Senior Counsel, Employment

Public Storage; Frisco (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Public Storage seeks a Senior Counsel, Employment to provide strategic legal advice to our HR team and senior leaders on a wide range of employment issues. The role supports recruiting, discipline, leaves, wage & hour, and immigration matters while ensuring compliance with Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA and related laws.

The successful candidate will lead investigations, manage outside counsel, draft policies, and advise on complex employment scenarios in a fast-paced corporate environment.

Qualifications

• Requires Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active TX bar in good standing; in-house practice eligible.
• Minimum of ten years of employment law experience, with in-house preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice and counseling to management and HR on employment issues.
• Advise on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Manage employment-related litigation and respond to agency charges.
• Oversee outside counsel to ensure efficient and valuable outcomes for the company.
• Lead investigations of employee complaints with timely resolution and reporting.
• Draft and revise employment policies, handbooks, letters, severance agreements, and covenants.
• Collaborate with HR on program design and guidance on employment laws.

Skills

Employment law

In-house collaboration

Litigation management

Policy formulation

Investigation leadership

Cross-functional advisory

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

TX Bar admission

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic legal professional to join our team as Senior Counsel, Employment. This role will be instrumental in providing comprehensive strategic legal advice to our Human Resources team and other business leaders wide range of employment related issues, including hiring and workplace practices, leave and accommodation matters, wage and hour compliance, and employee discipline. The ideal candidate will be a proactive legal partner able to navigate the complexities of our business environment with integrity and strategic acumen.

Key Responsibilities

• Advice and Counseling:
  • Provide day-to-day expert legal advice and counseling to management and human resources business partners on employment issues, including recruiting, hiring, employee relations, discipline, terminations, reductions-in-force, leaves of absence, accommodations, wage and hour compliance, and immigration.
  • Advise on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, and equivalent state statutes).
• Dispute Management:
  • Assist in the management of employment litigation and respond to pre-litigation demands and federal and state agency charges, including investigating employment law claims and responding to EEOC charges and state agency charges.
• External Counsel Management:
  • Oversee and manage outside counsel to achieve optimal efficiencies, outcomes, and value for the company.
• Investigations:
  • Lead and advise human resources and other internal partners on the investigation of employee complaints and anonymous reports, ensuring timely resolution and appropriate follow-up and reporting.
• Policy Formulation and Revision:
  • Design, review and advise on employment policies, handbooks, offer letters, severance agreements, and restrictive covenants
• HR Collaboration:
  • Partner with HR Business partners on the design of programs and tools to guide team members on various employment laws and best practices.
• Legal Developments Monitoring:
  • Monitor and interpret employment law developments and provide relevant summary communications and recommendations to human resources and other business partners.
• Ad Hoc Projects:
  • Work on ad-hoc legal employment-related projects, including offer letters, policies, templates, and processes.
• Representation:
  • May represent the company in administrative proceedings.

• Education: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Bar Admission: Must be an active member in good standing of the TX bar or other bar and eligible to practice in-house in TX.
• Experience: Minimum of ten years of experience in employment law, with a preference for previous in-house experience
• Skills:
  • Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
  • Proficient in managing multiple tasks and deadlines
  • Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills with the ability to influence and counsel across all levels of the organization
  • Proficiency in legal research tools and MS Office Suite
  • Previous in-house legal experience is a plus
  • Experience managing outside counsel is a plus
  • Litigation experience in employment-related matters
  • Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion.