Labor & Employment Attorney

What we're looking for:

We need someone with 3-7 years of law firm experience in management-side labor and employment law who has strong counseling and employment litigation chops. You should be comfortable advising corporate clients on a wide range of employment matters — from wage and hour compliance to discrimination defense — and have a track record of delivering practical, business-oriented legal advice. Bonus points if you have some traditional labor (NLRA, CBA, arbitration) experience or have supported M&A diligence on labor and employment matters.

What you'll do:

• Counsel management-side corporate clients on day-to-day employment matters including wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Title VII, NY Human Rights Law, and FLSA compliance
• Draft and review employment policies, handbooks, employment agreements, separation agreements, and restrictive covenants
• Advise on hiring practices, employee discipline, terminations, RIFs, and leaves of absence
• Jump into employment litigation defense matters including EEOC charge responses, motion practice, depositions, mediations, and summary judgment when they arise
• Handle traditional labor matters including NLRA counseling, collective bargaining support, grievances, arbitrations, and NLRB proceedings as a secondary part of the practice
• Conduct workplace training and internal investigations for a diverse client base spanning public and private companies, nonprofits, municipalities, academic institutions, and health systems
• Work closely with a collegial team of partners and associates across Rochester and Buffalo in an informal, apprenticeship-style staffing model where you will get real client contact early
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Hybrid work policy— 50% in-office over the course of a year, measured informally and not policed via swipe cards. Candidates must be based in or willing to relocate to Rochester, NY or Buffalo, NY. The firm does not staff its NYC office and this is not a remote role.

Location: Rochester, NY, Buffalo, NY

Seniority

3 - 8 years of experience 3-7 years of management-side labor & employment experience at a law firm (flexible to 2-8 years for exceptional candidates)

Work experience

Law firm L&E training required — not pure government background (DOL, NLRB, EEOC, state agency). HSE has repeatedly tried government laterals and the experience does not translate to their model.

Management-side orientation — employer/management side counseling and defense, not plaintiff or employee-side L&E.

Employment counseling as core practice — wage & hour, discrimination, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, FLSA, handbook/policy drafting, terminations, RIFs. This is the primary desk.

Employment litigation experience — EEOC charge response, motion practice, depositions, mediations, or summary judgment. Candidate should not be scared of litigation even if counseling is primary.

Some traditional labor / NLRA exposure — collective bargaining, grievances, NLRB proceedings, or arbitration. Secondary to employment counseling but meaningful part of the role.

M&A / PE diligence support on L&E matters — reviewing union contracts, exec comp, benefits in acquisition diligence, or renegotiating CBAs post-close.

Education

NY bar admission or ability to waive in — must be licensed in New York or willing and eligible to sit for the NY bar.

JD from accredited law school — law school pedigree is secondary to actual work experience at this level; regional schools (Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Cornell) are well-regarded by HSE partners.

Hard skills

Employment policy and document drafting — handbooks, employment agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and background check/hiring compliance.

Multi-jurisdiction employment law knowledge — federal (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Title VII) and New York state (NY Human Rights Law, NY Labor Law) compliance counseling.

Strong legal writing skills — writing sample required; Ben Mudrick reviews these specifically when substantive L&E experience is in question.

Soft skills

Collaborative, low-ego working style — HSE's lockstep model structurally eliminates internal competition; sharp elbows or individualistic orientation is culturally inverse to how the firm operates.

Responsive and proactive communicator — going dark or slow responsiveness during the process is a recurring red flag called out by the hiring team; this extends to working style on the job.

Miscellaneous

Willing to be in Rochester or Buffalo office — 50% in-office hybrid over the year (not policed). NYC-only candidates without WNY ties or relocation intent should not be submitted.