Employment & Labor Associate Attorney

Direct Counsel is seeking an Employment & Labor Associate Attorney to join a sophisticated East Coast–based law firm.

This is an excellent opportunity for a 3–4 year associate with employer-side employment litigation and labor experience to join a growing team handling a wide range of workplace disputes, counseling matters, and labor relations issues.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience representing employers in state and federal court litigation, administrative proceedings, labor arbitration, and day-to-day employment counseling matters.

Locations

Hartford, Connecticut; Parsippany, New Jersey; Stamford, Connecticut

Position Overview

The successful candidate will have 3–4 years of demonstrated employment and labor litigation experience, with a focus on management-side representation.

This role is ideal for an attorney with experience in:

• Employment litigation in state and federal courts
• Administrative proceedings
• Labor arbitration
• Internal investigations
• Workplace policy drafting
• Employment counseling
• Restrictive covenant and non-compete disputes

The firm offers a hybrid schedule with two remote days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent employers in:
  • State court litigation
  • Federal court litigation
  • Administrative proceedings
  • Labor arbitrations
• Handle matters involving:
  • Discrimination claims
  • Wage and hour disputes
  • Breach of contract
  • Wrongful termination and workplace claims
• Support non-compete and restrictive covenant litigation
• Conduct internal workplace investigations
• Counsel clients on:
  • Labor relations
  • Employment law compliance
  • Workplace best practices
  • Risk mitigation strategies
• Draft and review:
  • Employment agreements
  • Restrictive covenant agreements
  • Separation agreements
  • Employee handbooks
  • Workplace policies
• Provide practical advice on day-to-day HR and employee relations issues

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• 3–4 years of employer-side employment and labor litigation experience
• Strong experience with:
  • State and federal employment litigation
  • Administrative agency proceedings
  • Labor arbitration
  • Legal research and writing
  • Employer counseling
• Experience with non-compete litigation is a plus
• Experience conducting internal investigations and drafting workplace policies is preferred
• Excellent advocacy, writing, and communication skills
• Strong client service orientation and practical judgment
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Bar admission in Connecticut or New Jersey required
• Admission in New York, Pennsylvania, or Massachusetts is a plus

Ideal Candidate

The ideal attorney will be:

• Employer-side and business-minded
• A strong litigator and practical workplace counselor
• Comfortable advising HR teams, executives, and in-house counsel
• Skilled at balancing litigation strategy with preventative counseling
• Collaborative, proactive, and responsive
• Interested in building a broad labor & employment platform

Why This Opportunity

This is an outstanding opportunity for an associate seeking a balanced labor and employment practice that combines litigation, arbitration, counseling, internal investigations, and restrictive covenant work. The breadth of the platform makes this especially attractive for attorneys looking to build a well-rounded employer-side practice with long-term growth potential.