Corporate Counsel-Employment and Litigation

Renaissance Learning North America

5h•Remote

About The Position

The Corporate Counsel – Employment & Litigation is an integral member of the HR and Legal teams at Renaissance. The role has a highly-matrixed reporting structure—with guidance from Chief People Officer, Vice President of HR Service Delivery, and Chief Legal Officer, the Corporate Counsel – Employment & Litigation will work closely with HR teams and business partners to provide employment and litigation advice. The role is responsible for managing litigation and dispute matter; creating and supporting strategic and proactive HR compliance programs and policies; and identifying trends, risks, and opportunities related to employment practices within Renaissance.

Requirements

J.D. degree and membership in good standing in at least one bar;
At least six years of experience in the field of employment law and litigation; a mix of law firm and in-house experience is preferred.
Experience handling employment litigation matters, including managing outside counsel and litigation costs.
Demonstrable knowledge of employment laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and Fair Labor Standards Act, and willingness to learn applicable international laws. This includes experience with performance management strategies, workplace investigations, and other HR practices and procedures.
Or other equivalent experience and/or education.
Ability to organize and manage multiple, competing priorities in a fast-paced, evolving organization.
Strong communication and influence skills with both internal clients as well as external organizations and outside counsel.
Capability to exercise judgment and discretion in handling confidential information and situations.
Honed critical reasoning and problem-solving skills with a focus on conflict resolution.
Willingness and aptitude to mentor and train others in areas of expertise.
Proficiency in (or ability to learn) AI tools to create efficiencies, automate processes, and improve outcomes in area of expertise.

Responsibilities

Provide sound, practical, and business-oriented legal advice on a range of federal, state, local and international employment law issues, encompassing the full employment cycle.
Partner closely with the HR leaders and team members in the US and internationally to evaluate and evolve current employment practices, compliance, policies, and trainings. Recommend and execute on updated processes to ensure compliance with relevant laws.
Advise leaders and HR on legal risk related to re-organizations, employee terminations, and other employment actions.
Manage employment litigation matters, including responding to attorney demand letters, effectively negotiating resolution of claims, management of outside counsel, liaising with business units and insurance carriers on case strategies to achieve desired outcomes, and making recommendations to HR and senior management on corrective actions and dispute resolutions.
Draft and review employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, release agreements, and other documents related to the employee life cycle to ensure they are comprehensive, enforceable, and consistent with Renaissance values.
In cooperation with legal team, review and support vendor agreements for employment operations.
Develop and deliver legal trainings for members of the HR team and other business partners on issues related to employment law and compliance with Renaissance policy.
Support corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures, and international expansion, with counsel on employment law matters such as due diligence, integration planning, and review of employment-related agreements and provisions.
Remain current on employment laws and changes in multiple jurisdictions and partner with other departments to understand and implement any necessary changes.
Select and manage outside employment legal counsel, including outside counsel spend.
Support compliance and ethics initiatives, including investigations and audits.