Overview

The Associate Counsel will assist the Senior Counsel, General Counsel, and other attorneys with a variety of legal matters affecting the organization, with a primary focus on employment law and commercial litigation. The Associate Counsel will assist with employment-related investigations and litigation/disputes, providing legal advice to business leaders and human resources professionals, and various commercial litigation matters.

The job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with matters arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other applicable federal, state, and local employment laws
• Assist with employment litigation, including investigations, pleadings, motions, discovery, depositions, hearings, trials, and appeals
• Prepare responses to charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and comparable state and local agencies
• Conduct and provide legal support for internal investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour issues, employee misconduct, and other workplace complaints
• Work on commercial disputes and litigation involving contracts, vendors, construction matters, property tax, real estate matters, business torts, and other issues
• Manage or assist with pre-suit disputes, demand letters, subpoenas, preservation notices, litigation holds, discovery requests, and document collection
• Must be able to handle matters in-house and also coordinate with outside counsel and internal stakeholders regarding litigation strategy, discovery, budgeting, case status, and resolution
• Draft, review, and negotiate settlement agreements, separation agreements, releases, confidentiality agreements, and other legal documents
• Advise human resources professionals, managers, and business leaders regarding federal, state, and local employment laws and workplace issues
• Provide legal guidance concerning hiring, discipline, performance management, accommodations, leaves of absence, wage-and-hour compliance, workplace investigations, and termination decisions
• Review and assist in developing employment policies, procedures, forms, agreements, and training materials
• Provide legal counsel regarding contractual rights, obligations, enforcement, and dispute-resolution provisions
• Identify and assess legal risks and recommend practical, business-oriented solutions
• Collaborate with all departments to deliver timely and responsive legal services
• Maintain familiarity with current and proposed employment laws, litigation developments, regulations, and relevant case law
• Research specific legal issues and communicate findings and recommendations to the legal team and business stakeholders
• Maintain organized matter files and track litigation, agency, contractual, and other critical deadlines
• Assist other attorneys in the legal department with a variety of matters
• Return phone calls and emails and participate in or prepare for meetings, interviews, hearings, mediations, and other legal proceedings
• Maintain the confidentiality of attorney-client communications, employee information, litigation materials, and other sensitive information

• It is an essential function of this job for the employee to work in office/in the employee’s assigned work site. No remote work is available

• Perform other duties as required or assigned

• The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

The position requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
• Licensed and in good standing to practice law in Texas, or licensed in another state and eligible to become licensed in Texas within one year
• Two to five years of relevant legal experience
• Experience advising employers regarding employment law matters or handling employment disputes and litigation
• Experience with commercial litigation, including legal research, drafting, discovery, depositions, and case management
• Strong legal research, analytical, writing, and oral communication skills
• Ability to provide practical legal advice in a fast-paced business environment
• Ability to manage multiple matters, competing priorities, and deadlines
• Sound judgment and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information
• Proficiency with Microsoft applications
• Proficiency with legal research platforms such as Lexis or Westlaw
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements is preferred