Labor & Employment Litigation Associate

Job Description

Job Description

Direct Counsel is seeking a Labor & Employment Associate to join a premier employer-side Labor & Employment practice in Orange County. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney looking to work on sophisticated employment litigation matters, including high-stakes class actions, representative actions, workplace investigations, and employment counseling.

The ideal candidate will have strong employment litigation experience, exceptional writing skills, and a desire to take on meaningful responsibility while working closely with clients on complex workplace issues.

Responsibilities

• Represent employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters
• Handle all phases of employment litigation, including:
  • Wage and hour class actions
  • Representative actions
  • Discrimination claims
  • Harassment claims
  • Retaliation claims
  • Wrongful termination matters
• Draft and argue motions, briefs, and other court filings
• Conduct legal research and prepare litigation strategy memoranda
• Manage written discovery, depositions, and witness preparation
• Assist with internal workplace investigations and employment counseling matters
• Advise clients on employment law compliance and risk management
• Work directly with clients and litigation teams on complex employment disputes

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Law school class years 2017–2021
• Minimum of 3 years of employment law experience at a peer law firm
• Significant employer-side employment litigation experience
• Experience handling:
  • Wage and hour litigation
  • Employment discrimination matters
  • Representative actions
  • Class action litigation
• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical abilities
• Excellent oral advocacy and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple matters in a fast-paced environment
• Strong academic credentials

Preferred Experience

• Class action litigation experience
• Representative action experience
• Employment investigations and counseling experience

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $310,000 – $435,000
• Compensation based on experience, qualifications, and other operational considerations
• Discretionary performance-based bonus opportunities
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits
• Retirement benefits
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Parental leave
• Basic life insurance

Why This Opportunity

• Join a highly regarded Labor & Employment practice
• Work on sophisticated employer-side litigation matters
• Significant responsibility and direct client interaction
• Exposure to complex class action and representative action litigation
• Strong mentorship, professional development, and advancement opportunities
• Collaborative environment with a premier national platform

Direct Counsel is committed to connecting exceptional legal talent with premier law firms and fostering inclusive hiring practices.