Senior Deputy General Counsel (3 positions)

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we deliver reliable water to a region with 19 million people—and to accomplish this, we rely on a team of talented employees: innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators who make it all possible. This recruitment may result in an eligibility list. The Legal Department of the Metropolitan Water District (Metropolitan) has three (3) opening s for the General Counsel’s Office. They are at the Senior Deputy General Counsel level . SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL Metropolitan is seeking to fill three (3) Senior Deputy General Counsel positions with expertise in one of more of the following areas: litigation/labor/employment law , including litigation/administrative hearings and PERB/environmental resources law , and litigation/ public agency law . These positions will report to the General Counsel and will have the opportunity to work in an invigorating, collaborative and challenging legal environment as a member of a highly professional and effective team of over 20 attorneys plus paralegals and support staff, providing a variety of legal services in many different areas. For each of these positions, knowledge of public agency laws such as the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act and experience working for or representing public agencies, providing legal advice, working with boards, committees or legislative bodies, including serving as counsel during public meetings and hearings, is preferred. Candidates should be comfortable responding to substantive questions quickly, working with and managing outside counsel and working in a collaborative environment in which ideas are challenged. For labor relations/employment law, t he ideal candidate will have knowledge of public agency employment law and experience representing public agencies in labor and employment matters. The position requires experience conducting or overseeing investigations; negotiating labor and employment agreements, including collective bargaining agreements advising on and managing disciplinary matters and grievances, from initial administrative stage through administrative hearings, mediation and litigation; handling employment grievances, PERB hearings and litigation; and providing staff with day-to-day advice on a range of labor and employment issues. The position also requires working closely with human resources staff and other senior management and providing recommendations regarding personnel policies. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned litigator with a deep mastery of the California Public sector legal landscape, specifically expert in the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), PERB proceedings, and the Skelly due process framework for public employee discipline. You will serve as a primary legal strategist managing complex labor and employment disputes, including binding arbitration, administrative writs, and First Amendment claims, while ensuring strict agency compliance with the Brown Act, California Public Records Act (CPRA), and the Government Claims Act. Beyond labor law, you must possess the technical acumen to navigate the MWD Act. We are seeking a sophisticated advocate who can seamlessly pivot from the courtroom to the boardroom, offering high-level guidance on Political Reform Act conflicts, public agency social media policies, and the intersection of CalPERS regulations with the Interactive Process and disability law. The ideal candidate will have experience as a first chair litigator of complex matters, experience in negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, and/or experience in representing parties in administrative proceedings at the local, state and/or federal level. For litigation/environmental resources law , the ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience in CEQA/NEPA, CWA, ESA litigation, and a variety of other substantive areas relating to natural resources, and/or water law as well as experience in California water resource issues including the Law of the Colorado River and the California State Water Project. The ideal candidate will have experience as a first chair litigator of complex matters, experience in negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, and/or experience in representing parties in administrative proceedings at the local, state and/or federal level. The ideal candidate will have experience as a first chair litigator of complex matters, experience in negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, and/or experience in representing parties in administrative proceedings at the local, state and/or federal level. For public agency litigation law, the ideal candidate will be a seasoned Senior Deputy General Counsel with a sophisticated background in public agency litigation. The successful candidate will act as lead counsel in defending the District’s interests in state and federal courts, with a particular emphasis on Writ of Mandate proceedings (CCP §1085 and §1094.5). This role requires an expert litigator capable of navigating the California Government Claims Act and the MWD Act to defend against complex tort and jurisdictional challenges. You will provide strategic advocacy in disputes involving Public Finance and debt issuance, as well as high-stakes Public Contract litigation related to capital projects bid protests and vendor contracts. Additionally, the role involves defending the District’s policies in emerging areas such as public agency social media use and Employee First Amendment rights. This is a pivotal opportunity for an accomplished litigator to provide the 'shield' that protects the infrastructure and policies sustaining Southern California’s water future. The ideal candidate will have experience as a first chair litigator of complex matters, experience in negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, and/or experience in representing parties in administrative proceedings at the local, state and/or federal level. Senior Deputy General Counsel Positions at this advanced level are recognized as technical specialists using initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or researching trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, or proposed new policies. Decisions regarding what needs to be done include sophisticated legal research and analysis, drafting of contracts, pleadings, presentation materials and other documents, interpreting data, planning of the work, or refining the methods and techniques to be used. The work includes making presentations to committees of Metropolitan’s Board and to management. The work involves established criteria; formulating projects; assessing program effectiveness; or analyzing variety of unusual conditions, problems, or questions. The work product or service may affect activities, or the operation of other organizations. These Attorney positions serve as legal experts for and on behalf of Metropolitan, provide advice and recommendations to management and the Board and are responsible for safeguarding and enhancing Metropolitan’s rights, entitlements, interests, and assets. In general, the Senior Deputy General Counsel should feel comfortable handling litigation in a variety of substantive areas and be willing to learn new matters. The Senior Deputy General Counsel need to work well with others, both internally and externally, and be comfortable working as part of a team. May act as a lead coordinating and reviewing work assignments of employees and outside counsel performing a variety of work on a range of issues on a day-to-day basis. This job announcement has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification / job.

Requirements

Juris Doctor Graduate degree from an accredited law school
Seven (7) years of progressively responsible, directly related law practice experience performing complex and varied legal assignments
California State Bar Member (member in good standing, with either active membership or the ability to activate membership prior to employment)
Applicants for employment with The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States (i.e., H1-B or other employment-based immigration case)

Nice To Haves

Experience representing public agencies is preferred
Directly related law practice experience is labor relations/employment law or litigation/environmental resources law or public agency litigation law
Candidates should specify their substantive area of expertise in the questionnaire
Knowledge of public agency laws such as the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act and experience working for or representing public agencies, providing legal advice, working with boards, committees or legislative bodies, including serving as counsel during public meetings and hearings, is preferred
Candidates should be comfortable responding to substantive questions quickly, working with and managing outside counsel and working in a collaborative environment in which ideas are challenged
For labor relations/employment law, t he ideal candidate will have knowledge of public agency employment law and experience representing public agencies in labor and employment matters
The position requires experience conducting or overseeing investigations; negotiating labor and employment agreements, including collective bargaining agreements advising on and managing disciplinary matters and grievances, from initial administrative stage through administrative hearings, mediation and litigation; handling employment grievances, PERB hearings and litigation; and providing staff with day-to-day advice on a range of labor and employment issues
The position also requires working closely with human resources staff and other senior management and providing recommendations regarding personnel policies
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned litigator with a deep mastery of the California Public sector legal landscape, specifically expert in the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), PERB proceedings, and the Skelly due process framework for public employee discipline
You will serve as a primary legal strategist managing complex labor and employment disputes, including binding arbitration, administrative writs, and First Amendment claims, while ensuring strict agency compliance with the Brown Act, California Public Records Act (CPRA), and the Government Claims Act
Beyond labor law, you must possess the technical acumen to navigate the MWD Act
We are seeking a sophisticated advocate who can seamlessly pivot from the courtroom to the boardroom, offering high-level guidance on Political Reform Act conflicts, public agency social media policies, and the intersection of CalPERS regulations with the Interactive Process and disability law
The ideal candidate will have experience as a first chair litigator of complex matters, experience in negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, and/or experience in representing parties in administrative proceedings at the local, state and/or federal level
For litigation/environmental resources law , the ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience in CEQA/NEPA, CWA, ESA litigation, and a variety of other substantive areas relating to natural resources, and/or water law as well as experience in California water resource issues including the Law of the Colorado River and the California State Water Project
For public agency litigation law, the ideal candidate will be a seasoned Senior Deputy General Counsel with a sophisticated background in public agency litigation
The successful candidate will act as lead counsel in defending the District’s interests in state and federal courts, with a particular emphasis on Writ of Mandate proceedings (CCP §1085 and §1094.5)
This role requires an expert litigator capable of navigating the California Government Claims Act and the MWD Act to defend against complex tort and jurisdictional challenges
You will provide strategic advocacy in disputes involving Public Finance and debt issuance, as well as high-stakes Public Contract litigation related to capital projects bid protests and vendor contracts
Additionally, the role involves defending the District’s policies in emerging areas such as public agency social media use and Employee First Amendment rights
This is a pivotal opportunity for an accomplished litigator to provide the 'shield' that protects the infrastructure and policies sustaining Southern California’s water future

Responsibilities

Sophisticated legal research and analysis
Drafting of contracts, pleadings, presentation materials and other documents
Interpreting data
Planning of the work, or refining the methods and techniques to be used
Making presentations to committees of Metropolitan’s Board and to management
Formulating projects
Assessing program effectiveness
Analyzing variety of unusual conditions, problems, or questions
Provide advice and recommendations to management and the Board
Responsible for safeguarding and enhancing Metropolitan’s rights, entitlements, interests, and assets
Handling litigation in a variety of substantive areas and be willing to learn new matters
Work well with others, both internally and externally, and be comfortable working as part of a team
May act as a lead coordinating and reviewing work assignments of employees and outside counsel performing a variety of work on a range of issues on a day-to-day basis

Benefits

Competitive compensation
Excellent medical, dental, life, vision plans.
Deferred compensation in the form of a 401(k) plan (with matching contribution) and a 457 plan.
Retirement benefits under the California Public Employees' Retirement System
Tuition reimbursement
Training and advancement opportunities
On-site fitness center
Excellent working environment
Hub of public transportation: rail, subway, buses, and taxis
Public transportation reimbursements