Upwork ($UPWK) is the leading tech solution for companies looking to hire the best talent, maintain flexibility, and get more done. We’re passionate about our mission to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. Every year, more than $2 billion of work is done through Upwork by skilled professionals who want the freedom of working anytime, anywhere. Top companies connecting with extraordinary talent around the globe? Upwork is how.

You'll join the award-winning Upwork Legal Team. We are a collaborative, trusting and high-performing team that loves to work on state-of-the art legal issues and generate practical solutions. The team has a passion for what we do that has been recognized in the industry. In 2016, we won The Recorder’s prestigious Legal Department of the Year (Emerging Companies) award.

Are you a motivated junior employment litigation counsel who is eager to align your work with your values? If so, this rare in-house opportunity is ideal for you. You'll jump in at the deep end and join a team of engaged and purpose-filled colleagues. Our team is collaborative, business-minded, passionate, and high-performing.

In this role you will assess, mitigate and/or resolve disputes and litigation. You will also work with us to support and scale our commercial, operations and sales teams on employment and other matters related to our customer offerings, including our Enterprise solution. Together, we work on state-of-the art legal issues and partner to bring practical solutions to resolve and mitigate risk.

Your Responsibilities:

• Assist with user disputes, agency claims (particularly employment-related agencies), and all aspects of litigation;
• Handle information requests, including response to subpoenas and similar legal processes and requests for information for users and prospective clients;
• Review marketing materials on legal and industry topics, employment and independent contractor-related agreements, and other materials for compliance with applicable employment laws;
• Provide legal advice and counseling to business partners in Human Resources and other cross-functional areas of the business regarding employment law issues, including contingent workforce and wage-and-hour issues, domestically and internationally
• Manage outside counsel on pending litigation matters and help ensure cost-effective legal operations;
• Assist with process reviews, internal and external audits, internal investigations, and policy creation and implementation;
• Assist with complaints, investigations, and agency consumer, employment-related, and other compliance issues; and
• Assist with DMCA takedown requests, domain and trademark infringement actions, and other intellectual property rights enforcement matters.

What it takes to catch our eye:

• 2 to 5 years experience practicing employment law in the litigation context.
• Licensed to practice law, in good standing. If not licensed in California, familiarity with California employment law.
• Litigation experience at an AmLaw 100 law firm.

How to really knock our socks off:

• Specialized knowledge in litigation and contingent workforce legal issues, including federal and state employment law.
• A passion for Upwork’s mission of providing economic opportunity so people have better lives.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills, to explain complex concepts for a variety of audiences.
• Nuanced legal analysis and advisory skills; develops expanded ability to analyze situations and synthesize information into a clear conclusion; develops an opinion with supporting rationale
• Contributes to the development of tactical initiatives, processes, and projects, thinks beyond transactional tasks and develops an ability to identify how initiatives, processes, and projects aligns with various elements of the project and sub-specialty goals
• Develops and maintains professional relationships; builds personal credibility and trust; Able to develop trust in others through direct internal customer relations, accepting decisions of others, and accepting constructive feedback
• Ability to juggle many projects effectively -- big and small.
• Notices, accurately interprets, and appropriately acts upon the behavior of individuals or groups; Effectively shows concern for others’ feelings, problems, difficulties, and culture; seeks to help others
• Intellectual property law experience a plus.
• Good sense of humor a plus.

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