Overview
Head of Employment Law Department / Senior Trial Attorney Jobs in Valley Village, CA at AlderLaw, PC
About Alder Law
Alder Law is a growing California plaintiff-side litigation firm known for high-impact advocacy, strong trial preparation, and a culture that values professionalism, accountability, teamwork, and results. Our Employment Law practice is expanding, and we are seeking an accomplished plaintiff side Employment Law Attorney and Trial Lawyer to serve as Head of the Employment Law Department.
This is a hands on leadership opportunity for an attorney who wants to remain actively involved in complex cases and trials while mentoring attorneys, developing the existing team, and helping build and grow the Employment Law practice.
The Opportunity
The existing Employment Law Department consists of one Employment Law Attorney, two Paralegals, and one Legal Assistant. The Department Head will lead and develop this team while partnering closely with firm leadership to further build the practice.
This is not a purely administrative management role. The successful candidate will maintain an active caseload and personally participate in complex litigation, depositions, significant law and motion matters, mediations, settlement negotiations, trial preparation, and trials. At the same time, this leader will provide strategic oversight, mentor and develop the team, establish strong litigation practices and workflows, evaluate cases, and help scale the department.
Key Responsibilities – Litigation & Trial
- Maintain an active caseload of complex plaintiff-side employment matters from intake through settlement, trial, and, when appropriate, appeal
- Serve as lead counsel on significant and high-value employment matters
- Develop case strategy, litigation plans, case valuation, and recommendations throughout the life of each matter
- Draft, review, and argue significant pleadings and motions, including dispositive and discovery motions
- Take and defend depositions of parties, witnesses, PMQ/PMK witnesses, and experts
- Oversee written discovery, meet-and-confer efforts, and discovery disputes
- Conduct mediations, settlement conferences, and high-level settlement negotiations
- Prepare cases for trial and serve as trial counsel
- Handle individual and complex employment litigation involving FEHA, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, California Labor Code claims, PAGA matters, and class or representative actions
Key Responsibilities – Department Leadership & Growth
- Lead, mentor, and develop the existing Employment Law Attorney, two Paralegals, and Legal Assistant
- Build a high-performing team and identify future staffing needs as the department grows
- Provide substantive legal guidance and strategic oversight while remaining personally engaged in active litigation
- Review attorney work product and provide meaningful coaching, mentorship, and professional development
- Delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for deadlines, quality, case progression, and results
- Establish and refine department workflows, litigation standards, case management practices, and performance expectations
- Partner with firm leadership on hiring, department strategy, growth, and long-term vision
- Evaluate prospective cases and make sound decisions regarding case selection, litigation strategy, risk, value, and resource allocation
- Monitor case inventory, litigation progress, deadlines, team capacity, and outcomes
- Help establish the Employment Law Department as a significant, scalable, and sustainable practice within The Law Firm
Required Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school
- Active membership and good standing with the State Bar of California
- 10+ years of substantial litigation experience, with significant and recent California employment law litigation experience
- Strong plaintiff-side employment litigation experience
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex employment cases from inception through trial or resolution
- Significant experience with FEHA, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, and California Labor Code claims
- Meaningful experience with PAGA, class action, and/or representative litigation
- Substantial deposition, law and motion, mediation, courtroom, and trial experience
- Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, or managing attorneys and legal support professionals
- Exceptional legal writing, analytical, oral advocacy, and client communication skills
- Strong strategic judgment and ability to evaluate liability, damages, risk, case value, and settlement opportunities
- Ability and desire to remain an active practicing attorney while simultaneously leading and developing a department
Preferred Qualifications
- First-chair trial experience in employment or other complex civil litigation
- Experience building, scaling, or materially growing a plaintiff-side employment practice
- Strong PAGA, wage and hour, and employment class action experience
- Experience developing litigation systems, workflows, and attorney training programs
- Business-minded approach to case selection, litigation strategy, department performance, and growth
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be a seasoned litigator, trial attorney, leader, mentor, and builder. We are looking for someone who has the confidence and experience to take ownership of complex cases, is comfortable taking strong cases to trial, understands the economics and strategy of plaintiff-side contingency litigation, and knows when to negotiate versus when to litigate aggressively. This individual should genuinely enjoy developing attorneys and staff, creating structure and accountability, and building a sophisticated employment practice – while continuing to practice law at a high level.
Compensation
Base Salary: $350,000-$400,000 annually, commensurate with experience, qualifications, leadership background, and demonstrated litigation and trial capabilities. The position also includes an incentive-based bonus structure tied to individual performance, case results, and/or the success and growth of the Employment Law Department. The compensation structure is designed to reward exceptional performance and align the Department Head’s success with the continued growth of the practice.
What Alder Law has to Offers
- Opportunity to lead and shape a growing Employment Law Department
- An existing team of one attorney, two paralegals, and one legal assistant to lead and develop
- High-value, complex plaintiff-side employment litigation
- Significant autonomy and ownership over cases, litigation strategy, and department development
- Hands-on trial opportunities with strong firm support
- Collaborative leadership environment focused on accountability, execution, and results
- Meaningful opportunity to build a department while continuing to practice at a high level
How to Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a resume, representative litigation and trial experience, and a writing sample. Please clearly identify your California employment litigation experience, including PAGA, wage and hour, class or representative matters, depositions, dispositive motions, mediations, and trials.
All inquiries and applications will be handled confidentially.
Alder Law is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Pay: $350,000.00 – $400,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have 10+ years of substantial litigation experience, with significant and recent California employment law litigation experience?
- Do you have the ability to independently manage complex employment cases from inception through trial or resolution?
- Do you have first-chair trial experience in employment or other complex civil litigation?
- Do you have experience developing litigation systems, workflows, and attorney training programs?
- Do you have business minded approach to case selection, litigation strategy, department performance, and growth?
- How many years of experience do you have running a department?
Work Location: In person
Title: Head of Employment Law Department / Senior Trial Attorney
Company: AlderLaw, PC
Location: Valley Village, CA
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