Labor & Employment Litigation Associate - Seattle, WA

plug-legal; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 305,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Generous paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

plug-legal is seeking a Labor & Employment Associate in Seattle with 2-5 years of litigation experience to join their growing practice. Candidates should possess excellent research skills and a keen attention to detail.

The role includes driving litigation phases, providing compliance counsel, and engaging in public speaking opportunities. The firm offers a competitive salary range of $220,000 – $305,000 along with comprehensive benefits including top-tier health insurance, retirement savings plan, and generous PTO.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of litigation experience, preferably in Labor & Employment.
• Exceptional research skills and sharp academic credentials.
• Interest in public speaking and advocacy.

Responsibilities

• Drive all phases of litigation including depositions and drafting motions.
• Provide strategic counsel on compliance with employment laws.
• Participate in public speaking opportunities to build personal brand.

Skills

Litigation ownership

Public speaking

Attention to detail

Education

J.D. or equivalent legal degree

Job description

Labor & Employment · 2–5 Years · WA Bar Required

For a junior-to-mid-level employment litigator, the greatest risk to your career trajectory is getting trapped in a back-office cycle of endless document review and administrative charge drafting. This is an invitation to step onto a highly visible Pacific Northwest platform that intentionally accelerates your path to standalone case management and direct client advocacy. We are representing a premier, top-tier national powerhouse-recently expanded via a major regional combination-seeking a 2- to 5-year Labor & Employment Associate to anchor its growing Seattle practice.

The Work

This role is structured to transition you quickly from a supporting brief-writer into a strategic defense counsel. You will join an expanding team defending employers against everything from high-stakes class actions to single-plaintiff disputes.

• Substantive Litigation Ownership: You will actively drive all phases of litigation, including taking and defending depositions, drafting critical dispositive motions, evaluating complex claims, and preparing cases for mediations, arbitrations, and trials.
• Upstream Compliance & Strategy: Beyond the courtroom, you will partner directly with HR professionals and business executives. Depending on your experience, you will provide strategic counsel on compliance with evolving federal, state, and local laws, and draft executive employment agreements.
• Public Speaking & Advocacy: The practice group actively encourages professional visibility. If you have a genuine interest in public speaking, or presenting at industry panels and client seminars, the firm provides the budget and platform to build your personal brand.

Who This Is For

You are a 2- to 5-year litigation associate who wants to specialize deeply in management-side employment defense. You possess sharp academic credentials, exceptional research mechanics, and a meticulous attention to detail.

• The Funnel Hook: While a dedicated labor and employment background is preferred, this group is highly receptive to sharp commercial litigators with 2–3 years of experience who want to pivot into employment law. If you have spent a significant portion of your billable hours handling business torts, contract breaches, or restrictive covenants and want to build a career in a resilient, high-demand practice area, this team will actively support your retraining.

The Platform & Why Seattle

Following a major recent combination, this firm pairs a massive, 750-plus attorney national footprint with deep, historic roots in the Pacific Northwest business community. You get the sophisticated, complex docket of an Am Law giant without losing the tight-knit, collaborative culture of a regional office.

Seattle's unique corporate ecosystem-spanning dominant tech giants, aerospace leaders, and massive retail innovators-means your case docket will be at the cutting edge of workplace law. You will be defending clients against some of the most progressive state and municipal employment regulations in the country, establishing you as a highly sought-after expert in compliance and litigation strategy.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $220,000 – $305,000 (reflecting a good faith estimate commensurate with your class year, qualifications, and specific depth of experience).
• Bonuses: Eligibility for an active incentive bonus program and/or a profit-sharing bonus program tied to performance.
• Benefits: A comprehensive, elite-tier market package including top-funded medical, dental, and vision insurance; Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); short- and long-term disability; life insurance; a 401(k) retirement savings plan; generous paid time off (PTO) alongside ten paid holidays; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); and a dedicated professional development framework.

Apply in Confidence

Your current firm will not know you are looking. This is an invitation for a low-friction, confidential conversation about where this role sits in the Pacific Northwest market, the billable expectations and whether it aligns with your long-term career goals.

To discuss the specific team dynamics and the transition plan, please reach out directly. No resumes or transcripts are ever submitted to our client without your explicit, formal permission.