Senior Counsel, Employment Law

This is a Full Time Job

We're seeking a motivated, conscientious Senior Counsel, Employment Law to join the global employment function of the Simon & Schuster legal department. The position will support a wide range of business clients while focusing on employment advice and litigation, employee training, and internal investigations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key legal advisor on employment law, employee relations matters, and policy interpretation.

• Provide legal, strategic and business advice and support to the Law Department and Human Resources Department on day-to-day employee relations matters and compliance, including: recruiting, hiring, and compensation; employee discipline, performance management, terminations, and restructurings; anti-discrimination, harassment prevention, and non-retaliation; federal and state wage-hour compliance; leaves of absence and workplace accommodations; and internal investigations of potential violations of Company policy;

• Evaluate and communicate legal risks associated with complaints, grievances, charges, and other legal matters.

• Handle pre-litigation claims, settlement negotiations and mediations, and federal and state litigation, including management of outside counsel where support is needed.

• Work to minimize legal exposure by proactively reviewing existing practices, forms, contracts, and policies regarding employment matters, while considering business objectives and practicalities.

• Draft policies, procedures, and agreements (e.g., offer letters, confidentiality agreements, separation agreements, settlement agreements, and employment agreements), and prepare legal documents, memoranda, and other forms of communication regarding transactional or legal advice.

• Develop training materials and provide training on employment law issues and employment-related policies and practices to Human Resources professionals and other employees.

• Provide legal counsel to executives and senior/ middle management on changes in the law and complex legal issues that may have a significant impact on Company facilities and operations.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school

• At least 5 years of experience as an employment attorney including law firm experience and/or in house experience

• Must be a member of the New York Bar

• Broad and deep employment law knowledge including familiarity with litigation; ability to readily advise on the wide variety of employment law issues that arise in a complex, global corporate environment

• Ability to identify and analyze complex issues and evaluate their broader implications for the business; interact with clients at all levels; provide timely, practical, legal advice and solutions; and communicate effectively in person and in writing

Additional Qualifications

• Ability to work independently, exercise good judgment, and take ownership of issues and matters to their successful conclusion

• Exemplary leadership and organization skills, including program and project management, prioritization, and time management

• Preference to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

• Ability and willingness to develop expertise in other topics to meet the needs of a dynamic business and Law Department

• Attention to detail and the ability to manage a high-volume workload efficiently and smoothly.

• In-house experience strongly preferred

• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets preferred

Simon & Schuster has been named to Forbes magazine list of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers 2022.”

Simon & Schuster is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most pr