Dispute Resolution Associate

Withers; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 235,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Withers is seeking a litigation attorney for their San Francisco office, focusing on all phases of litigation and white-collar criminal defense. The role involves managing litigation cases, providing strategic legal advice, and contributing to business development activities.

Ideal candidates will hold a J.D., possess 4-6 years of litigation experience, and have excellent communication and drafting skills. The expected salary range is between $235,000 and $260,000, based on experience.

Qualifications

• 4 – 6 years of experience in a law firm's litigation or white collar group.
• California Bar membership in good standing.
• Proven experience with depositions, court proceedings, and sophisticated disputes.

Responsibilities

• Manage all phases of litigation and arbitration.
• Draft pleadings, motions, and memoranda of law.
• Conduct internal investigations involving whistleblower claims.

Skills

Strong academic credentials (J.D.)

Excellent drafting skills

Strong project management skills

Team-oriented mindset

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

The Dispute Resolution Practice

Withers has defended the interests of successful individuals, businesses and brands for many years. With over 180 lawyers across Europe, Asia Pacific, the US and the Caribbean, we have an established international dispute resolution practice acting in complex country-specific and multi-jurisdictional cases.

We represent a range of domestic and international clients – from high-net-worth individuals and their families to corporate entities and governments – on an array of personal, professional and business disputes, and we are recognised globally for our experience in complex, cross border litigation. Our practice areas include commercial litigation, contract disputes, asset recovery and enforcement, board and shareholder disputes, insolvency, fraud, international arbitration, public international law, tax controversy, media and reputation management, employment and regulatory, divorce and family, trusts and succession, white collar investigations, and professional negligence. With a disputes portfolio valued at $14 billion, we have also pioneered the use of arbitration and mediation in commercial, family and, more recently, trust disputes.

The Role

This role will sit in our San Francisco office.

• Responsibilities will include all phases of litigation and arbitration; especially in commercial, Handle all phases of general civil litigation, complex commercial litigation, mediation, and arbitration.
• Represent individual clients in white-collar criminal defense cases, including federal criminal investigations and regulatory enforcement actions and prosecutions by state authorities.
• Provide direct client counseling and strategic legal advice, particularly in reputation management, crisis response, and litigation strategy.
• Draft pleadings, motions, and memoranda of law; conduct relevant legal research.
• Manage all aspects of discovery, including drafting and responding to requests, negotiating with opposing counsel, and analyzing and organizing produced information.
• Take and defend depositions, handle court appearances, and collaborate with team members to develop case strategies.
• Represent clients in and conduct internal investigations involving whistleblower claims, cybersecurity breaches, and regulatory scrutiny.
• The role will also involve contributing to the team's profile and undertaking business development activities to establish, develop, and maintain long‑term relationships, including writing articles/posts, attending events/conferences and building networks with referral sources including corporate law firms and private wealth contacts/intermediaries including global and peer firms and counsel.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Key Skills And Experience

• Strong academic credentials (J.D. required).
• Between 4 – 6 years of experience practicing in a law firm’s litigation and/or white collar group.
• California Bar membership in good standing.
• Proven experience with depositions, court proceedings, and sophisticated disputes.
• Excellent drafting, writing, research, negotiations, and communication skills.
• Exposure to white collar investigations at the federal and state level.
• Experience representing individuals in litigation, particularly in the tech sector (preferred).
• Previous white collar individual defense experience (preferred).
• Experience negotiating with opposing counsel and with direct client advising (preferred).
• Strong project management skills and ability to balance competing priorities.
• Former law clerk experience (preferred).
• Intellectual curiosity, analytical depth, and attention to detail; and
• Team-oriented mindset and collaborative approach.

For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $235,000 and $260,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

For more information on Withers, please visit the following links: General Career Site, LinkedIn, About Us.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

The firm is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Equal employment opportunity has been and will continue to be a fundamental principle at the firm. Employment at the firm is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The firm prohibits and will not tolerate any discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these classifications or characteristics.

If you are interested in applying for employment and need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website to apply for a position, please contact the firm at [phone] or email [e-mail] with your request. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.