Associate Attorney

Kaye, Rose & Partners LLP; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Path to partnership

Hybrid work environment

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Kaye, Rose & Partners LLP in Los Angeles is hiring a driven Associate Attorney with 3–10 years of litigation experience to take on substantive responsibilities across maritime, transportation, insurance defense, and complex commercial matters.

The role blends office and flexible work with three in-office days per week, offering exposure to international clients, close collaboration with partners, and opportunities to develop into leadership within the firm.

Qualifications

• Three to ten years of litigation experience in California state and federal courts.
• Active membership in the State Bar of California in good standing.
• Admission to the Central, Southern, or Northern Districts of California and/or the Ninth Circuit is a plus.
• Experience taking and defending depositions and appearing in court on contested motions.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and analytical skills with clear work product.
• Strong judgment, initiative, and ability to manage matters with limited supervision.
• Maritime, transportation, insurance defense, or travel and tourism experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage litigation matters in California state and federal courts with ownership of files.
• Take and defend depositions of parties, witnesses, and experts.
• Draft and argue a wide range of motions including discovery and dispositive motions.
• Prepare cases for trial and second-chair or support trial teams.
• Handle written discovery and discovery motion practice.
• Advise domestic and international clients on non-litigation matters including contracts and regulatory questions.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on complex industry-wide issues.
• Participate in investigations and emergency response work for major vessel casualties.
• Handle crew claims, personal injury matters, and maritime disputes.
• Collaborate with partners and clients, including in-house counsel and insurers.

Skills

Litigation experience

Depositions

Legal research & writing

Court appearances

Judgment & initiative

Job description

Kaye, Rose & Partners, LLP is an AV-rated boutique litigation firm nationally recognized for its work in maritime, transportation, insurance defense, and complex commercial matters. Founded in 1991, the firm has been named one of the Top 25 Boutique Law Firms in California and maintains offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. Our attorneys represent many of the world's leading cruise lines, vessel owners, shipping companies, terminals, protection and indemnity clubs, and marine underwriters in cases spanning from the U.S. West Coast to international forums.

We pride ourselves on our collaborative, high-performance culture, and our commitment to excellence in every aspect of our practice. Our Los Angeles office is expanding, and we are seeking a driven, detail-oriented, and leadership-minded Associate Attorney to grow with our practice.

Our Los Angeles office is located in the heart of Century City at 1801 Century Park East, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Position Overview

This is an opportunity for a well-rounded litigator with three to ten years of experience to take on substantive responsibility immediately and build a career at a firm that is actively investing in its next generation of leadership.

Unlike larger firms where associates spend years confined to a narrow slice of a case, our attorneys work across the full range of the firm's practice. In a given month, you might take a deposition in a Jones Act crew claim, argue a discovery motion in state court, brief a dispositive motion in federal court, advise a sophisticated international client on a commercial or regulatory question outside of litigation, analyze proposed legislation affecting an entire industry, or deploy as part of a response team to a major vessel casualty. That variety is the defining feature of practicing here, and it is the reason our attorneys develop faster than their peers.

This position begins as a hybrid role, with three days per week in the office.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage litigation matters in California state and federal courts, with meaningful ownership of your files from the outset.
• Take and defend depositions of parties, witnesses, and experts.
• Draft and argue a wide range of motions, including discovery motions, dispositive motions, and pretrial motions.
• Prepare cases for trial and second-chair or otherwise support trial teams.
• Handle written discovery, meet-and-confer efforts, and discovery motion practice.
• Advise sophisticated domestic and international clients on legal matters outside of active litigation, including contract, regulatory, and risk-management questions.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda and opinions on complex and industry-wide issues, including legislative and regulatory analysis for trade groups and their member companies.
• Participate in investigations and emergency response work, including response teams assembled following major vessel casualties and total losses.
• Handle crew claims, personal injury matters, and other maritime and transportation disputes.
• Collaborate directly with firm partners and clients, including in-house counsel and claims professionals at major cruise lines, carriers, and insurers.

Qualifications

• Three to ten years of litigation experience in California state and federal courts.
• Active membership in the State Bar of California, in good standing, is required.
• Admission to the Central, Southern, or Northern Districts of California and/or the Ninth Circuit is a plus.
• Experience taking and defending depositions and appearing in court on contested motions.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with the ability to produce clear work product for both courts and business clients.
• Strong judgment, initiative, and the ability to manage matters with limited supervision.
• Maritime, transportation, insurance defense, or travel and tourism experience is a strong preference, but we will consider well-rounded litigators from any background.

Why Join Kaye, Rose & Partners?

• Path to partnership. We are hiring with the long term in mind. This is a position for someone we intend to invest in, develop, and advance as the firm grows.
• Unusual breadth of work. Few firms of any size offer exposure to maritime casualty response, Jones Act and crew litigation, complex commercial disputes, regulatory and legislative analysis, travel and tourism, and entertainment matters under one roof.
• A reasonable billable target. Our annual billable expectation is 1,800 hours, with discretionary bonuses available for hours beyond that target and for exceptional contribution to the firm.
• Direct partner and client contact. You will work shoulder to shoulder with firm leadership on high-profile matters and build relationships with clients directly, not through layers of intermediaries.
• Business development and travel opportunities. Our attorneys represent the firm at industry conferences and client meetings locally and nationally, with regular opportunities for firm-sponsored travel to New York, Miami, London, and other European cities.
• Origination credit. Associates receive origination credit for new business they bring into the firm. We want our attorneys to build their own practices, and we compensate them for doing it.
• A collaborative, team-focused culture. From our most senior partner to our staff, we operate as a team, and we mean it.
• Hybrid work environment. Enjoy a flexible hybrid work environment that encourages both autonomy and teamwork.
• Competitive compensation ranging from $130,000 to $150,000 per year, commensurate with experience. Candidates with exceptional qualifications or significant relevant experience may be considered for compensation above this range. Discretionary bonuses are available in addition to base salary.