Description:
As Senior Counsel, Labor & Employment, you will have a hands-on role advising on employment matters across Switch's multi-state operations. Much of our legal work is handled in-house, giving you the opportunity to work directly on matters from initial assessment through resolution. You will advise the People Team and senior leaders, manage disputes and investigations, and help the business navigate evolving employment requirements. This role is well suited for an attorney who values substantive legal work, direct client relationships, and practical problem-solving.What You'll Do:
- Advise the People Team and business leaders on federal, state, and local employment laws, including employee relations, accommodations and leaves, discipline and terminations, wage and hour issues, worker classification, joint-employer matters, immigration compliance, and other workplace matters.
- Handle employment disputes, litigation, agency charges, government audits, subpoenas, and investigations from initial assessment through resolution. Conduct legal research, draft substantive responses and legal analysis, develop case strategy, and work with outside counsel and insurers when additional support is needed.
- Conduct or oversee privileged workplace investigations, compliance audits, and risk assessments, including whistleblowers, ethics, and internal-reporting matters. Advise stakeholders on findings, legal risk, and appropriate next steps.
- Draft and negotiate employment-related agreements and advise on policies, handbooks, restrictive covenants, separation agreements, compensation and pay equity, labor relations, collective bargaining, unfair labor practice matters, and contingent workforce programs.
- Counsel on employee privacy, workplace monitoring, personnel records, employee data, recordkeeping and retention, litigation holds, discovery, and preservation obligations.
- Advise the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions, due diligence and integration, restructurings, reductions in force, reorganizations, and site openings or closures, including WARN Act requirements when applicable.
- Advise workplace safety and OSHA matters, including incident response in coordination with the Safety Team, as well as workers' compensation and related employment insurance matters.
- Monitor changes in employment law and translate new requirements into practical guidance and compliance measures. Develop and deliver training for managers, the People Team, and other stakeholders.
What We're Looking For:
- Sound legal judgment and the ability to provide practical advice that considers legal risk, business needs, and the facts of each matter.
- Comfort handling substantive legal work directly and taking ownership of matters from issue identification through resolution.
- Clear, credible communication with People professionals, business leaders, employees, government agencies, outside counsel, and other stakeholders.
- Ability to navigate matters where facts may be incomplete; requirements vary by jurisdiction, or several legal and business considerations must be weighed.
- A collaborative and reliable approach to legal support, with clear recommendations, thoughtful escalation, and consistent follow-through.
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and an active license in good standing to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction.
- 5–7 years of substantive labor and employment law experience gained in-house, at a law firm, in government, or through a combination of these settings.
- Strong experience advising on federal labor and employment laws, including Title VII, FLSA, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, NLRA, OSHA, and WARN, along with applicable state and local employment requirements.
- Experience with employment counseling, litigation or agency matters, workplace investigations, legal research, and substantive legal writing.
- Experience advising employers with operations across multiple states and the ability to research and apply requirements in unfamiliar jurisdictions.
- Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
- Experience with labor relations, immigration compliance, union environments, remote workforces, or other multi-jurisdiction employment matters is preferred.
- Admission or employment law experience in Nevada, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Texas is preferred but not required.
- Prior in-house, technology, or data center experience is helpful but not required.
- Ability to travel and respond to time-sensitive employment matters when business needs to require it.