Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Associate Attorney

Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Palo Alto, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh, NC; Reston, VA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Short Hills, NJ; Washington, DC; Wilmington, DE

Direct Counsel is seeking an Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Associate Attorney to join a leading Am Law firm’s nationally recognized Tax/Corporate practice. This opportunity is ideal for an attorney with 3 years of applicable corporate or executive compensation experience, particularly someone interested in working on sophisticated private equity and M&A-driven compensation and benefits matters.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience advising on equity plans, executive compensation arrangements, retention and incentive packages, retirement and welfare plans, and employee benefits issues arising in mergers and acquisitions, with a particular emphasis on private equity transactions. This role offers substantive deal involvement, close collaboration with corporate deal teams, and meaningful client-facing responsibility in a highly strategic practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise on employee benefits and executive compensation matters in complex transactions
• Support private equity, M&A, and other strategic corporate transactions
• Draft and negotiate equity plans, award agreements, executive employment agreements, and retention packages
• Counsel clients on retirement plans, welfare plans, and incentive compensation arrangements
• Conduct legal research and analysis related to ERISA, tax, securities, and executive compensation issues
• Assist with transaction diligence, structuring, and closing support
• Advise on employee benefits and compensation issues in change-of-control and sponsor-backed transactions
• Work collaboratively with corporate, tax, labor, and private equity teams
• Participate directly in client calls, negotiations, and strategic planning discussions
• Stay current on legal developments affecting benefits, compensation, and transactional structures

Qualifications

• 3 years of relevant corporate, employee benefits, or executive compensation experience
• Strong interest in executive compensation and employee benefits law
• Experience with equity compensation, executive retention, and incentive structures
• Familiarity with benefits and compensation issues in M&A and private equity transactions
• Am Law 100 experience preferred
• Excellent research, drafting, analytical, and communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Sound business judgment and client management ability
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• JD from an accredited law school
• Active bar admission in the state of office location

Compensation

$260,000 – $390,000, depending on geographic market, experience, and overall qualifications.

Why This Opportunity

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a top-tier executive compensation and benefits platform working on sophisticated sponsor-side and strategic corporate transactions. The role offers a highly collaborative culture, strong mentorship, hybrid flexibility, and the chance to develop a specialized, high-value practice at the intersection of tax, private equity, and M&A.