Labor & Employment Counsel

McGuireWoods LLP; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 310,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

McGuireWoods LLP in Los Angeles (Century City) seeks a Counsel to join its Labor & Employment Department. The team handles employment matters for Fortune 500 to nonprofits, offering strategic, business-minded litigation support.

Qualified candidates have 6+ years of California labor and employment experience, strong leadership, and a track record defending wage-and-hour and PAGA actions, with admission to the California Bar. Salary range: $310,000–$450,000 plus bonus.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of California labor and employment experience at a leading law firm.
• Demonstrated ability to lead wage and hour class and PAGA actions.
• Independent management of single-plaintiff employment cases.
• Experience with EEOC/CRD charges and responses to demand letters.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and knowledge of court procedures.
• Ability to mentor junior attorneys and manage client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage and defend single-plaintiff employment cases from inception to resolution.
• Lead defense of wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA actions.
• Represent clients in administrative hearings and respond to EEOC/CRD charges.
• Develop and maintain client relationships, providing strategic counsel on litigation risk.
• Mentor and supervise junior associates and coordinate with partners on complex matters.

Skills

Client relationship management

Mentoring junior attorneys

Legal research and writing

Strategic litigation judgment

Team collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree

Tools

Harvey AI

Job description

Job Description
McGuireWoods seeks a Counsel to join its Labor & Employment Department in the firm’s Los Angeles (Century City) office.

Job Description
McGuireWoods seeks a Counsel to join its Labor & Employment Department in the firm’s Los Angeles (Century City) office.
About The Team
McGuireWoods’ Labor & Employment group is one of the most active employer-side practices in the country, handling upwards of 4,000 employment-related matters each year for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging businesses and nonprofits. The Los Angeles team operates at the intersection of three core practice areas:

• Employment Litigation. Our litigators and trial lawyers defend employers across every form of employment claim in state and federal courts and in arbitral forums, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower, and restrictive covenant disputes. We are the go-to team for our clients\' most sensitive and high-stakes employment matters.
• Wage & Hour Class, Collective, and Representative Actions. We defend employers against FLSA collective claims, state wage-and-hour class actions, and PAGA representative actions — including off-the-clock, meal and rest break, misclassification, and improper notice claims. Our partners have defeated class certification, won trials and arbitrations, and negotiated favorable outcomes at every stage of litigation.
• Labor Relations. Our labor management relations team handles union petitions, campaigns, NLRB elections, collective bargaining negotiations, grievance arbitrations, and unfair labor practice proceedings. We help clients build and maintain positive employee relations strategies—whether in unionized or non-unionized settings.
  

The Team You’d Be Joining
This is a collaborative, high-performance group that values both individual ownership and team synergy. The team represents domestic and international employers across diverse industries, including manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, education, retail, hospitality, insurance, natural resources, and professional services. As Counsel, you would work alongside partners and associates who combine deep subject-matter expertise with a practical, business-first mindset—crafting solutions that align with each client’s operational realities and strategic goals. Attorneys at the Counsel level leverage their established expertise across class action defense, single-plaintiff litigation, administrative proceedings, and client counseling—independently managing matters, mentoring junior associates, and serving as a trusted resource for clients.
Key Responsibilities
You will independently manage and defend single-plaintiff employment cases from inception through resolution—including all phases of discovery, depositions, dispositive motions, mediations, and trial or arbitration—with minimal partner supervision. You will participate in leading and executing on the defense of wage and hour class actions and PAGA representative actions, including directing discovery strategy, conducting witness interviews, and briefing class certification and decertification issues. You will represent clients in administrative hearings and proceedings, respond to EEOC and CRD charges, and draft responses to demand letters. You will develop and maintain client relationships, serving as a day-to-day point of contact on active matters and providing strategic counsel on litigation risk and case resolution. You will mentor and supervise junior associates working with you on matters, providing guidance on legal research, brief writing, deposition preparation, and professional development. You will exercise strategic litigation judgment in collaboration with partners on complex, high-exposure matters and contribute to business development within the practice group.
About The Firm
McGuireWoods, one of the world’s leading law firms, has provided legal solutions to corporate, individual and nonprofit clients since 1834. Along with excellent benefits, McGuireWoods offers our attorneys a competitive salary with hours and merit bonus opportunities and billable hours credit for pro bono work. Continually establishing new initiatives and enhancing existing efforts, we focus on meaningful support for our lawyers in their careers. Our Applicant Disclosures describe your rights. Our Privacy Statement describes how we will process and safeguard your personal data.
Salary: $310,000 - $450,000.

This position offers a competitive compensation package, including eligibility for a generous productivity bonus program that provides significant additional earning potential based on individual performance.
Job Requirements

• Qualified candidates will have 6+ years of relevant California labor and employment experience at a leading law firm to include:
• Demonstrated experience helping lead and manage the defense of wage and hour class actions and PAGA actions, including directing discovery, managing witness interviews, and briefing class certification and decertification issues.
• Proven ability to independently manage single-plaintiff employment cases from inception through resolution—including depositions, discovery, dispositive motions, mediations, and trial or arbitration—in state and federal court with minimal supervision.
• Experience representing clients in administrative hearings and proceedings, on EEOC/CRD charges, and in responses to demand letters.
• Experience advising clients on California labor and employment compliance issues, including handbooks, policies, and workforce restructuring.
• Excellent legal research, analysis, and writing abilities, with deep working knowledge of California state and federal court procedural and evidence rules.
• Strong client relationship management skills and the ability to serve as a trusted advisor to in-house counsel and business stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide junior attorneys.
• Willingness and desire to work with innovative technology platforms. Our attorneys leverage Harvey AI to accelerate research, streamline document drafting, and enhance analytical work, enabling attorneys to focus on higher-value strategic thinking and client engagement.
• Admission to the California Bar is required.
• Please submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and writing sample.
  

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