CORPORATE COUNSEL, EMPLOYMENT LAW

Compass Group USA; Yorkmont (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Paid Parental Leave

Job summary

Compass Group USA, the world’s largest contract foodservice company, seeks a Corporate Counsel – Employment Law to join its Legal Department at its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, NC.

You will provide practical, business-focused legal advice to HR, operations, and business leaders across the organization. The ideal candidate has 3–6 years of employment law experience, including agency charges, litigation, wage-and-hour matters, and day-to-day counseling.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of employment law experience, preferably with both law firm and in-house exposure.
• Active state bar in good standing.
• Experience handling litigation, agency matters, wage-and-hour issues, and employment counseling.
• Strong knowledge of federal employment laws and ability to research state and local requirements.
• Excellent research, writing, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise HR, operations, and business leaders on employment-related legal matters.
• Manage outside counsel including strategy and budgets.
• Conduct investigations and respond to agency charges and claims.
• Support employment litigation from pre-suit to trial preparation.
• Develop and deliver employment law training for HR and operations teams.

Skills

Employment law

Communication

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Relationship building

Travel readiness

Education

J.D. ABA-accredited law school

Tools

Microsoft Office

Legal matter-management systems

Job description

Compass Corporate

A family of companies and experiences

As the leading foodservice and support services company, Compass Group USA is known for our great people, great service and our great results. If you’ve been hungry and away from home, chances are you’ve tasted Compass Group’s delicious food and experienced our outstanding service. We have over 284,000 US associates who work in award-winning restaurants, corporate cafes, hospitals, schools, arenas, museums, and more in all 50 states. Our reach is constantly expanding to shape the industry and create new opportunities for innovation. Join the Compass family today!

great people. great services. great results.

Each and every individual plays a key role in the growth and legacy of our company. We know the next big idea can come from anyone. We encourage developing and attracting expertise that differentiates us as a company as we continue to raise the bar.

This position is eligible for an Employee Referral Bonus! If you know someone that is qualified for this role, please use the ‘job search’ in PeopleHub to refer your referral and email them a link to apply. Your referral will be able to apply by clicking the link in the email. You can check the status through your profile, accessible via Careers in PeopleHub, by clicking on ‘referral tracking.’ For Employee Referral guidelines, FAQs and the Compass Employee Referral Policy, [e-mail].

Job Summary

Compass Group USA, the world’s largest contract foodservice company, is seeking a Corporate Counsel – Employment Law to join its Legal Department at its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, this role provides practical, business-focused legal advice to HR, operations, and business leaders across the organization.

The ideal candidate will have 3-6 years of employment law experience, including agency charges, litigation, wage-and-hour matters, workplace investigations, and day-to-day counseling. This position offers significant responsibility and direct collaboration with business partners and outside counsel in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise HR, operations, and business leaders on employment-related legal matters.
• Handle administrative agency matters, including EEOC and Department of Labor claims.
• Investigate and respond to agency charges, subpoenas, demand letters, and other employment claims.
• Assist with employment litigation, including pre-suit matters, discovery, motions, mediation, and trial preparation.
• Manage outside counsel, including strategy, budgets, reporting, and claim resolution.
• Counsel on wage-and-hour compliance, employee classifications, pay practices, leaves, accommodations, performance management, discipline, terminations, severance, restrictive covenants, and workplace investigations.
• Support employment audits, compliance reviews, and risk-management initiatives.
• Conduct legal research and prepare guidance, communications, and training materials.
• Develop and deliver employment law training for HR and operations teams.
• Track employment matters, deadlines, outcomes, and reporting.
• Monitor legal developments and communicate key changes to stakeholders.
• Support special projects and assist with mentoring legal support staff as needed.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with at least one state bar.
• 3-6 years of employment law experience, preferably with both law firm and in-house exposure.
• Experience handling litigation, agency matters, wage-and-hour issues, and employment counseling.
• Strong knowledge of federal employment laws and ability to research state and local requirements.
• Sound legal and business judgment with a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent research, writing, analytical, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Strong relationship-building skills with business leaders, HR professionals, colleagues, and outside counsel.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with legal matter-management systems preferred.
• Ability to travel occasionally.
• Demonstrated professionalism, responsiveness, and commitment to teamwork and client service.

Compass Group offers an outstanding opportunity for a motivated employment attorney to take on meaningful responsibility, partner closely with business leaders, and contribute to the company’s employment law and risk-management strategy.

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Compass Corporate maintains a drug-free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Associates at Corporate are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Personal Leave
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_CorpAndFoodbuy.pdf

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/