Litigation Paralegal

Fogo de Chão • Addison, TX

8d • Onsite

About The Position

At Fogo de Chão, we strive to give our guests an unforgettable dining experience of discovery while showcasing the Culinary Art of Churrasco. Our mission is to ignite fire and joy to care for our team, our guests, and our communities. We believe better futures start when we bring our best to the table every day to Feed a Purposeful Future – starting with our team members. We feed our teams with fulfilling job opportunities, making space around the table so everyone feels welcome. At Fogo, we’ll provide you with a fulfilling career with professional and personal growth opportunities at every level. Our values of teamwork, integrity, excellence, humility, and Deixa Comigo (we’ve got you!) are more than just words; they’re how we do things every day. Join our esteemed team as a Litigation Paralegal. You'll play a pivotal role in supporting our restaurant's legal framework, particularly litigation portfolio management, service of process, outside counsel coordination, litigation strategy, and exposure management. This position is ideal for an experienced paralegal with a passion for the food service industry and a keen interest in managing litigation, reducing legal risk, and supporting the company's dispute-resolution strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of five to seven years of paralegal experience, with substantial litigation experience required.
• Demonstrated expertise in labor and employment litigation, civil litigation, claims management, and other disputes commonly affecting restaurant, hospitality, or multi-unit retail businesses.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, legal billing systems, and legal research tools.

Nice To Haves

• Paralegal certificate, Certified Paralegal (CP), Certified Legal Assistant (CLA), or comparable credential preferred.
• Experience working in-house, in a restaurant/hospitality, retail, multi-unit, franchise, or consumer-facing business environment strongly preferred.
• Experience with Smartsheet is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain Fogo's centralized litigation and claims portfolio, including all active, threatened, and newly filed matters. Track matter status, discovery obligations, settlement posture, next steps, responsible parties, and outside counsel assignments.
• Serve as the first-line intake and triage point for lawsuits, demand letters, subpoenas, pre-suit claims, guest incidents and other potential litigation matters. Determine urgency, identify required internal stakeholders, and coordinate immediate next steps.
• Serve as the notice point for service of process and other formal legal notices. Log, calendar, and distribute documentation promptly to the appropriate departments, restaurant teams, and outside counsel.
• Act as the primary day-to-day liaison with outside counsel on litigation matters.
• Drive litigation strategy discussions in coordination with the Legal Department and outside counsel.
• Build and maintain litigation trackers, reporting processes, and workflows to support a disciplined litigation management function and provide Legal Department leadership and business stakeholders with clear visibility into active matters, exposure, and overall litigation risk.
• Manage litigation holds, document preservation, discovery coordination, subpoenas, internal fact gathering, and evidence collection for litigation and claim defense.
• Coordinate settlement, payment processing, and closure of resolved matters.
• Review outside counsel invoices and adherence to billing guidelines. Track matter budgets and recommend cost-control measures.
• Monitor litigation trends and regulatory developments affecting the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance are available for full-time Team Members on the first of the month following their start date.
• Company-paid Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability are provided where allowed.
• Comprehensive voluntary benefits package including Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Coverage, Permanent Life, and Pet Insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level