Overview

Whistler Partners is working with a high-growth technology company in Los Angeles looking to hire its first dedicated Employment & Litigation Counsel. This is a high-autonomy legal role for someone who wants to build the employment law function from the ground up while also helping manage the company’s broader litigation portfolio. The role reports directly to the General Counsel and will work closely with the People team, business leaders, outside counsel, and senior stakeholders across the company. The company is operating in a complex, highly regulated environment, so the right lawyer will be practical, steady, and comfortable advising on sensitive issues where legal, people, operational, and business considerations all overlap.

Why This Role?

This is a real build role.

The company is looking for someone who can become the internal point person on employment law: hiring, terminations, wage and hour, leaves, accommodations, investigations, performance management, compensation, immigration, policies, training, and workforce planning. But the role is broader than employment. This person will also help oversee litigation strategy, budgets, holds, outside counsel, and resolution across the company’s litigation docket. For an employment lawyer who wants to move closer to the business and take on more ownership than a traditional advisory seat, this is a very strong opportunity. You will not just answer questions as they come in. You will help create the systems, policies, judgment, and processes the company needs as it scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the company’s internal expert on employment law matters.
• Advise on recruiting, hiring, terminations, wage and hour, leaves, accommodations, benefits, compensation, immigration, and employee relations issues.
• Partner closely with the People team on investigations, misconduct, performance management, disciplinary matters, and conflicts of interest.
• Draft, review, and maintain employment policies, standard operating procedures, employment agreements, offer letters, invention assignment agreements, and contractor/advisor agreements.
• Monitor and advise on federal, state, and local employment law compliance.
• Design and deliver manager and employee trainings on employment policies and compliance topics.
• Support workforce changes, reorganizations, new market expansion, and related employment law implications.
• Help manage the company’s litigation docket, including intake, strategy, budgets, and resolution.
• Work with outside litigation counsel and the General Counsel on litigation strategy.
• Manage litigation holds and coordinate internally across relevant teams.
• Build practical employment and litigation processes that can scale with the business.

About You

• 5+ years of employment law experience.
• Experience at a leading law firm or in-house at a multi-state or multinational company.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state employment laws.
• Licensed to practice law in California or Washington, D.C.
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and figuring out what needs to be done without waiting for a playbook.
• Experience supporting an international workforce is a plus.
• Experience with manufacturing, regulated technology, aerospace, national security, or similarly complex operating environments is a plus.
• Experience with cleared personnel or sensitive government-facing work is a plus.
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms and employment law compliance tools is helpful.
• U.S. Person status required due to access to controlled information.

TL;DR

High-growth technology company in Los Angeles hiring its first dedicated Employment & Litigation Counsel. Strong fit for a 5+ year employment lawyer who wants to build the employment function, advise directly on sensitive people issues, manage litigation strategy, and work closely with the General Counsel and business leaders in a complex, fast-moving environment.

About Whistler Partners

Matchmakers, Not Headhunters

Whistler Partners is a boutique matchmaking firm focused on counseling the best and the brightest attorneys over the course of their careers. We believe that the right move comes from working closely with talent to curate their long-term career paths. When it comes to career advice, what matters is not the size of the agency but the strength of your individual recruiter. We readily admit that we are elite and only work with the best – after all, a little elitism is okay when it comes to your career.

Employers love us because we are picky about whom we represent, and attorneys love us because we get them their dream jobs.