Job Description

About Guaranteed Rate:

Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the Company has approximately 317 offices across the U.S. and is licensed in all 50 states. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded over $19 billion in loans in 2018 alone. The Company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, such as the world's first Digital Mortgage, by offering low rates within an easy-to-understand mortgage process, and by delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: “Top Lender for Online Service” for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2017; Top Lender 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Chicago Agent magazine; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Overall Online Lender and Best Lender for FHA Refinance by NerdWallet in 2018. Visit rate.com for more information.

Job Description:

Guaranteed Rate is building a winning team to reinvent the mortgage experience through innovation, technology and a relentless focus on providing industry-leading mortgage products and superlative customer service. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will embrace and support these efforts by advising the Company on employment matters and resolving employment claims and disputes as appropriate through negotiation, arbitration or litigation. The ideal candidate will be able to work independently, solve problems creatively, prioritize relentlessly, exercise business judgment soundly, and operate with a sense of urgency to get things done. The Counsel/Senior Counsel must be sufficiently experienced and ready to quickly assume responsibility for employment matters. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will work closely with the human resources team and support all levels of management.

Job Responsibilities:

• Advise human resources team and management on compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations and internal policies.
• Provide counsel to business stakeholders on a wide array of employment matters, including employee hiring and onboarding, disciplinary actions, restrictive covenants, wage and hour issues, disability and leave issues, and terminations.
• Review and draft various human resource and employment policies, forms and agreements, including the employee handbook, offer letters, employment applications, employment agreements, compensation and commission plans, severance agreements, and settlement agreements.
• Conduct internal investigations as appropriate.
• Conduct legal research and draft memos, position statements, complaints, answers, briefs, motions and other litigation and arbitration filings.
• Represent the Company in hearings, administrative proceedings, arbitrations, litigations and settlement negotiations on employment and other matters.
• Handle all aspects of discovery, including drafting and responding to discovery requests, collecting and reviewing documents, and taking and defending depositions.
• Draft and respond to cease and desist letters, demand letters and subpoenas.
• Negotiate and resolve pre-litigation disputes.
• Engage and manage outside counsel as needed.
• Flag and escalate appropriate matters to other subject matter experts in the legal department, including the litigation and regulatory compliance teams.
• Handle other legal matters as assigned by management.

Experience/Qualifications/Skills:

• At least 4 years of experience practicing in the areas of labor and employment and advising management on a wide array of employment matters.
• Experience regularly appearing before and responding to various administrative agencies (i.e., DOL, EEOC, state agencies).
• Knowledge of California labor and employment laws and wage and hour laws is strongly preferred.
• Prior financial services or real estate industry experience, especially mortgage transactions and regulatory experience, a significant advantage.
• Positive, team-first attitude.
• Can-do “roll up your sleeves” mindset.
• Sound business judgment and ability to strike right balance between legal risks and business goals.
• Willingness to learn the business and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
• Self-motivated with strong work ethic and intense desire to win.
• Clear, concise and persuasive oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work constructively, collaboratively and cross functionally.
• Proven track record of multi-tasking and working under a heavy workload with changing priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Resilient with a sense of humor.
• Prior in-house counsel experience a plus.

Minimum Requirements:

• J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school.
• Licensed to practice law in at least one state and must be able to become licensed in Illinois. Illinois bar members preferred.