Senior Litigation Associate

Senior Litigation Associate About the Role: We are seeking an experienced Senior Litigation Associate to join a dynamic Employment Law practice in San Francisco, California. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney with 6+ years of litigation experience who is comfortable handling complex employment disputes while also advising employers and employees on compliance, risk management, investigations, and strategic personnel matters. The successful candidate will work closely with experienced partners on significant matters from inception through resolution and will have substantial responsibility for case strategy, litigation management, client counseling, and courtroom advocacy. The practice handles matters on both the plaintiff and defense sides, providing broad exposure to sophisticated employment law issues. Key Responsibilities: Manage employment litigation matters and discrete litigation components with increasing independence. Represent both employers and employees in state and federal courts and arbitration proceedings. Handle single-plaintiff employment matters involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and leave-related claims. Handle wage and hour litigation, including class and representative actions. Represent executives and professionals in disputes involving compensation, equity, separation agreements, and restrictive covenants. Handle trade secret and unfair competition matters arising in the employment context. Draft pleadings, dispositive motions, substantive briefs, and other litigation documents. Conduct and defend depositions and assist with hearing and trial preparation. Appear at hearings, mediations, and settlement conferences commensurate with experience. Conduct legal research and provide strategic litigation and pre-litigation advice. Advise employers on employment compliance, investigations, discipline, termination, wage practices, and workplace policies. Conduct workplace investigations and support internal employment assessments as appropriate. Represent clients in administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies. Communicate directly with clients, opposing counsel, agency representatives, and other stakeholders. Assume ownership of key workstreams while maintaining efficient case management and meeting deadlines. Collaborate closely with partners and lean case teams to deliver high-quality legal services. Required Qualifications: J.D. from an accredited law school. 6+ years of litigation experience in state and/or federal court. Demonstrated experience handling employment litigation matters is required. Experience with single-plaintiff employment disputes, wage and hour matters, executive disputes, trade secrets, or related employment litigation. Demonstrated experience drafting and arguing dispositive motions and managing discovery. Experience taking and defending depositions and participating in hearings, mediations, or settlement conferences. Working knowledge of California employment statutes and civil procedure. Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills. Excellent communication and client relationship management skills. Ability to manage significant responsibility independently while working effectively with partners and colleagues. Strong strategic thinking, attention to detail, and practical problem-solving skills. Active membership in the California Bar, or ability to obtain admission promptly. Commitment to delivering high-quality legal work in a rigorous, practice-driven environment. Why Join Us: Work across a balanced plaintiff and defense employment practice with meaningful counseling opportunities. Handle significant employment litigation involving complex California and federal legal issues. Take on substantial responsibility and ownership of important matters from an early stage. Engage directly with clients and participate in litigation strategy and decision-making. Work closely with experienced partners on lean, sophisticated case teams. Gain broad exposure to employment litigation, arbitration, investigations, and employer counseling. Develop expertise across wage and hour, discrimination, executive disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and employment compliance matters. Participate in hearings, depositions, mediations, and other substantive litigation activities commensurate with experience. Work in a rigorous, collaborative environment focused on high-quality, practice-driven legal work. Benefit from opportunities for professional growth, increased responsibility, and meaningful client interaction. Compensation & Benefits: Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications. Performance-based bonus opportunities. Meaningful responsibility on sophisticated employment litigation matters. Direct client engagement and strategic involvement. Close collaboration with experienced partners and attorneys. Professional development through hands-on litigation and counseling experience. Opportunities to work across both plaintiff and defense matters. Supportive and collaborative environment that values varied professional backgrounds and perspectives. #J-18808-Ljbffr