Legal Counsel-Employment & Labour, Sunnyvale

Alibaba Cloud is seeking a proactive employment attorney with deep expertise in employment law to join our Legal & Compliance team. In this role, you will serve as a strategic partner to Alibaba Cloud and global HR and business leadership, advising on the full spectrum of domestic employment matters and cross-border employee equity issues, in North America, Latin America, and the Middle East. This is an excellent opportunity for a mid-to-senior-level employment lawyer to apply employment law expertise within a dynamic multinational technology environment—and to develop specialized knowledge in employee equity dispute resolution.

This is a full time and in-office position based Sunnyvale.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal counsel on employment matters across federal and multi-state jurisdictions, including hiring practices, performance management, leaves of absence (FMLA, ADA, state sick leave laws), wage and hour compliance (FLSA and state laws), employee classification, workplace investigations, terminations, reductions in force, and contingent workforce management, cover our offices in North America, Latin America, and the Middle East.
• Draft, review, and update employment agreements, separation/severance agreements, restrictive covenants, HR policies, and handbooks to ensure compliance with evolving federal, state, and local requirements.
• Manage employment-related disputes, including agency charges, litigation, arbitration, and mediation—with particular focus on equity compensation disputes under RSU/option plans.
• Advise on employee equity matters with respective regional tax and securities law implications, and support equity grant administration and vesting events.
• Deliver practical training to HR and business leaders on high-risk topics such as harassment prevention, anti-discrimination compliance, manager best practices, and equity plan administration.

Qualifications

Job Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from law school and active membership in good standing with a U.S. state bar (California, New York, or other major tech-market state preferred)
• 7+ years of post-JD experience practising employment law at a top-tier law firm and/or as in-house counsel at a multinational technology company. Multi-state employment law experience is highly valued.
• Demonstrated experience handling employment litigation, agency charges, or arbitration before the EEOC, state agencies, or in federal/state courts. Prior exposure to equity compensation disputes is a strong plus.
• Exceptional business judgement with the ability to translate complex legal risks into practical, actionable guidance for non-lawyers.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is required; professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese is essential to collaborate effectively internally and externally.
• Self-starter mentality with the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment while managing multiple priorities.
• High integrity, cultural agility, and a collaborative approach to cross-functional partnership.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (including to China) as business needs require.

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $122,400/year and $201,600/year. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.