Employment & Litigation Counsel

Socket.dev; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k with match

FSA/HSA

Lunch program

Unlimited PTO

Relocation support

Annual bonuses (soon)

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is hiring its first dedicated Employment lawyer, a role combining deep subject‑matter ownership of employment law with oversight of the company's litigation portfolio. You'll be the go‑to internal expert on hiring, terminations, leave policy, and workplace investigations, while serving as the primary contact for outside counsel across all matters.

This high‑autonomy position reports to the General Counsel, helping build the employment law function from the ground up and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of employment law experience at a leading law firm or multinational company.
• Licensed to practice law in CA or DC.
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to operate with high autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on all employment issues including hiring, termination, and leave policies.
• Oversee investigations, performance management, and conflicts of interest cases.
• Draft and maintain global employment policies and agreements.
• Monitor compliance with FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII across jurisdictions.
• Set litigation strategy and budgets with outside counsel and GC.
• Coordinate litigation holds and internal processes.

Skills

Employment law

Litigation management

Regulatory compliance

Excellent communication

Outside counsel management

Education

Licensed to practice law in CA or DC

Tools

HRIS platforms

Legal research tools

Job description

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.

Role Overview

CHAOS is hiring its first dedicated Employment lawyer, a role that combines deep subject‑matter ownership of employment law with oversight of the company's litigation portfolio. You'll be the go‑to internal expert on everything from hiring and terminations to leave policy and workplace investigations, while also serving as the company's primary point of contact for outside litigation counsel across all matters (not just employment‑related ones). This is a high‑autonomy, high‑trust role, reporting directly to the General Counsel, for someone who wants to build the employment law function from the ground up and be a strategic partner to the People team and business leaders.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and guidance on all employment‑related issues, including recruiting, hiring, termination, wage and hour, accommodations, benefits and compensation, and immigration.
• Partner with the People Team and provide day‑to‑day support on discrete employee matters such as investigations into misconduct, performance management issues, and addressing potential conflicts‑of‑interest.
• Draft, review, and maintain global employment policies and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Own all employment agreements, both domestic and international, such as offer letters, invention assignment agreements, and contractor/advisor agreements.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, state‑specific leave and pay transparency laws, etc.) across all jurisdictions where the company has employees
• Design and deliver manager/employee training on employment policies and compliance topics
• Partner with the People Team to build and refine employment policies, performance management processes, and disciplinary frameworks
• Advise on employment law implications of new markets, M&A, reorgs, and workforce changes
• Help manage the company’s litigation docket as it evolves, including intake, strategy, and resolution.
• Set litigation strategy and budgets in collaboration with outside counsel and the General Counsel
• Manage the litigation hold process and coordinate internally

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years of employment law experience at a leading law firm or in‑house at a multi‑national company
• Deep knowledge of applicable state and federal employment laws
• Licensed to practice law in CA or DC
• What we have to do next won’t always be obvious; you’re comfortable figuring out what is needed and then doing it
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• S. Person status is required as this position needs to access export‑controlled data

Preferred Requirements

• In‑house experience at a defense or aerospace company
• Experience supporting an international workforce
• Experience with manufacturing
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms and employment law compliance tools

Why CHAOS?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch, ‘No meeting Fridays’, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre‑IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 350 employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $200,000 - $275,000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

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