Employment Litigation Associate

Our Chicago office has an opportunity for an employment litigation associate to join the firm’s nationally recognized practice representing premier local and national employers. This is an excellent opportunity for associates with an ownership mentality to assume a leading role in providing superior legal services to sophisticated employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. This role requires extensive contact with clients, governmental agencies and opposing counsel.

Duties include, but are not limited to, performing legal research, drafting of legal memoranda, motions, and pleadings, attending court conferences, handling discovery-related activities (including e-discovery and depositions) and investigations, drafting of position statements and dispositive motions, drafting settlement agreements and other employment-related agreements (e.g., employment agreements, arbitration agreements, restrictive covenant agreements) and counseling clients on employment-law-related matters.

The right candidate will have a passion for client service, a desire to practice in company-side employment law, strong writing/drafting skills, strong analytical and communication skills, superior organizational and time management skills and an ability to relate to and inspire confidence with savvy business clients. This is a great opportunity for the right lawyer to join a top national employment law practice in a tight-knit and team-oriented environment.

Our office is collegial with a commitment to mutual respect in the workplace. We hold regular all-attorney in-person conferences throughout the country. We make attorney development a priority and provide ongoing writing, publishing, and speaking opportunities as well as access to expansive professional development training programs and opportunities to work with and be mentored by the leading attorneys in this field.

We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments and strongly encourage the interest of diverse candidates in the firm.

• Juris Doctor. Qualified candidates must be and remain licensed to practice law and in good standing in Illinois. During employment, must meet requirements for continuing licensure for law practice.
• Preference will be given to candidates who graduated in the top 25% of their law school class.
• Candidates must possess 3+ years of employment or significant civil litigation experience.
• Excellent analytical, writing and verbal communication skills are required.

Please note, we are not working with outside recruiters for this position.

In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act Transparency Notice, the expected salary range for this Illinois position is between $205,000 and $275,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience, geographic location, and other job-related factors as permitted by law.

Ogletree Deakins offers a robust suite of benefits for our attorneys including: comprehensive training and development programs including an annual firm-wide Attorney Retreat, CLE and bar admission expense reimbursement, several competitive annual bonus programs, 401(k) plan, affordable health, and life insurance including dental and vision coverage, flexible spending accounts to help offset the cost of dependent care and/or health care expenses, employee assistance program, back-up childcare program, and a paid parental leave on-ramping program.

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Best Law Firms® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 14 consecutive years. In the 2025 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor and Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 1,100 attorneys located in 60 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S.

We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments.

Equal Opportunity Employer.