Legal Assistant/Paralegal

Employment Litigation & Claims Paralegal

We are seeking an experienced Employment Litigation & Claims Paralegal to oversee and coordinate employment-related claims, demand letters, agency matters, arbitrations, and lawsuits.

This individual will serve as the primary internal point person for employment litigation and will work closely with ownership, HR Manager, operations, payroll, and outside employment counsel. The role is designed for an experienced employment litigation paralegal or claims professional who can organize cases, investigate facts, analyze records, identify potential defenses and exposure, and ensure our attorneys have the information and documentation necessary to develop an effective defense strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage employment claims and litigation from initial receipt through resolution.
• Immediately identify and calendar response dates, hearings, discovery deadlines, and other critical dates.
• Coordinate litigation holds and preservation of relevant documents, emails, text messages, payroll records, personnel files, video, and other evidence.
• Gather and organize personnel files, payroll and timekeeping records, policies, acknowledgments, disciplinary records, communications, and other relevant documentation.
• Develop detailed employee and case chronologies.
• Work with HR and operational leaders to identify relevant witnesses and obtain factual information.
• Assist outside counsel with investigations, discovery, document production, depositions, mediations, and case preparation.
• Analyze allegations and identify documentation supporting the company's defenses.
• Identify missing documentation, inconsistencies, potential weaknesses, and areas requiring additional investigation.
• Prepare concise case summaries for ownership and outside counsel outlining allegations, key facts, defenses, exposure, upcoming deadlines, and recommended action items.
• Maintain a centralized litigation and claims database tracking case status, legal expenses, settlement amounts, exposure, deadlines, and outcomes.
• Review recurring claims to identify operational or HR practices that could be improved to reduce future litigation.
• Coordinate with insurance carriers and brokers when employment-practices liability coverage may apply.
• Develop standardized processes, checklists, templates, and document-retention procedures for employment claims.

Ideal Background

The ideal candidate will have 3-5+ years of employment litigation experience, preferably as a employment-law paralegal, litigation manager, or employment claims professional.

Strong preference will be given to candidates with significant California employment-law experience, including wage-and-hour matters, PAGA, meal and rest periods, overtime, off-the-clock claims, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, leaves and accommodations, and arbitration matters.

Experience representing or supporting companies with large hourly and multi-location workforces, particularly within restaurants, hospitality, retail, healthcare, franchising, or similar industries, is highly desirable.

The successful candidate should be highly organized, analytical, detail-oriented, comfortable handling sensitive information, and capable of independently managing multiple active matters while working closely with outside legal counsel.

Primary Objective

The objective of this position is to create a highly organized internal employment-litigation function that allows outside counsel to focus on legal strategy and advocacy while ensuring that every matter is investigated thoroughly, documented properly, and defended using the strongest available facts and evidence.

Pay Rate:

• Based on Experience

Expected hours: 25.0 – 30.0 per week

Benefits:

• Paid sick time

Work Location: In person