Litigation Associate

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP seeks an Associate in its Litigation Department, based in Rochester or Buffalo, NY. The role handles a broad range of general commercial and business litigation matters, representing clients in state and federal court from initial evaluation through settlement or trial.

Required is a JD from an accredited law school and admission to practice in New York, with 3–5 years of commercial litigation experience.

Qualifications

• Strong legal writing, research, and oral advocacy skills; courtroom/arbitration experience preferred.
• Ability to manage a caseload independently while collaborating across practice groups.
• Client-focused, results-oriented approach to dispute resolution.

Responsibilities

• Represent clients in a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes and business tort claims.
• Handle real estate, construction, and creditor rights litigation, including bankruptcy matters on both debtor and creditor sides.
• Represent clients in corporate and partnership disputes, including business divorce and dissolution matters.
• Advise clients on insurance coverage, lender liability, and other business risk disputes.
• Manage matters from initial case evaluation through settlement or trial, with direct client contact throughout.

Skills

Legal writing

Legal research

Oral advocacy

Caseload management

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school and bar admission in NY

Job description

Title:

Associate

Department:

Litigation
Location: Rochester, NY or Buffalo, NY
Classification: Exempt

Job type:

Full-time M-F, 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Company Overview:

Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP is a leading and reputable full-service law firm dedicated to providing exceptional legal services to our clients. With a team of highly skilled and experienced attorneys, we strive to deliver comprehensive and effective solutions to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Our headquarters is in Rochester, NY, with additional offices in Albany and Buffalo, NY.

We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where every team member is valued and respected. We encourage open communication, teamwork, and professional growth. Our firm promotes a healthy work-life balance and supports the well-being of our employees.

Description:

Our Litigation Department is seeking an experienced associate to join the team. This attorney will handle a broad range of general commercial and business litigation matters, representing companies, fiduciaries, and individuals in state and federal court from initial case evaluation through settlement or trial.

Key Responsibilities:

• Represent clients in a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes and business tort claims.
• Handle real estate, construction, and creditor rights litigation, including bankruptcy matters on both the debtor and creditor side.
• Represent clients in corporate and partnership disputes, including business divorce and dissolution matters.
• Advise clients on insurance coverage, lender liability, and other business risk disputes.
• Manage matters from initial case evaluation through settlement or trial, with direct client contact throughout.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• JD from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in New York State.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in commercial litigation.
• Strong legal writing, research, and oral advocacy skills, with courtroom or arbitration experience preferred.
• Ability to manage a caseload independently while collaborating across practice groups.
• A client focused, results oriented approach to dispute resolution.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands/fingers to type, hold, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• Regularly required to talk or hear.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this role. It provides a snapshot of the core functions and responsibilities. All inquiries will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. The compensation range for this position is $120,000-160,000 annually, representing our good faith and reasonable estimate of the potential compensation at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on numerous factors, including the candidate's qualifications, experience, skill set, and office location. Additionally, relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value an open mind, dedication to work, and a collaborative spirit. We hire based on these qualities, a job’s requirements, our business needs, and an applicant’s qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind—in the hiring process or in the workplace. We comply with the ADA and consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants/employees to perform essential functions. We participate in E-Verify. We will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. We will only use E-Verify once an employee has accepted a job offer and completed Form I-9.