Litigation Associate

Novate Legal Search; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Bonuses

Flexible or hybrid work arrangements

Professional development

Job summary

Novate Legal Search in Los Angeles seeks an experienced Plaintiff-Side Employment Attorney to represent employees in California employment disputes, including FEHA, wage-and-hour, and retaliation claims.

The ideal candidate will have strong writing, negotiation, and litigation skills, a commitment to employee advocacy, and the ability to manage a busy caseload from intake through trial while collaborating with a dedicated team.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active California State Bar in good standing.
• 2–5+ years of employment litigation experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of California employment law, including FEHA and wage-hour statutes.

Responsibilities

• Manage plaintiff-side employment matters from intake to settlement, arbitration, or trial.
• Evaluate claims, liability, damages, and case strategy.
• Handle FEHA, Labor Code, PAGA, wage-and-hour, FMLA/CFRA, and ADA matters.
• Conduct client interviews and provide ongoing strategic counseling.
• Draft complaints, discovery, motions, mediation briefs, and settlement agreements.
• Take and defend depositions; prepare for hearings and mediations.
• Represent clients before CRD, EEOC, and Labor Commissioner.
• Maintain an organized caseload and meet court deadlines.

Skills

Employment litigation

Legal writing

Negotiation

Oral advocacy

Client communication

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Relativity

Job description

We are seeking a motivated and experienced Plaintiff-Side Employment Attorney to join our Los Angeles team. The attorney will represent employees in a broad range of California employment disputes, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower claims, wage-and-hour violations, and other workplace-related matters.

The ideal candidate is a strong advocate with excellent legal writing, negotiation, and litigation skills who is committed to protecting employees' rights and achieving meaningful results for clients.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage plaintiff-side employment matters from initial client intake through settlement, arbitration, or trial.
• Evaluate potential claims, liability, damages, and overall case strategy.
• Handle matters involving FEHA, California Labor Code, PAGA, wage-and-hour laws, FMLA/CFRA, ADA, and related federal and California employment laws.
• Conduct client interviews and provide ongoing legal advice and strategic counseling.
• Draft demand letters, complaints, discovery, motions, mediation briefs, settlement agreements, and other legal documents.
• Conduct legal research and develop litigation strategies.
• Propound and respond to written discovery and handle e-discovery.
• Take and defend depositions of parties, witnesses, and corporate representatives.
• Prepare for and appear at hearings, mediations, arbitrations, and settlement conferences.
• Negotiate with opposing counsel, employers, insurers, and their representatives.
• Prepare cases for trial and, when appropriate, participate in trial proceedings.
• Represent clients before agencies such as the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), EEOC, and Labor Commissioner/DLSE.
• Maintain regular communication with clients and manage expectations throughout the litigation process.
• Collaborate with partners, associates, paralegals, and legal support staff.
• Maintain an organized caseload and meet court and case-management deadlines.

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in the California State Bar and in good standing.
• 2–5+ years of employment litigation experience preferred; plaintiff-side experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of California employment law, including FEHA, wage-and-hour law, Labor Code, PAGA, and related statutes.
• Experience with pleadings, discovery, motion practice, depositions, mediations, and court appearances.
• Excellent legal research, writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy skills.
• Strong judgment and ability to independently manage a litigation caseload.
• Excellent interpersonal and client-communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to employee advocacy and client service.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience handling single-plaintiff employment cases from intake through resolution.
• Class action and/or PAGA experience.
• Trial experience.
• Experience with complex wage-and-hour litigation.
• Spanish or another second-language proficiency is a plus.

Competitive compensation based on experience and qualifications, with many current Los Angeles plaintiff-side employment positions advertising approximately $220,000–$260,000+, depending on seniority, specialization, and firm structure. Senior positions can exceed this range.

Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) or retirement plan
• Paid time off and holidays
• Performance or case-outcome bonuses
• Flexible or hybrid work arrangements
• Professional development and advancement opportunities

About the Role:

This position offers the opportunity to take meaningful responsibility for employee-rights cases while working alongside experienced employment litigators. The successful candidate will have significant client contact and the opportunity to develop cases strategically from initial evaluation through resolution.