Employment Litigation Associate Attorney — Defense

Job overview

The Employment Litigation Associate Attorney — Defense role is based in California, with offices listed in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Diego, and San Francisco. The salary range is $235,000–$365,000 per year, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Direct Counsel is recruiting for a leading Am Law firm’s employment practice. The attorney defends employment claims and advises employer clients on workplace issues, combining litigation with day-to-day counseling. The role contributes through case management, legal analysis, drafting, and strategic client advice across a broad range of California employment matters.

What you'll do

• Defend wage-and-hour class, collective, and PAGA actions
• handle single-plaintiff employment litigation
• advise on meal and rest break claims, misclassification, off-the-clock disputes, compensation, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination
• advise on restrictive covenants and employee mobility
• support workforce reductions and restructurings
• draft and negotiate employment, separation, and severance agreements
• counsel on policies, training, leave, and compensation practices.

What we're looking for

Skills & competencies

full-time

associate attorney

employment litigation

defense

california labor code

class actions

paga

employer counseling

los angeles ca

palo alto ca

san diego ca

san francisco ca

$235k–$365k

Work arrangement

• Weekend coverage required

Why this role

The posting requires 2+ years of labor and employment experience and active California Bar admission; trial experience is highly preferred.

About the employer

Direct Counsel is hiring for this role. Industry: Offices of Lawyers. Sector: 54.