Counsel, Litigation

Western Midstream; Town Center (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

Western Midstream seeks a Counsel, Litigation to provide comprehensive legal support across the company’s litigation matters, including commercial, tort, and employment issues. The attorney will manage disputes, coordinate with outside counsel, and advise HR and leadership to mitigate risk in a fast-paced energy midstream environment.

The role requires hands-on, strategic thinking and the ability to work with personnel at all levels.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in Texas.
• 4+ years of relevant litigation experience.
• Experience in complex commercial and tort litigation; employment experience a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple matters and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Litigation Management: oversee commercial, contract, personal injury, property damage, and employment-related litigation.
• Develop litigation strategy with stakeholders and outside counsel.
• Direct and manage outside counsel through discovery, motions, mediation, arbitration, and trial.
• Evaluate claims, defenses, settlements, and litigation risk; manage budgets.
• Lead factual investigations related to litigation and employment matters; oversee e-discovery and legal holds.
• Advise HR and management on discipline, performance, wage-hour compliance, policies, and employee relations.
• Assist with responses to subpoenas and regulatory requests.
• Collaborate with business teams to identify and mitigate legal risks and disputes.

Skills

Litigation management

Commercial litigation

Contract interpretation

Outside counsel management

Legal writing

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Negotiation

Employment law

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Our core assets provide services for customers in the Delaware Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, and the DJ Basin in northeastern Colorado, and the Powder River Basin in Northeast Wyoming. Additional assets and investments are located in South Texas, Utah, and Southwest Wyoming.

We’re engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing and transporting condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and crude oil; and gathering, transporting, recycling, treating and disposing of produced water for our customers. In our capacity as a natural gas processor, we also buy and sell natural gas, NGLs, and condensate on our behalf and our customers under certain gas processing contracts.

Western Midstream (WES) is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol, WES.

Job Summary:

The Counsel, Litigation position provides legal support across the Company's litigation matters, including commercial, tort, and employment controversies. This attorney will manage disputes and investigations, work with outside counsel, advise Human Resources and business leaders, and help mitigate legal risk through practical counseling and proactive initiatives.The ideal candidate is a hands-on, proactive lawyer who can think strategically while also managing day-to-day legal work. The attorney must be comfortable operating in a fast-paced business environment and partnering with all levels of personnel across the organization.

• Litigation Management
• Manage commercial, contract, personal injury, property damage, and employment-related litigation
• Develop litigation strategy in partnership with business stakeholders and outside counsel
• Direct and manage outside counsel to ensure effective and efficient representationacross discovery, motion practice, mediation, arbitration, and trial
• Evaluate claims, defenses, settlement opportunities, andlitigationrisk
• Manage litigation budgets and outside counsel expenditures
• Discovery and Case Factfinding
• Lead factual investigations relating to litigation, employment matters, and government inquiries
• Manage fact finding through witness interviews and document preservation, collection, and review, including managing legal holds and e-discovery processes
• Assistwith responses to subpoenas, civil investigative demands, and regulatory requests
• Employment & Human Resources Support
• AdviseHR and management regardingemployee discipline and performance management; wage-and-hour compliance; leave and accommodation issues; workplace policies and employee relations matters; workforce reorganizations
• Review and advise on employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation agreements, and related employment documents
• Assistin developing andmaintainingemployment policies, handbooks, and workplace procedures
• Manage employment litigation and administrative proceedings, including matters before the EEOC and state agencies
• Business Support
• Collaborate with business teams toidentifyand mitigate legal risks
• Assistin resolving disputes before formal litigation arises
• Support contract interpretation, enforcement, anddispute-resolutionefforts
• Financial & Strategic Responsibilities
• Identifyrecurring litigation and employment risks and recommend preventative measures
• Develop and implement best practices for dispute management, investigations, and employment compliance
• Monitor emerging legal developments affecting the energy and midstream industries

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Active license to practice law in Texas
• 4+ years of relevant litigation experience
• Meaningful experience in complex commercial litigation and tort litigation including active speaking roles in proceedings such as hearings and depositions. Labor and employment experience preferred but not required
• Experience with handling multiple matters simultaneously
• Strong legal writing, analytical, investigative, and advocacy skills
• Intellectual curiosity and ownership mentality, comfortable with accountability and taking initiative to address matters even if not squarely within immediate area of responsibility
• Ability to analyze issues, make decisions, and provide deliverables amid imperfect information. Sound judgment and analytical thinking, including the ability to “see around corners” and anticipate consequences, even in unfamiliar areas of law and business operations
• Comfort with deadlines and complexity, with attention to detail
• Ability to work independently without waiting for direction, with ability to manage competing priorities
• Strong interpersonal andclient-serviceskills
• Excellent written and oral communication abilities
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach
• Willingness to perform both strategic and hands-on legal work

Relocation:

• This position is not eligible for relocation.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel will be required up to 10%.

Work Schedule:

• This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and working remote Wednesday and Friday. Monday-Thursday are 9 hours and Fridays are 4 hours.

Western Midstream does not offer sponsorship of employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions for this role.

Western Midstream is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in recruiting, hiring, developing, compensating and promoting applicants and employees. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for employee's and applicant's disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.