Employment Counsel – Contractor

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as fractional employment counsel for rapidly expanding tech firms.

• Address daily employment inquiries throughout the employee lifecycle, from initial hiring to first workforce reduction.

• Provide guidance on offer letters, employment contracts, contractor agreements, confidentiality and invention assignment agreements, and compliance with background-check regulations.

• Counsel on employee versus contractor classifications, exempt versus non-exempt statuses, overtime regulations, and pay transparency guidelines.

• Manage matters related to multi-state and remote workforces, including state registration, state-specific policies, and collaboration with PEOs and employers of record for international hires.

• Draft and revise employee handbooks, remote work policies, leave policies, and AI usage guidelines.

• Advise on FMLA and state leave regulations, disability and pregnancy accommodations, and return-to-work issues.

• Counsel on performance improvement plans, terminations, separation and release agreements, reductions in force (RIFs), and WARN analysis.

• Evaluate complaints, oversee and support internal investigations, and advise on risks related to harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.

• Provide guidance on restrictive covenants, non-solicitation agreements, state non-compete limitations, and collaborate with corporate counsel on equity grants.

• Transform recurring inquiries into templates, playbooks, quality standards, and AI-assisted workflows.

• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to enhance legal tools.

⛳️ Requirements

• J.D. and active bar membership in good standing (preferably in California, New York, or another state with a substantial tech workforce).

• Over 5 years of experience in employment law practice, emphasizing advisory roles for employers rather than solely litigation.

• Background as in-house employment counsel or advising numerous startups and growth-stage companies from a law firm.

• Extensive, hands-on counseling experience across the entire employee lifecycle; multi-state experience is essential.

• Familiarity with California employment law is a significant advantage.

• A customer-centric approach: responsive, humble, and focused on pragmatic outcomes.

• Ability to rapidly turn around work while managing multiple matters simultaneously.

• Experience with or a genuine enthusiasm for AI-assisted legal workflows.

• Strong understanding of professional responsibility and legal ethics.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly with non-lawyers.

• Availability for a minimum of 10 hours per week.

• Active license to practice law in good standing.

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunity to increase hours as the employment practice expands.

• Minimum availability of 10 hours per week for client engagements.

• Part-time independent contractor position.