Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Employment Attorney

🎯 Role Definition

As our Employment Attorney, you will be the primary legal advisor on all issues impacting our workforce. You will be responsible for a diverse portfolio of responsibilities spanning proactive counseling, policy development, internal investigations, and management of employment-related disputes. This is a critical role that requires a blend of legal expertise, business acumen, and strong interpersonal skills to navigate complex and sensitive situations. You will be instrumental in fostering a fair, compliant, and positive work environment by providing pragmatic legal guidance that aligns with our company's values and strategic objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Associate at a law firm (Employment Law Practice)
Junior In-House Counsel
HR Business Partner with a Juris Doctor (JD)

Advancement To:

Senior Employment Counsel
Associate General Counsel, Labor & Employment
Director of Employee Relations

Lateral Moves:

HR Compliance Director
Ethics & Compliance Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide daily, strategic legal advice and counsel to HR professionals and business leaders on a full spectrum of employment law issues, including hiring, performance management, discipline, termination, and wage and hour compliance.
Manage and direct all aspects of employment-related litigation, including single-plaintiff cases, class/collective actions, and arbitrations, from inception through resolution.
Oversee and partner with outside counsel to develop and execute effective litigation and cost-management strategies for all employment-related disputes.
Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of employment-related agreements, such as offer letters, separation agreements, confidentiality agreements, and restrictive covenants.
Lead and/or provide legal guidance on sensitive internal investigations into employee complaints, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other workplace misconduct.
Represent the company before federal, state, and local administrative agencies, such as the EEOC, DOL, and NLRB, including drafting compelling position statements and mediating charges.
Proactively monitor legislative and regulatory developments in labor and employment law and advise the business on potential impacts and necessary compliance updates.
Develop, implement, and update HR policies, procedures, and employee handbooks to ensure ongoing compliance with the complex web of federal, state, and local laws.
Design and deliver engaging and practical training programs for managers and employees on key employment law topics like anti-harassment, wage and hour compliance, and managing employee leaves.
Advise on complex employee relations matters, including difficult performance conversations, high-risk terminations, and requests for reasonable accommodations under the ADA.
Provide critical legal support and conduct due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions, focusing on labor and employment risks and integration strategies.
Partner with the compensation and benefits teams to ensure legal compliance of all pay practices, incentive plans, and employee benefit programs.
Counsel the business on all aspects of wage and hour law, including employee classification audits, overtime calculations, and pay equity analyses to mitigate risk.
Manage the company's response to third-party subpoenas and other formal requests for employee information and legal documents.
Guide the business on legal issues related to contingent workers, independent contractors, and other non-traditional work arrangements to ensure proper classification and treatment.
Provide legal counsel on union organizing activities, collective bargaining negotiations, and contract administration in both union and non-union environments.
Advise on immigration-related employment matters in partnership with specialized immigration counsel, including visa sponsorships and I-9 compliance.
Develop and implement robust strategies for managing employee leaves of absence and accommodations under the FMLA, ADA, and related state and local leave laws.
Collaborate with cross-functional partners, including HR, Compliance, Finance, and other legal department members, to provide holistic, business-oriented legal solutions.
Prepare and present regular reports to senior leadership on litigation status, legal risks, and trends in employment law to inform strategic decision-making.
Manage the legal hold process for all employment-related matters, ensuring proper preservation of relevant data and documents in anticipation of litigation.
Partner with HR on reduction-in-force (RIF) planning and execution, including advising on the selection process and conducting disparate impact analysis to minimize legal challenges.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc legal research and special projects as assigned by the General Counsel.
Contribute to the legal department's knowledge management and process improvement initiatives.
Collaborate with business units to translate complex legal requirements into practical operational guidance.
Participate in industry groups and legal seminars to stay current on best practices and emerging trends in employment law.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep expertise in federal, state, and local employment laws (e.g., Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, WARN Act).
Proven experience managing complex employment litigation, class actions, and arbitration.
Direct experience representing employers before administrative agencies (EEOC, DOL, NLRB).
High proficiency in legal research tools such as Westlaw and LexisNexis.
Exceptional skill in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating legal documents and employment-related agreements.
Experience conducting legally privileged and highly sensitive internal investigations.
Expertise in employment policy drafting, implementation, and handbook management.
Strong knowledge of wage and hour law compliance, audits, and pay equity analysis.
Competence in managing outside counsel, including budgeting and strategy alignment.
Knowledge of traditional labor law, collective bargaining, and union relations is a strong plus.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-lawyers.
Strong business acumen and the ability to provide pragmatic, risk-calibrated legal advice.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic decision-making abilities.
High degree of professional ethics, integrity, and discretion in handling confidential information.
Proven ability to build collaborative relationships and act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders at all levels.
Superior negotiation, persuasion, and conflict resolution skills.
Ability to work autonomously and manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset focused on anticipating and mitigating future legal risks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
Admitted to and in good standing with at least one U.S. State Bar.

Preferred Education:

JD from a top-tier law school.
LL.M. in Labor & Employment Law or related certificate.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Law
Labor and Employment Law

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-10 years of focused labor and employment law experience.

Preferred: A combination of experience at a reputable law firm in an employment practice group and in-house experience at a mid-to-large size company. Direct experience advising a diverse, multi-state employee population is highly desirable.