Description

We are an employment law practice in San Ramon, California, focused on representing employees in discrimination, harassment, wage and hour litigation, class actions, Labor Commissioner proceedings, and arbitration. 

We are looking for an Associate Attorney with at least 5 years of litigation experience who is ready to take an active and growing role in representing clients at every stage of a case. Experience in employment litigation required.

Fluency in spoken and written Spanish is preferred.

Requirements

You must have substantial litigation experience in California employment law, specifically including:

Discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and whistleblower claims under FEHA, Labor Code § 1102.5, and related statutes
Wage and hour claims under the Labor Code and applicable Wage Orders
Individual cases, multi-plaintiff matters, class actions, and PAGA representative actions
Litigation in California state and federal court
Arbitration under JAMS, AAA, or comparable employment arbitration rules
Mediation representation
Appellate work at the California and Federal Court levels

You must be able to:

BE DEADLINE AND DETAIL-ORIENTED.

Draft and file pleadings, motions, briefs, demurrers, oppositions, and replies at a professional level with minimal supervision
Draft legal correspondence, settlement demands, and client communications
Take and defend depositions, handle written discovery, and manage cases through trial readiness
Manage client relationships with professionalism, empathy, and directness across the full case lifecycle

Strongly preferred:

Jury trial experience in employment matters 
Fluency in spoken and written Spanish — a substantial portion of our clients are Spanish-speaking, and this is a meaningful differentiator in our practice and in hiring

Required:

Active California Bar license in good standing — do not apply without this
All experience representations in your application must be verifiable

This is a hybrid position requiring at least three days in-office work.

From your first week, you will carry active cases with real responsibility. Specifically:

Manage a caseload of individual, multi-plaintiff, class, PAGA, and appellate matters from intake through resolution
Draft pleadings (complaints, answers, demurrers, cross-complaints), dispositive motions, discovery, opposition briefs, appellate briefs, and settlement agreements
Appear in court for hearings, CMCs, MSCs, and trials
Take and defend depositions
Represent clients in trials, hearings, arbitrations and mediations
Research and write on emerging California employment law issues
Maintain organized case files and meet all court, arbitration, agency, and client deadlines
Communicate directly and regularly with clients in English and, where applicable, Spanish
Travel to courts, arbitration venues, and mediation offices as cases require

Compensation

This is a plaintiff-side contingency practice with a variable revenue cycle. Compensation is structured to reflect that reality while providing meaningful income stability and significant upside.

Monthly draw of $10,000 ($120,000 annualized), guaranteed against future earned fees
Associate share of 10–15% of net fees collected on matters you work, reconciled quarterly or semi-annually against the draw
Annual deficit forgiveness provision to ensure the associate is never perpetually underwater during a slow collection period
Total compensation will exceed the draw meaningfully in productive periods

Benefits:

Bar dues paid by the firm
CLE reimbursement
Health insurance contribution (employer contribution toward premium — details discussed at offer stage)
Paid time off: 2 weeks per year (year 1), 3 weeks per year (year 2+)

Who Should Apply

This position is for an attorney who:

Has substantial, verifiable plaintiff-side employment litigation experience across the full spectrum described above — not primarily transactional, advisory, or defense-side
Understands how contingency-fee plaintiff practices work and sees the upside structure as an opportunity, not a risk
Is comfortable in a small firm environment where there is no large team behind each task — and who sees direct case responsibility as the point, not a burden
Can handle real client relationships — difficult facts, difficult emotions, and clients who are often in the worst professional moments of their lives
Wants a long-term home in plaintiff employment law, not a resume stop

If your experience is primarily transactional, advisory, employer-side defense, or in a practice area other than employment law, this position is not the right fit. Please do not apply.