In-House Counsel

Proper Hospitality is seeking a business-mindedIn-HouseCounselto build and lead the legal function across our growing portfolio of luxury lifestyle hotels. While the role covers the full range of corporate legal needs, it places significant emphasis on employment and labor law. This includes compliance with California’s complex wage and hour rules, workplace investigations, employee policies, union matters, and the training and systems that keep our workforce consistent and protected.

You will be the company’s internal lead for legal matters and will work directly with senior leadership while coordinating with outsidecounsel as needed. This role is not only about managing legal risk but also about shaping the frameworks that support Proper’s growth, from hotel brand expansion and wellness concepts to new F&B partnerships and real estate ventures. The right candidate will know how to balance creative deal-making with structure and compliance and will help design how a modern hospitality company manages people, contracts, and technology responsibly.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Legal Oversight

• Serve as Proper’s lead for all legal matters and manage outsidecounselrelationships
• Guide the company through day-to-day legal needs, contract strategy, compliance issues, and growth initiatives
• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements across vendor, real estate, brand, technology, and F&B categories
• Ensure compliance with hotel management agreements, local regulations, state and federal laws, and relevant codes across all operating areas
• Advise on intellectual property, marketing, and brand protections as Proper expands
• Define scalable legal processes using LegalFly and related tools
• Lead internal trainings to build legal fluency and reduce exposure

Hotel Management Agreements and Owner Relations

• Review and negotiate hotel management agreements and development-related legal documents
• Support executive leadership in managing owner relationships and legal communications

Employment & Labor Law

• Partner with the People and Culture team on policies, investigations, discipline, and wage and hour compliance
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal employment laws with a particular focus on California’s wage and hour requirements
• Conduct proactive compliance audits on timekeeping, meal and rest breaks, overtime, and scheduling practices to reduce exposure to class actions and PAGA claims
• Draft and update employee handbooks, arbitration agreements, and workplace policies in line with best practices and evolving legal standards
• Providecounselon union organizing, collective bargaining, grievance handling, and labor relations strategy
• Support mandated workplace training programs on harassment prevention, leaves of absence, accommodations, and related topics
• Serve as the primary internal advisor for employment litigation strategy and coordinate with outsidecounselas needed

F&B and Wellness Concepts

• Provide legal support on culinary and wellness agreements and regulatory matters
• Partner with internal teams to structure chef partnerships, third-party operators, sourcing, and wellness claims

Insurance and Risk

• Oversee insurance coverage across general liability, EPLI, cyber, D&O, and property
• Manage broker and carrier relationships and ensure coverage aligns with operational needs

AI and Innovation

• Use platforms such as LegalFly and other AI-based tools to streamline contract management, compliance, and document review
• Stay current on legal and ethical considerations around AI in hospitality
• Help operational teams implement responsible and effective legal technology practices

Qualifications

• JD from a top accredited law school with active California Bar membership or eligibility to register asin-housecounselin California
• 6 or more years of legal experience, with at least 3 years at a top law firm andin-houseor hospitality experience strongly preferred
• Expertise in California employment law and significant experience handling wage and hour, union, and workplace compliance matters
• Knowledge of hospitality operations, commercial real estate, and brand-facing legal issues
• Experience with hotel management agreements, chef partnerships, and wellness-driven businesses is a plus
• Familiarity with LegalFly and legal AI tools preferred

Style of Work

• Entrepreneurial and grounded, with comfort building systems in a fast-paced, scaling business
• Strong communicator who simplifies legal issues for cross-functional teams
• Trusted partner to executives who can balance risk with opportunity
• Proactive and curious, focused on how law can enable growth and creativity
• Invested in shaping culture, not only in enforcing policy

Salary: $225,000-250,000 (based on skills, experience and qualifications)

Additional Compensation: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus of up to 30% base salary.

Company Overview

Proper Hospitality is a diverse team of passionate individuals who share a common love for hotels and the art of hospitality. Our philosophy is simple: there is a right way to do things, and anything less just isn’t proper. We are seeking the best of the best—both within and outside the industry—to join us in building a new kind of lifestyle hospitality company, inspired by a centuries-old tradition. Our work is challenging and fast-paced, but above all, it is rewarding.

To achieve our vision—to inspire and transport people—we seek like-minded candidates who embody our ethos, The Pillars of Proper:

• Care Proper: We are natural and gracious hosts to all.
• Achieve Proper: We are committed to excellence.
• Imagine Proper: We are resourceful.
• Present Proper: We have an appreciation for style and culture.

Proper Hospitality is an equal-opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other federally or state-protected category.

We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with local Fair Chance Hiring Ordinances.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Legal

• Industries

  Hospitality

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