Compensation & Benefits Associate Attorney

Job Description

Compensation & Benefits Associate Attorney

Locations

Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Downtown Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Palo Alto, California; Reston, Virginia; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; Santa Monica, California; Washington, DC

Direct Counsel is seeking a Compensation & Benefits Associate Attorney to join the nationally recognized executive compensation and employee benefits practice of a premier law firm.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a 3rd–6th year associate with sophisticated experience in executive compensation, equity arrangements, public company disclosure, and transactional benefits support to work on high-profile matters involving M&A, IPOs, and complex compensation structures.

The role offers substantial exposure to deal-driven compensation work, public company counseling, and executive arrangements for leading corporate clients.Position Overview

The ideal candidate will have 3–6 years of executive compensation and employee benefits experience, including strong familiarity with:

Equity and executive compensation

Proxy disclosures

Employment agreements

Severance agreements

IRC Sections 280G and 409A

Compensation issues in mergers & acquisitions

IPO-related compensation matters

Public company governance and disclosure support

This is an excellent opportunity for an associate who enjoys both standalone executive compensation counseling and deal-side compensation support.Key Responsibilities

Advise clients on:

Executive compensation arrangements

Equity incentive plans

Employment and severance agreements

Change-in-control protections

Deferred compensation structures

Support compensation and benefits issues in:

M&A transactions

IPOs

Capital markets transactions

Corporate restructurings

Draft and review:

Equity award agreements

Proxy disclosures

Employment contracts

Retention and severance agreements

Transaction bonus and rollover structures

Counsel on compliance with:

IRC 280G

IRC 409A

SEC disclosure requirements

Work closely with M&A, capital markets, tax, and employment teams on integrated matters

Advise boards, compensation committees, and senior executives on compensation governance issuesQualifications

J.D. from an accredited law school

3–6 years of compensation & benefits experience

Strong background in:

Executive compensation

Equity compensation

Proxy disclosures

M&A and IPO compensation support

280G and 409A analysis

Excellent academic credentials

Superior writing, oral communication, and analytical skills

Strong client counseling and drafting abilities

Admission in the applicable jurisdiction preferredCompensation

Base salary range: $260,000 – $390,000

Compensation will vary based on office, class year, experience, and overall fit.Ideal Candidate

The ideal attorney will be:

Strong in executive compensation and public company work

Comfortable with transaction-side benefits support

Experienced with 280G and 409A technical issues

Interested in high-level board and compensation committee matters

Commercially minded and detail-oriented

Looking for national platform sophisticationWhy This Opportunity

This is a highly attractive opportunity for a midlevel executive compensation associate seeking sophisticated deal flow, public company counseling, and strong national flexibility across major legal markets. The multi-office platform plus M&A/IPO crossover makes this especially compelling for associates looking to deepen both technical and transactional compensation expertise.

Full-time