We are hiring a Senior Pre-Litigation Associate to manage and drive the pre-suit phase of high-value plaintiff-side employment matters from early case evaluation through resolution or litigation handoff.
This role is for a plaintiff-side employment attorney who understands that meaningful leverage is often created before a complaint is filed-and who can develop facts, frame liability, communicate with clients, draft persuasive demands, and negotiate resolutions with judgment and urgency.
This is not an intake-only role.
This is not a passive support position.
This is not a role for someone who needs to be taught plaintiff-side employment strategy from the ground up.
Read This Before Applying
- If your background is exclusively defense-side , this role may not be the right fit.
- If you have not handled employment matters through pre-suit evaluation, demand, negotiation, or agency practice, this is not the right seat.
- If you are not comfortable owning client communication, deadlines, valuation, and settlement strategy, this role will not align.
We are seeking an attorney who can operate with senior-level judgment, move cases forward independently, and contribute to a high-performing plaintiff-side pre-litigation team.
The Role You Will Own
You will manage a docket of plaintiff-side employment matters in the pre-litigation phase, including:
- Conducting detailed case evaluations and developing early case strategy
- Assessing liability, damages, evidence, credibility, and settlement value
- Drafting high-impact demand letters and pre-suit submissions
- Managing EEOC and NYSDHR charge strategy, filings, responses, and related deadlines
- Building factual records through client interviews, document review, witness development, and damages analysis
- Serving as a primary client contact and maintaining clear, consistent, professional communication
- Negotiating pre-suit resolutions and participating in mediations and settlement conferences
- Preparing litigation-ready files when escalation is warranted
- Coordinating with litigation attorneys, paralegals, intake, and administrative staff to keep matters moving efficiently
- Mentoring junior attorneys, paralegals, or law clerks as appropriate
Practice Focus
You will handle matters involving:
- Discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims
- NYCHRL and NYSHRL
- Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, and related federal employment statutes
- Section 1981 and civil rights claims
- Equal Pay Act and wage-related claims
- New York Labor Law and other employee-side workplace claims
Who This Is For
This role is designed for an attorney who:
- Has meaningful plaintiff-side employment law experience and understands how to build leverage before filing
- Can evaluate claims quickly, accurately, and commercially
- Writes clearly, persuasively, and with strategic purpose
- Communicates with clients directly, respectfully, and consistently
- Negotiates from evidence, exposure, damages, and timing—not bluster
- Can manage a substantial docket without sacrificing quality or deadlines
- Works well with attorneys and staff in a fast-moving, results-driven environment
Requirements
- JD from an accredited law school and active New York Bar admission in good standing
- 5+ years of employment law experience, with plaintiff-side experience strongly preferred
- Substantial experience with pre-litigation case strategy, demand drafting, settlement negotiations, and client counseling
- Experience with EEOC and NYSDHR practice, including charge preparation and administrative case management
- Strong knowledge of NYCHRL, NYSHRL, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, Equal Pay Act, Section 1981, and related employment statutes
- Excellent legal writing, factual analysis, negotiation, organization, and client communication skills
- Ability to manage competing deadlines and a high-volume docket with autonomy and accountability
Plaintiff-side employment experience is strongly preferred; defense-side experience will be considered only where the candidate demonstrates a clear understanding of employee-side strategy and pre-suit leverage.
Compensation & Platform
This is a senior associate role within a plaintiff-side employment practice that values careful preparation, strategic pressure, strong client service, and results.
- Direct client contact and case ownership
- Opportunity to work closely with experienced plaintiff-side employment attorneys
- Performance-aligned compensation and growth potential
- Hybrid New York platform with a serious, outcome-focused team