Associate Attorney, Plaintiff-Side Employment Litigation

Associate Attorney, Plaintiff-Side Employment Litigation

San Ramon, California · Hybrid · $150,000/year
Spanish fluency strongly preferred

About Our Firm

We are an employment law practice in San Ramon that represents employees, and only employees. Our clients come to us when they face discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage theft. We advocate for them in individual and multi-plaintiff cases, class and PAGA actions, Labor Commissioner proceedings, and arbitration.

We are a small, close-knit team. Every attorney here carries real responsibility and makes a visible difference for our clients. We are looking for an experienced litigator who wants to build a long-term career in plaintiff-side employment law and grow with our firm.

The Opportunity

As an Associate Attorney, you will have meaningful responsibility from your first week. You will manage your own caseload from intake through resolution, appear in court, and work directly with clients throughout their cases. You will also have the support of a collaborative team that cares about the work and the people we represent.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a varied caseload of individual, multi-plaintiff, class, PAGA and appellate matters
• Draft pleadings (complaints, answers, demurrers, cross-complaints), dispositive motions, discovery, opposition and reply briefs, appellate briefs and settlement agreements
• Prepare settlement demands, legal correspondence and client communications
• Take and defend depositions and manage written discovery
• Appear at hearings, CMCs, MSCs and trials
• Represent clients in trials, arbitrations and mediations
• Research and write on emerging issues in California employment law
• Communicate regularly with clients in English and, where applicable, Spanish
• Maintain well-organized case files and meet all court, arbitration, agency and client deadlines
• Travel to courts, arbitration venues and mediations as cases require

What You Bring

Required qualifications:

• Active California State Bar membership in good standing
• At least 5 years of litigation experience, with substantial experience in California employment law, including:
  • Discrimination, harassment, retaliation and whistleblower claims under FEHA, Labor Code § 1102.5 and related statutes
  • Wage and hour claims under the Labor Code and applicable IWC Wage Orders
  • Individual, multi-plaintiff, class action and PAGA representative matters
  • Litigation in California state and federal courts
  • Arbitration under JAMS, AAA or comparable employment rules
  • Representing clients in mediation
  • Appellate practice in California and federal courts
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to produce polished work with minimal supervision
• Strong attention to detail and dependable management of deadlines
• The ability to build trusting client relationships with professionalism, empathy and candor

Strongly preferred:

• Jury trial experience in employment matters
• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish. Many of our clients are Spanish-speaking, so this skill is highly valued in our practice.

Is This Role Right for You?

You will thrive here if you:

• Have substantial plaintiff-side employment litigation experience across the areas listed above
• Understand how a contingency-fee practice works and are motivated by the opportunities it creates
• Enjoy a small-firm environment where you own your cases from start to finish
• Bring compassion and steadiness to clients going through some of the hardest moments of their working lives
• Want a long-term professional home in plaintiff employment law

This role calls for direct plaintiff-side employment litigation experience. Candidates whose background is mainly transactional, advisory, employer-side defense, or in another practice area are unlikely to be a match for this position.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $150,000 per year
• Bar dues paid by the firm
• CLE reimbursement
• Health insurance: employer contribution toward premiums (details provided with offer)
• Paid time off: 2 weeks in year one, 3 weeks from year two onward
• Hybrid schedule: at least three days per week in our San Ramon office

How to Apply

Please send your résumé, a cover letter, and a writing sample, ideally a brief or motion you drafted. Your application should describe your employment litigation experience, trial and arbitration history, and Spanish language proficiency, if applicable. All experience you describe should be verifiable.