Senior Transactional Labor & Employment Associate or Counsel

McGuireWoods LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

McGuireWoods LLP is seeking an associate to focus on employment law at the intersection with executive mobility and corporate transactions. You will counsel corporate clients on workplace policies, compliance, employee relations, and HR matters in high-stakes contexts.

You'll lead due diligence in M&A and private equity deals, address restrictive covenants, and collaborate with senior executives to navigate workforce issues during transactions and leadership transitions.

Qualifications

• Counsel on workplace policies, employment compliance, employee relations, and HR matters.

Responsibilities

• Counsel clients on discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage-and-hour issues.
• Lead employment-related due diligence in corporate and private equity transactions.
• Partner with senior executives on sensitive personnel and governance issues.

Job description

Overview

• The role focuses on sophisticated matters at the intersection of employment law, executive mobility, and corporate transactions, distinguishing it from a traditional employment law role.
• The team advises on high-stakes matters where workforce decisions directly affect enterprise value, leadership continuity, and transaction success.
• Attorneys counsel corporate clients and private equity sponsors on employment issues arising from acquisitions, divestitures, leadership transitions, restrictive covenant disputes, and post-closing integration, working closely with McGuireWoods’ nationally ranked Healthcare, Private Equity, and M&A teams.
• The practice involves a blend of strategic advisory work, risk assessment, transactional counseling, and crisis management in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment.
• Core responsibilities include counseling clients on workplace policies, employment compliance, employee relations, and HR matters, encompassing discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage-and-hour issues.
• Further responsibilities involve advising on restrictive covenant and wage misclassification issues, leading employment-related due diligence in corporate and private equity transactions, independently managing complex employment matters and transactional workstreams, partnering with senior executives on sensitive personnel and governance issues, and providing mentorship and developmental support to junior associates.