Labor & Employment Litigation Staff Attorney

Reed Smith LLP; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Reed Smith LLP is seeking a litigation-focused attorney for a flexible role in California. The position supports sophisticated single-plaintiff and wage-and-hour matters, with responsibilities spanning motions, discovery, depositions, mediation briefs, and trial prep.

The candidate will handle PAGA notices, penalties, and settlement processes, alongside drafting employee handbooks, compliance memoranda, and related manuals. Remote, hybrid, or CA-office-based arrangements are available.

Qualifications

• Experience handling FEHA, Labor Code, and related claims.
• Strong drafting skills for motions, briefs, and responses.
• Familiarity with discovery, deposition support, and trial preparation.

Responsibilities

• Draft motions (dismiss/demurrers, answers, compel, summary judgment) and manage discovery.
• Support depositions, mediation briefs, and trial preparation.
• Analyze LWDA notices, calculate penalty exposure, and draft settlement agreements for court approval.

Skills

Single-plaintiff litigation

PAGA

Wage-and-hour

Class actions

Job description

Overview

• The practice handles sophisticated litigation and counseling matters.
• The role offers flexibility to be fully remote, based in any California office, or a hybrid of remote and in-office work.
• Requires strong expertise in single-plaintiff litigation, PAGA, wage-and-hour matters, and class actions.
• Specific litigation work includes handling complex single-plaintiff cases involving FEHA, Labor Code, and common law claims, with responsibilities spanning drafting motions (dismiss/demurrers, answers, compel, summary judgment), discovery, deposition support, mediation briefs, and trial preparation.
• PAGA case responsibilities involve analyzing LWDA notices and workforce data, calculating penalty exposure, assessing case scope/litigation management issues, drafting settlement agreements, and overseeing the court approval process.
• Wage-and-hour class action work encompasses document and privilege review, drafting motions to compel arbitration, oppositions to class certification, overseeing the court approval process, and damages modeling support.
• Counseling duties include drafting employee handbooks/policies, California compliance memoranda, and WARN Act notices, reviewing/revising separation agreements, advising on employee leave/accommodation issues, and preparing EEOC/California Civil Rights Department position statements and responses to DLSE claims/EDD audits.