Labor & Employment Mid-Level Associate

McGuireWoods LLP; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 310,000 - 390,000; Full time

Job summary

McGuireWoods seeks a mid-level associate to join its Labor & Employment Department in the firm’s Norfolk, Virginia office. Counsel candidates are also welcome to apply.

The team handles a broad range of matters for Fortune 500s and nonprofits, including wage-and-hour class actions, single-plaintiff litigation, and mass arbitration. You will work with partners on discovery, motions, depositions, and client strategy.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of relevant labor and employment litigation experience at a leading law firm.
• Experience defending wage and hour class actions and/or collective actions.
• Mass arbitration experience is preferred, with skills in multi-forum defense and large volumes of claims.
• Experience advising clients on labor and employment compliance is preferred.
• Admission to the Virginia Bar or eligibility for prompt admission.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the defense of wage and hour class actions and collective actions, including discovery, witness interviews, and class-certification briefing.
• Defend single-plaintiff employment cases in state and federal court and in arbitration, including depositions and dispositive motions.
• Support the mass arbitration practice by managing large volumes of claims and coordinating defense across forums.
• Represent clients in administrative hearings and in EEOC/state agency matters, and respond to demand letters.
• Collaborate with partners on case strategy and assume increasing ownership of matters.

Skills

Labor & Employment litigation

Wage & Hour class actions

Mass arbitration

Administrative hearings experience

Deposition & discovery

Legal writing

Client collaboration

Harvey AI usage

Tools

Harvey AI

Job description

McGuireWoods seeks a mid-level associate to join its Labor & Employment Department in the firm’s Norfolk, Virginia office. Counsel candidates are also welcome to apply.

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 team you would be joining 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, wage and hour, 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 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.
• Mass Arbitration. Our team leads and directs complex mass arbitration matters throughout the country for companies in a variety of industries, including retail, health care, and financial services. We have extensive experience managing thousands of individual claims pending before the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, developing efficient defense strategies and driving favorable outcomes at scale.

The Team You’d Be Joining

This is a collaborative, high-performance group. Our partners work closely alongside associates on complex litigation strategy, and our associates take on meaningful responsibility early—managing discovery, preparing and arguing motions, taking depositions, and advising clients directly. The team represents domestic and international employers across diverse industries, including manufacturing, logistics, retail, health care, financial services, food and beverage, and consumer products.

You would work alongside attorneys 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. The hiring partners for this role bring decades of first-chair trial and class action experience, nationally recognized practices in wage and hour defense and mass arbitration, and a track record of wins at every stage of litigation, from certification through verdict. Associates here develop broad skill sets, moving fluidly between class action defense, single-plaintiff litigation, mass arbitration, administrative proceedings, and client counseling.

Key Responsibilities

You will assist in the defense of wage and hour class actions and collective actions, including handling discovery, conducting witness interviews, and briefing class certification issues. You will play a key role in defending single-plaintiff employment cases in state and federal court and in arbitration, including taking and defending depositions, managing discovery, and drafting dispositive motions. You will support the team’s mass arbitration practice, helping to manage large volumes of individual claims, develop case strategy, and coordinate defense efforts across multiple forums. You will represent clients in administrative hearings and proceedings, respond to EEOC and state agency charges, and draft responses to demand letters. You will collaborate with partners and senior attorneys on case strategy while taking increasing ownership of your matters as part of your own professional growth.

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 - $390,000

Job Requirements

• Qualified candidates will have 4-6 years of relevant labor and employment litigation experience at a leading law firm to include:
  • Experience defending single-plaintiff employment cases with partner or senior attorney oversight—including depositions, discovery, and dispositive motions in state and federal court (and in arbitration).
  • Demonstrated experience defending wage and hour class actions and/or collective actions, including handling discovery, witness interviews, and briefing class certification issues with partner or senior attorney oversight.
  • Mass arbitration experience is preferred but not required. Candidates with experience managing large-volume individual claims, coordinating multi-forum defense strategies, or supporting mass arbitration logistics are especially encouraged to apply.
  • Experience representing clients in administrative hearings and proceedings, on EEOC or state agency charges, and in responses to demand letters.
  • Experience advising clients on labor and employment compliance issues is preferred but not required.
• Strong academic background with top-notch legal research, analysis, and writing abilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with client, business, and legal teams.
• Willingness and desire to work with innovative technology platforms. Our attorneys leverage Harvey AI to accelerate research, streamline document drafting, and enhance analytical work, allowing attorneys to focus on higher-value strategic thinking and client engagement.
• Admission to the Virginia Bar is required (or eligibility for prompt admission).

Please be advised that this is a national search with a focus on the following markets: Virginia, Texas