role

This role will partner with and primarily support the contract needs of Markel's Global Ceded Reinsurance team, including reinsurance agreements, trust agreements, intermediary/broker agreements, commutations agreements, non-disclosure agreements, etc. The role is highly cross‑functional, partnering with Underwriting, Ceded Re, Finance/Accounting Policy, Claims, and Nephila's legal team in Bermuda, London, and the US. Job Responsibilities Partner with Markel's Ceded Re Placement leads to understand each reinsurance deal and take primary responsibility over drafting, editing, and finalizing the various contracts associated with each outwards reinsurance placement. This includes understanding the product lines covered, their respective coverages, appropriate exclusions, and the proposed/final reinsurance terms. Partner with Markel's Ceded Re team in negotiation of contract terms, reinsurance coverage, and other wordings to protect Markel's interest and ensure contracts align with the intent. Primary responsibility for managing contracts associated with the Insurance Linked Securities (ILS) market in order to provide end‑to‑end legal support for Markel Bermuda Limited's fronting and ILS activities, including structuring, drafting, negotiating, and closing quota share and related agreements; overseeing trust and collateral frameworks; managing industry loss warranty (ILW) arrangements; advising on specialty products; and coordinating Bermuda regulatory engagements and board governance. Structure and maintain trust agreements and Risk Transfer Framework Agreements (RTFAs) supporting Markel's ILS fund groups ensuring collateral sufficiency, trust operations, and signatory governance for payments. Provide advice on all specialty products legal documents from end to end including reservations-of-rights (ROR) language, claims, commutation, and other agreements. Form strong relationships with ILS council to help build strong relationships between the ILS group, legal and ceded. Draft and negotiate commutation amendments and legacy claim clean‑ups; coordinate with Finance/Claims and audit trail requirements. Serve as the backup legal interface with Nephila counsel and internal partners (Head of ILS Solutions, Managing Director Ceded Re, Accounting Policy, Claims), facilitating quick issue resolution and document execution. Partner with Ceded Re leadership to embed counterparty concentration and credit‑risk controls into master QS language/MOUs and future fronting frameworks. Ensure all agreements are executed on a timely basis to meet internal Markel Service Level Agreements, as well as the appropriate regulatory requirements. Maintain and manage a library of all ceded reinsurance clauses and wordings and appropriate supporting documentation. Maintain and enhance Markel's standard reinsurance wording library used in reinsurance contracts, trust agreements, non-disclosure agreements, commutation agreements, broker arrangements, etc. and ensure they remain aligned with industry best practices and the latest industry trends. Build relationships with Markel's reinsurance brokers and their contract wording teams. Work closely with Markel partners and reinsurers on deals placed on a direct basis. Negotiate trust agreement language with reinsurers and their financial institutions. Bring all current Markel reinsurance agreements up to our global wording standards, while catering for local regulatory and commercial requirements where needed. Partner with an