Overview As an Employment Attorney at Northern Trust, you will serve as a trusted legal advisor to HR, Employee Relations, Compliance, Risk, and leadership. You will guide on the full employment lifecycle, investigations, and regulatory matters to balance risk with business goals. You'll support workforce transformations, policy governance, and executive matters in a large, complex organization. This role offers impact across culture, governance, and enterprise risk within a renowned financial services firm.
Compensation / Benefits- retirement benefits (401k and pension)
- health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision)
- paid time off
- parental and caregiver leave
- life & accident insurance
- discretionary bonus program including equity component
Responsibilities- Provide legal counsel on the employment lifecycle (hiring, compensation, performance, accommodations, leaves, discipline, terminations) with a business-focused approach.
- Advise HR/Employee Relations on complex workforce matters; balance legal risk with business objectives.
- Oversee internal investigations (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, ethics) and remediation plans; collaborate with Compliance, Internal Audit, Risk.
- Manage employment-related litigation and agency charges; direct outside counsel and allocate budgets; develop strategy and settlements.
- Monitor regulatory developments; draft/update policies and communications; advise on pay transparency, AI in employment, wage/hour, data privacy, whistleblower protections.
- Support strategic workforce initiatives (reorganizations, reductions in force, acquisitions, integrations) and advise on executive employment matters and retention.
- Create and deliver employment law training for managers and HR; act as trusted advisor to senior leadership on sensitive workforce issues.
Key requirements- J.D. from an accredited law school; active state bar in good standing
- 10+ years of employment law experience
- Experience in employment litigation, employee relations counseling, internal investigations, and compliance
- Experience supporting large, complex organizations and advising senior executives and HR leadership
- Must meet attorney licensing requirements in the jurisdiction of employment
- strong advisory mindset
- calm under pressure
- collaborative and cross-functional teamwork
- employment law expertise
- regulatory compliance
- internal investigations
