Legal Counsel - Employment & Litigation

About the job
Nature and Scope
Client is seeking a Legal Counsel, Employment and Litigation to join their Legal Team. The primary function of this role is to provide advice and legal support in assigned areas, which may include, but are not be limited to Human Resources, litigation (other than IP), immigration, government investigations, subpoena responses, and internal investigations. The ideal candidate will also provide legal research and advice on potential and actual disputes (e.g., contractual, employment) and provide legal support for companywide Records Management requirements, both internally and in conjunction with global requirements. This role requires good judgment, a commitment to building cross-functional relationships and a strong work ethic. The successful candidate must be able to work independently and as part of a collaborative team, providing practical recommendations.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

• Responsible for handling legal aspects of employment-related activities including providing legal advice and counsel on a wide variety of employment-related matters such as: recruiting, onboarding, and retention initiatives; wage and hour matters; accommodations; leaves of absence; compensation; benefits; performance management; employee terminations; and compliance with federal, state and local employment laws.
• Collaborating with HR on employee related policies, procedures and training; and supporting HR’s operational compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (operations in all fifty states, with majority of employees located in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California).
• Keep informed and communicate with internal business partners about new laws, regulations, and industry trends affecting the company.
• Draft and negotiate agreements in assigned areas.
• Manage assigned litigation and claims including investigations of complaints, cost-effective and judicious management of outside counsel, notice and communications with insurers, draft responses to demand letters, document discovery, and responses to third party subpoenas.
• Be flexible and willing to provide legal advice and support in a wide range of areas.
• Contribute to the Legal team's ongoing efforts to create and optimize advice delivery, practices, legal tools (e.g., templates) processes, training and other communications.
• Perform any other tasks/duties as assigned by management.

Education Requirements And Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.
• Juris Doctor degree; licensed to practice law in the U.S. and state of residence.
• Minimum 5 years attorney legal experience from top tier law firm or in-house.
• 3+ years of labor and employment law experience in-house or at a law firm required, with preference for in-house pharmaceutical experience.
• Demonstrated success managing projects to completion on time and with appropriate stakeholder input.
• Effective time management and communication skills. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with minimal oversight.
• Desire and willingness to invest in personal development including learning new or developing areas of the law.
• Ability to articulate important legal concerns and principles to non-lawyers in practical terms.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills.
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills, with the ability to provide alternate approaches and solutions.
• Enjoy partnering with businesses and managing stakeholder relationships.
• Courage to deliver factually accurate findings and recommendations, and diplomatically deliver advice.
• Ability to identify risks and creatively find solutions.
• Handle tasks efficiently under pressure when circumstances dictate a sense of urgency.
• Build a sense of trust that encourages employees to report suspect activities and assures them that issues are dealt with appropriately.
• Ability to develop legal subject matter expertise, particularly in litigation processes and rules, as well as legal research and legal writing.
• Positive attitude about embracing corporate policies and maintaining confidentiality of company information.