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Employment Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Employment Attorney

CA · On-site

$107K - $300K/yr

Position Summary: We're looking for an Employment Attorney, reporting to the General Counsel, to sit at the intersection of Legal, the HR/People Team, and the business. Someone who can combine deep ...

We are seeking an Entry-Level Attorney with 12 years of experience in employment law to join our Legal team. This is a unique opportunity to gain deep hands-on experience in a fast-paced, employer ...

This firm needs an experienced Employment Attorney to work within their full-service business law firm. The ideal candidate has employment law experience (either defense or plaintiff) and desires to ...

Employment Attorney

Seattle, WA · Hybrid

$175K - $200K/yr

We're seeking a skilled and pragmatic Employment Attorney to join our legal team and provide counsel on a broad range of labor and employment matters across all Trupanion teams located in the U.S ...

This firm needs an experienced Employment Attorney to work within their full-service business law firm. The ideal candidate has employment law experience (either defense or plaintiff) and desires to ...

Labor & Employment Attorney Location: Los Angeles, CA 90017 Salary: Base $270,000+ + bonus and benefits Overview: A top-tier, highly respected law firm in Los Angeles is seeking a Labor & Employment ...

Employment Attorney

Seattle, WA · On-site

$175K - $200K/yr

We're seeking a skilled and pragmatic Employment Attorney to join our legal team and provide counsel on a broad range of labor and employment matters across all Trupanion teams located in the U.S ...

This is an excellent opportunity for an early career employment and litigation attorney to work hands on with client matters, develop strong relationships, and grow in a collegial, balanced ...

This is an excellent opportunity for an early career employment and litigation attorney to work hands on with client matters, develop strong relationships, and grow in a collegial, balanced ...

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Employment Attorney information

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$57K

$137.9K

$224.5K

How much do employment attorney jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for employment attorney in the United States is $137,916.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,000.00 and $170,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Does an Employment Attorney Do?

An employment attorney is a lawyer that specializes in cases that involve employees, employers, and employment-related issues. In this role, you are responsible for advising your clients on the various employment regulations and alerting them to illegal activity. Your job duties include representing employers at Equal Employment Opportunities Commission hearings and advising on issues related to the National Labor Relations Board. The qualifications needed for a career as an employment attorney include a law degree, experience with employment law, and excellent communication and negotiation skills.

What types of cases or issues does an Employment Attorney typically handle on a day-to-day basis?

Employment Attorneys regularly address a variety of workplace legal matters, such as wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, wage and hour disputes, and contract negotiations. Their daily responsibilities often involve consulting with clients, drafting legal documents, conducting legal research, and representing clients in mediation or court proceedings. Collaboration with HR professionals, other attorneys, and occasionally regulatory agencies is common, and the workload can include both proactive counseling and reactive litigation. This mix offers a dynamic work environment with opportunities to develop expertise in different facets of employment law.

What does an employment attorney do?

An employment attorney specializes in legal issues related to the workplace. They represent either employers or employees in matters such as wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, wage disputes, sexual harassment, and contract negotiations. Employment attorneys provide legal advice, draft documents, negotiate settlements, and may represent clients in court or before government agencies. Their goal is to ensure workplaces comply with federal, state, and local labor laws while protecting the rights of their clients.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Employment Attorney, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Employment Attorney, you need a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, state bar admission, and deep knowledge of labor and employment law. Familiarity with legal research databases like Westlaw or LexisNexis, and experience drafting contracts, policies, and litigation documents are typically required. Excellent negotiation, analytical thinking, and communication skills help you advocate effectively for clients and resolve complex workplace disputes. These skills ensure clients receive sound legal advice, remain compliant, and achieve favorable outcomes in employment-related matters.

What is the difference between Employment Attorney vs Labor Lawyer?

AspectEmployment AttorneyLabor Lawyer
CredentialsLaw degree, bar admission, specialization in employment lawLaw degree, bar admission, specialization in labor law
Work EnvironmentLaw firms, corporate legal departments, government agenciesUnion offices, law firms, government agencies
Industry UsageHandles individual employment disputes, contracts, workplace rightsFocuses on collective bargaining, union issues, labor disputes
Common Search IntentEmployment disputes, workplace rights, employment contractsUnion negotiations, labor disputes, collective bargaining

While both Employment Attorneys and Labor Lawyers handle workplace legal issues, Employment Attorneys primarily focus on individual employment matters such as contracts and workplace rights. Labor Lawyers often deal with union-related issues, collective bargaining, and labor disputes. The roles overlap in employment law but differ in scope and focus.

What cities are hiring for Employment Attorney jobs? Cities with the most Employment Attorney job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Employment Attorney jobs? The most popular types of Employment Attorney jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Employment Attorney jobs? The top employers for Employment Attorney jobs are:
What states have the most Employment Attorney jobs? States with the most job openings for Employment Attorney jobs include:
What are popular job titles related to Employment Attorney jobs? For Employment Attorney jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Employment Attorney job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 65% Full Time, 26% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $137,916 per year, or $66.3 per hour.
Employment Attorney

$107K - $300K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 22 days ago


Mercury Insurance rating

8.9

Company rating: 8.9 out of 10

Based on 36 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

30th of 277 rated insurance


Job description

Overview
Join an amazing team that is consistently recognized for our achievements and culture, including our most recent Forbes award of being one of America's Best Midsize Employers for 2026!
Position Summary:
We're looking for an Employment Attorney, reporting to the General Counsel, to sit at the intersection of Legal, the HR/People Team, and the business. Someone who can combine deep employment law expertise with practical judgment, empathy, and a strong partnership mindset.
In this role, you will
  • Be a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team, HR/People Team, and business leads across the company on the people decisions that matter most.
  • Lead a modern approach to employment risk management, investigations, and governance.
  • Help design and scale policies, training, and tools that make it easier to do the right thing, the right way.

Responsibilities
Essential Job Functions:
Be a strategic partner to People Team and business leaders
  • Translate complex employment law concepts into clear, actionable guidance for HR/People leaders and managers across performance management, discipline, terminations, accommodations, leaves, wage and hour, remote work, and other employment issues.
  • Act as a thought partner on program and policy design (e.g., performance, hiring, RIFs/restructuring), ensuring decisions are both compliant and aligned to business strategy and culture.
  • Provide risk-calibrated options, clearly framing legal risk, business impact, and trade-offs instead of simple "yes/no" answers.

Lead employment risk, investigations, and dispute strategy
  • Oversee or conduct internal workplace investigations (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics, and other complex matters), ensuring thorough, timely, and balanced fact-finding with clear recommendations and documentation.
  • Manage demand letters, and pre-litigation matters in partnership with external counsel, balancing legal strategy, business objectives, and employee experience.
  • Develop and maintain frameworks, playbooks, and escalation paths that help HR/People and leaders proactively identify, assess, and manage employment risk.

Shape policy, governance, and employment decision-making
  • Draft, review, and update employee handbooks, policies, and agreements (e.g., arbitration, severance, restrictive covenants) to align with evolving federal, state, and local requirements.
  • Monitor legal and regulatory developments (e.g., pay transparency, leaves, wage and hour, AI in employment decisions, privacy) and translate them into practical changes to policies, processes, and tools.
  • Help define a scalable, modern governance model that balances business needs, employee experience, and legal compliance with the right level of rigor, consistency, and documentation (but not unnecessary bureaucracy).

Train and enable leaders, HR/People, and teams overall
  • Design and deliver training for HR/People, managers, and leaders on investigations, documentation, performance management, accommodations/leave, anti-harassment, and other employment topics.
  • Build self-service tools and guidance (FAQs, playbooks, templates) so HR/People and business partners can handle routine issues confidently and escalate the right issues at the right time.
  • Use case trends and insights from HRIS and case management systems to inform training, policy updates, and leadership behavior.

Work cross functionally to modernize how we work
  • Partner closely with HR/People, Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, IT, Security, and external counsel to ensure decisions are coordinated, informed, efficient, and business-aligned.
  • Contribute to People and enterprise initiatives (e.g., AI in HR, modern work practices, remote/hybrid strategies) by advising on employment law, privacy, and ethical implications.
  • Model a team-first, low-ego, high-judgment way of working that builds trust across functions.

What success looks like
  • People leaders and managers see Employment Counsel as their first call for strategic, high-risk people decisions not just narrow compliance questions.
  • Performance, investigations, terminations, and organizational decisions are faster, clearer, and better documented, with balanced, risk-aware outcomes.
  • Team members experience fair, timely, and respectful handling of issues, leading to increased trust in HR/People, Legal, and leadership.
  • Employment risks are anticipated and addressed proactively, rather than surfacing only when they become crises.
  • Our policies, governance, and decision-making frameworks are modern, practical, and trusted, enabling leaders to act with confidence instead of slowing them down.
  • The company has a clear view of employment risk and trends, and uses those insights to guide training, policy changes, and organizational interventions.

Qualifications
Education:
  • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
  • Active license in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar (California preferred or ability to register as in-house counsel, depending on jurisdiction).

Experience:
  • 10+ years of employment law experience.
  • Demonstrated experience counseling HR/People teams and business leaders in a corporate environment; insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated, multi-state environments is a plus.

Skills & Abilities:
Strategic and business minded
  • Strong business acumen, with the ability to connect legal guidance to company performance, culture, and operational realities.
  • Experience advising leaders on performance management, org changes, RIFs/restructuring, compensation processes, and other people decisions.
  • Comfort operating in transforming or high-change environments, where perfect information is rare and timelines are tight.

Investigations and risk expert
  • Deep experience with workplace investigations, including planning, interviewing, credibility assessment, findings, and remediation.
  • Proven ability to manage demand letters, and pre-litigation matters as part of a broader business and people strategy.
  • Strong grounding in federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, EEOC guidance, and key state laws (especially California wage and hour, Unruh Act, leaves, pay transparency, and PAGA where applicable).

Data informed and judgment strong
  • Comfortable using HRIS, case data, and external benchmarks to spot trends, inform recommendations, and measure impact.
  • Exceptional judgment and discretion, with a track record of navigating ambiguity and high-stakes situations.
  • Able to clearly articulate risk levels and options, enabling leaders to make informed decisions, not just "allowed/not allowed" calls.

Values driven and trusted partner
  • High integrity, with a strong sense of confidentiality and professional responsibility, especially around privileged communications and sensitive investigations.
  • Deep commitment to fairness and employee experience, with awareness of bias, retaliation risk, and the lived impact of policies and practices.
  • A collaborative, low-ego partner who can coach, challenge, and support leaders and HR/People peers in equal measure.

About the Company
Why choose a career at Mercury?
At Mercury, we have been guided by our purpose to help people reduce risk and overcome unexpected events for more than 60 years. We are one team with a common goal to help others. Everyone needs insurance and we can't imagine a world without it.
Our team will encourage you to grow, make time to have fun, and work together to make great things happen. We embrace the strengths and values of each team member. We believe in having diverse perspectives where everyone is included, to serve customers from all walks of life.
We care about our people, and we mean it. We reward our talented professionals with a competitive salary, bonus potential, and a variety of benefits to help our team members reach their health, retirement, and professional goals.
Learn more about us here: https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/about/careers
Perks and Benefits
We offer many great benefits, including:
  • Competitive compensation
  • Flexibility to work from anywhere in the United States for most positions
  • Paid time off (vacation time, sick time, 9 paid Company holidays, volunteer hours)
  • Incentive bonus programs (potential for holiday bonus, referral bonus, and performance-based bonus)
  • Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance
  • 401 (k) retirement savings plan with company match
  • Engaging work environment
  • Promotional opportunities
  • Education assistance
  • Professional and personal development opportunities
  • Company recognition program
  • Health and wellbeing resources, including free mental wellbeing therapy/coaching sessions, child and eldercare resources, and more

Mercury Insurance is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Pay Range
USD $107,344.71 - USD $300,603.92 /Yr.

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