Employment Litigation Associate

Job Title: Employment Litigation Associate / Business Litigation Attorney

Location: Durham, NC (Hybrid/Flexible)

Salary: Competitive / Commensurate with experience

Top Selling Points

• Direct First-Chair Track: Gain immediate, hands-on deposition, oral advocacy, and motion practice experience based on merit, not tenure.
• High-Stakes, Diverse Caseload: Defend local to international employers across complex state/federal litigation, administrative hearings, and arbitration.
• No Multi-Year Office Mandates: Highly collaborative firm culture that values in-person development while offering genuine work-from-home flexibility.

A premier, Chambers-rated North Carolina business law firm is seeking a talented Employment Litigation Associate or experienced Business Litigation Attorney with 3 to 5 years of sophisticated litigation experience to join its Durham office. This position offers a rare hybrid track: prior employment law experience is welcomed but not mandatory, making it an exceptional transition opportunity for a commercial or business litigator looking to specialize in high-value labor and employment disputes.

The firm is highly selective, prioritizing entrepreneurial attorneys who thrive with direct client contact, immediate partner collaboration, and early courtroom exposure.

Key Responsibilities

• Defense & Advocacy: Defend corporate employers in state and federal courts against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and FLSA wage and hour claims.
• Restrictive Covenants & IP: Litigate disputes involving non-compete agreements, non-solicitation covenants, confidentiality breaches, and trade secret misappropriation.
• Administrative & Agency Proceedings: Represent clients before regulatory agencies including the EEOC, Department of Labor (DOL), OSHA, and state unemployment commissions.
• Core Litigation & Trial Prep: Draft complex pleadings, dispositive motions, summary judgment briefs, and discovery requests; manage comprehensive e-discovery vendor workflows.
• Depositions & Court Appearances: Take and defend depositions of key parties, witnesses, and experts; present oral arguments in court hearings and arbitration panels (AAA, JAMS, FINRA).
• Strategic Client Counseling: Deliver risk assessments, legal research, and strategic advice directly to corporate executives and HR stakeholders regarding litigation exposure and mediation.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: 3–5 years of litigation experience within a reputable law firm setting, handling business, commercial, or employment disputes.
• Education: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school with exceptional academic credentials.
• Licensure: Active license in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; must be willing and eligible to obtain licensure in North Carolina within one year of hire.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency with advanced e-discovery platforms, legal research software (Westlaw/LexisNexis), and complex case management.
• Advocacy: Proven track record of drafting high-quality legal briefs and managing core discovery independent of heavy oversight.

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