Employment Counsel (Employment and Labor Specialist) Los Angeles, California, United States Essential Functions and Responsibilities Serve as a subject matter consultant in all areas of employment and labor law and provide guidance to ensure compliance with all relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to employment, including but not limited to laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), California Labor Code, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and others. Provide strategic legal advice and counseling on general employment law matters and HR conduct, including workplace policies and procedures, performance management, compensation and benefits, human resources issues, internal investigations, worker classification, accommodations, terminations, leaves of absence, recruiting and hiring. Proactively identify and assess legal risks and advise management and HR teams accordingly on legal risks and compliance requirements related to employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour laws, and employee benefits, and find opportunities within the labor and employment area for risk prevention purposes; advise and escalate accordingly, proposing creative solutions. Collaborate on HR compliance risk assessments with HR, negotiate, review, and draft employment/HR-related agreements, including executive employment agreements, non compete agreements, confidentiality agreements, and severance agreements. Ensure the organization's policies and practices comply with all relevant laws and regulations by reviewing and updating the employee handbooks, policies, procedures, SOPs, and various guidelines related to employment and compensation matters, and create and implement new ones as necessary per the updates to the laws and regulations. Stay abreast of developments in employment law at the federal, state, and local levels, particularly in California, and communicate effectively of the updates to internal stakeholders, including HR, management, and other departments, and develop and lead training programs for various internal groups. Advise on employee relations matters, including disciplinary actions, grievances, and investigations into complaints of harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct, and provide training to management and employees on workplace policies, procedures, and legal obligations. Manage any potential or active litigation matters regarding employment-related matters including, but not limited to Title VII and FEHA, leaves of absence, wrongful termination, reductions in force, harassment, and wages and hour matters. Manage outside counsel/law firms handling certain employment matters and litigations, as needed and in a cost-effective manner. Provide guidance and support to foreign national employees regarding visa applications, status maintenance, travel restrictions, and other immigration-related matters. Monitor changes in immigration laws, regulations, and policies to ensure ongoing compliance with visa requirements and eligibility criteria, and conduct training sessions for HR personnel, managers, and employees on immigration-related topics, visa processes, and compliance obligations. Develop strategies to mitigate risks, streamline visa processes, and optimize the organization's ability to attract and retain international talent. Uphold the highest ethical standards in the practice of law and ensure compliance with professional rules of conduct and maintain confidentiality and protect sensitive information related to employee matters and legal affairs of the organization. Perform other related duties assigned. Qualifications/Requirements JD from an accredited law school 5-8 years in employment law in California Must be admitted, and in active status and good standing with the California State Bar (or permitted to work as in-house counsel under the rules of your state of residence) In-house experience in California Bilingual in English/Korean strongly preferred
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