Job Description

About Guaranteed Rate:
Guaranteed Rate is the 7th largest retail mortgage lender in the U.S. By offering industry-leading tools, low-rate mortgages and unparalleled customer service, we’ve become the Home Purchase Experts®. At Guaranteed Rate, we think big—pushing beyond what most people believe is possible. We strive to work with the best of the best, building business with the best referral partners and hiring the best employees—allowing us to deliver world-class customer service. Our goal is to make sure every customer has a great experience. Headquartered in Chicago with 5,000+ employees in 300+ offices across the U.S. and licensed in all 50 states, we’ve helped thousands of homeowners with more than $24 billion in home purchase loans and refinances in just the past year alone.

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 on-boarding, 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.

Guaranteed Rate is an Equal Opportunity Employer that welcomes and encourages all applicants to apply regardless of age, race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or parental status, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy or other reason protected by law.