Overview
This role involves serving as Litigation Counsel responsible for managing all litigation matters within the organization. The position requires handling an active commercial litigation portfolio and employment disputes, particularly in California. The Litigation Counsel will work closely with leadership to manage risk, control costs, and develop litigation strategies across various matters.
Responsibilities
- Lead all defensive and offensive commercial litigation from pre-suit strategy through trial and appeal, including cases in Delaware Chancery Court and other jurisdictions
- Manage employment litigation and pre-litigation disputes such as wrongful termination, discrimination, and wage-and-hour claims
- Develop and execute alternative dispute resolution (ADR) strategies, including mediation and arbitration
- Select, retain, and oversee outside counsel for all active matters; set and enforce litigation budgets, negotiate fee arrangements, and ensure value delivery
- Direct discovery strategy, including document preservation, collection, review, and production; coordinate internal fact-finding and witness preparation
- Draft, review, and edit pleadings, motions, briefs, and settlement documents in collaboration with outside counsel
- Advise leadership on litigation risk, exposure analysis, and settlement strategy, providing clear recommendations on when to litigate or resolve
- Build and maintain litigation hold processes, playbooks, and internal policies to reduce litigation risk over time
- Collaborate with the broader legal team on cross-functional matters involving commercial, regulatory, or intellectual property issues intersecting with litigation risk
Requirements
- J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar; California bar admission or willingness to obtain is strongly preferred
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in complex commercial litigation, including significant time at a top-tier law firm or in a litigation-intensive in-house role
- Proven ability to manage multiple active matters simultaneously, including high-stakes disputes with significant financial exposure
- Strong written advocacy skills, capable of drafting persuasive briefs and explaining litigation risk clearly to non-lawyer executives
- Experience managing outside counsel relationships, including budget oversight and strategic direction
- Familiarity with discovery mechanics, including e-discovery platforms, document review workflows, and privilege logging
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with employment litigation, particularly California employment law
- Experience with Delaware Chancery Court proceedings, including M&A litigation or stockholder actions
- Familiarity with litigation in the healthcare or technology industries
- Experience developing litigation processes and playbooks in a high-growth company environment
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $210,000 to $245,000 annually
Location
- Based in California, with responsibilities involving litigation matters in multiple jurisdictions
Additional Information
The organization is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive team and provides reasonable accommodations throughout the application process. Employees are expected to comply with information security policies, including protecting assets from unauthorized access and reporting potential security risks. Annual attestation to these requirements is mandatory.