Associate General Counsel, Employment Law | Total Wine & More

Garrison; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Total Wine & More in Bethesda, MD seeks an experienced employment attorney to join its legal team as Associate General Counsel. You will lead the employment law function for a large multi-state retailer while advising senior business leaders.

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, you will partner with HR, Store Operations, and cross-functional teams, develop policies, manage outside counsel, and handle employment disputes and investigations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of legal experience in a law firm or corporate legal department with substantial employment law experience.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including wage and hour, leave and accommodations, discrimination, and workplace investigations.
• Experience advising HR and business leaders and handling employment disputes and agency matters.
• Experience supporting a multi-state workforce; hourly employees or retail experience is attractive.
• Willingness to handle legal matters outside one’s primary area of expertise.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor on employment matters, including wage and hour compliance, leave and accommodations, discrimination and harassment, employee discipline and terminations, and workplace investigations.
• Advise HR and business leadership on employee relations, agency charges, employment disputes, and risk management across a multi-state workforce.
• Develop employment policies, compliance programs, and training to support the business.
• Manage outside counsel on employment litigation and other matters, including strategy, budgets, and outcomes.
• Support the legal department on commercial, contractual, and other matters as business needs evolve.

Skills

Employment law

HR partnering

Policy development

Outside counsel management

Litigation management

Job description

Garrison has been retained by Total Wine & More to recruit an experienced employment attorney to join its legal team as Associate General Counsel. This is an excellent opportunity to lead the employment law function for a large, multi-state retail organization while serving as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders.

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, this attorney will serve as the company's principal employment counsel, partnering closely with Human Resources, Store Operations, and other business functions. The role also offers the opportunity to advise on commercial, operational, and other legal matters across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary legal advisor on employment matters, including wage and hour compliance, leave and accommodations, discrimination and harassment, employee discipline and terminations, and workplace investigations.
• Advise HR and business leadership on employee relations, agency charges, employment disputes, and risk management across a multi-state workforce.
• Develop employment policies, compliance programs, and training to support the business.
• Manage outside counsel on employment litigation and other matters, including strategy, budgets, and outcomes.
• Support the legal department on commercial, contractual, and other matters as business needs evolve.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of legal experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or combination of both, with substantial employment law experience.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including wage and hour, leave and accommodations, discrimination, and workplace investigations.
• Significant experience advising HR and business leaders and handling employment disputes and agency matters.
• Experience supporting a multi-state workforce; experience with hourly employees or in retail is particularly attractive.
• Willingness to handle legal matters outside one's primary area of expertise.

Outstanding opportunity for an experienced employment attorney seeking substantial autonomy, direct interaction with senior leadership, and the ability to influence business decisions. The role offers meaningful responsibility, broad exposure to business operations, and the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative legal team.

Position is based on site (5 days) at Total Wine & More's corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. Local candidates only please.