Labor & Employment Associate - Atlanta, GA

plug-legal; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with profit-sharing components

Generous paid time off and parental leave

Professional development budget

Job summary

plug-legal is seeking a junior-to-mid-level employment associate in Atlanta to join their elite Labor & Employment practice. This role offers a unique opportunity at the intersection of corporate transactions and litigation. You will actively engage in employment-related due diligence and litigation for significant corporate deals.

The ideal candidate is a 2nd to 5th-year associate with experience in employer-side representation, corporate transaction support, and a strong academic background. Compensation is competitive, and the firm offers comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 2nd to 5th-year associate level with knowledge in labor & employment law.
• Experience in traditional L&E litigation or corporate transactions.
• Strong research and writing credentials, ideally with Law Review experience.

Responsibilities

• Conduct employment-related due diligence for corporate deals.
• Draft executive agreements and structure employment frameworks.
• Engage in defense-side litigation related to non-compete and trade secret disputes.

Skills

Employer-side representation

Research and writing skills

Litigation experience

Corporate transactional support

Education

Georgia Bar admission or eligibility

Job description

Labor & Employment · 2–5 Years · Georgia Bar Required (or eligible to waive in)

For a junior-to-mid-level employment associate, the typical choice is frustrating: you either join a pure litigation desk and spend five years trading discovery disputes, or you handle routine compliance work. This role, embedded within an elite, Chambers-ranked national Labor & Employment practice in Atlanta, offers a highly sophisticated alternative: a seat on a dedicated Employment Deal team where high-stakes corporate transactions, executive compensation, and bet-the-company restrictive covenant litigation converge.

The Work

You will sit at the intersection of transactional strategy and aggressive advocacy. This is not a passive advisory role; you will actively support major corporate deals by conducting employment-related due diligence, drafting critical executive agreements, and structuring complex employment frameworks for public and private companies. Simultaneously, you will drive defense-side litigation, stepping immediately into fact development, deposition preparation, discovery strategy, and motion practice for high-stakes non-compete and trade secret disputes.

Who This Is For

This role is designed for a 2nd to 5th-year associate who already understands the fundamentals of employer-side representation and wants to elevate the scale of their practice. Ideal candidates will have a background in an Am Law 100 environment, with proven experience in traditional L&E litigation, restrictive covenants, or corporate transaction support. If you are a commercial litigator with strong research and writing credentials (such as Law Review) who has handled employment disputes and wants to formally pivot into a specialized, deal-adjacent L&E practice, this platform is built to integrate your skill set.

The Platform

You will join a dominant national powerhouse that maintains a highly collaborative, cross-office team environment. Unlike firms where offices operate as siloed profit centers, this platform actively shares work across its national footprint, giving you exposure to industry-leading clients across the country while based in Atlanta. The firm is widely recognized for its structured, transparent path to partnership and robust professional development programming that transforms associates into autonomous client counselors.

Why Atlanta

Atlanta continues to solidify its status as the economic engine of the Southeast, serving as a primary hub for Fortune 500 headquarters, massive tech hubs, and private equity activity. For an employment attorney, this means a steady stream of sophisticated, high-value corporate deals and complex regulatory challenges anchored in a market that offers an exceptional quality of life and a lower cost of business compared to traditional coastal money centers.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is highly competitive, market-aligned with leading national firms, and commensurate with your specific class year and depth of experience. The firm provides a comprehensive, tier-one benefits package, including premium medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan with profit-sharing components; generous paid time off and parental leave; comprehensive life and disability coverage; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); and a dedicated budget for ongoing professional development, CLE compliance, and bar association memberships.

Apply in Confidence

To explore this platform or discuss how your specific practice background aligns with this group, let's start a confidential conversation. Your inquiry is entirely safe; your resume and identity will never be disclosed to this or any other hiring firm without your explicit, advance directive.