Associate Counsel

POSITION SUMMARY

The PEOPLEASE Group is a leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO) serving 70,000 employees. Our industry focus and strategic growth plan have positioned us to be the leading provider of PEO services in the United States serving the blue and gray collar markets.

The PEOPLEASE Group is looking for a qualified attorney to work in the Legal and Compliance department as an Associate Counsel. This is a management position reporting to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO). This individual will be responsible for overseeing the Compliance division of the Legal and Compliance department for The PEOPLEASE Group, a Professional Employer Organization with 250 internal employees, 65,000 worksite employees nationwide, and for managing, supervising, developing the Compliance team.

The Legal and Compliance department provides traditional legal services for all departments of The PEOPLEASE Group, manages all litigation for the Company, negotiates contract terms with clients, vendors and third parties and ensures organizational compliance with state licensing laws. Accordingly, this individual must be versed in corporate governance and in current federal employment-related laws and regulations, including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the state counterparts to these laws. Additionally, the individual must possess an understanding of garnishments, unemployment insurance and state and federal onboarding requirements.

Working with the CLO, this individual is responsible for developing the talents of department employees and driving organizational change in a manner that creates opportunities for collaboration and ensures that organizational objectives are achieved.

This individual must be extremely organized and have excellent time management, communication and relationship building skills. The ideal candidate is strategic and action-oriented. The ideal candidate will be able to manage and execute the coordination of multiple projects within required timeframes and expectations, demonstrate excellence in the ability to perform detail-oriented tasks, and interact, coordinate, follow up, and effectively communicate with Senior Management, Legal and Compliance department team members, regional teams, clients, and vendors.

This individual must be a self-starter with the ability to function as a remote employee with a distributed workforce. This position does not require regular travel.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position, which are as follows:

• Work with the Chief Legal Officer to perform all functions related to providing legal advice and services to the Company.
• Collaborate with external compliance consultants, legal counsel, and regulatory agencies as needed to manage litigation and regulatory matters.
• Advise on legal risks and mitigation strategies and support good governance through appropriate discussion and escalation of issues.
• Identify and analyze new legislation and proactively propose and implement solutions.
• Conduct legal research and analysis to stay current on laws and regulations affecting the PEO industry.
• Direct and monitor the activities of the Compliance department personnel.
• Develop policies and procedures to reduce the Company's legal risks.
• Review and draft contracts, agreements, and other legal documents related to corporate transactions (e.g. NDAs, vendor agreements, employment contracts) and client servicing transactions.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams and committees.
• Provide advice to and work with various departments of the Company to achieve goals.
• Assist with projects and other assignments as required.
• Travel infrequently, but as necessary, to perform the essential functions of the job.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES)

• Degree from an accredited law school required, an active law license and membership in good standing in the state in which the candidate is domiciled required.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience practicing law in the field of business and employment law, with relevant legal experience.
• Previous experience in a Professional Employer Organization and/or private equity preferred.
• Experience in corporate governance, class action litigation, transportation law and/or data privacy a plus.
• Experience with California regulations, notices, labor and employment laws a plus
• Proven leadership experience managing legal and/or compliance team.
• Well versed in current federal employment-related laws and regulations.
• Track record in delivering results and pragmatic, risk-based legal advice.
• Experience in negotiating corporate contracts.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• An understanding of garnishments, unemployment insurance and state and federal onboarding requirements is preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to collaboratively work cross functionally with internal teams, including finance, human resources, operations, information technology, and sales.
• Ability to understand and embrace the company's core values, corporate goals, mission, and priorities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. This position will be working primarily indoors and some of the time in an outdoor environment in varying temperatures. Normal auto and air travel hazards will apply.