Counsel, Litigation and Employment

What You’ll Do

• Develop and execute Newport Healthcare’s legal strategy related to general litigation, employment law, and insured claims.
• Ensure proactive identification, mitigation, and resolution of organizational legal risks—including employment, workers’ compensation, and general liability claims—while supporting enterprise-wide compliance with employment laws and regulatory standards.
• Partner cross-functionally with Human Resources (HR), Compliance, Operations, and other departments to promote a culture of accountability, legal integrity, and operational resilience.
• Provide day-to-day legal advice on a broad range of employment and labor law issues, including hiring, discipline, leave management, terminations, wage and hour compliance, and workplace accommodations.
• Monitor evolving employment law and healthcare-specific regulatory requirements and provide timely updates and training to HR and leadership teams.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including the FMLA, CFRA, FEHA, FLSA, ADA, and Title VII.
• Advise on labor relations and union matters, including collective bargaining agreements and grievance procedures, where applicable.
• Support HR and Compliance in conducting workplace investigations involving employee complaints, harassment, discrimination, and other policy violations.
• Lead legal strategy for internal and external litigation matters, including coordination with outside counsel on case strategy, discovery, depositions, and litigation holds.
• Respond to regulatory agency complaints and participate in audits or investigations.
• Identify, evaluate, and mitigate legal risks in collaboration with Compliance, HR, and Operations teams.
• Manage and oversee commercial litigation matters, including disputes related to contracts, vendors, business operations, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance; coordinate strategy and representation with outside counsel.
• Provide legal oversight on all insured claims, including workers’ compensation, auto liability, professional liability, and EPLI claims, ensuring timely reporting, compliance, and cost containment.
• Cook with third-party administrators to ensure proper handling and defense of claims.
• Coordinate with HR, Operations, and third-party administrators to ensure proper handling and defense of claims.
• Respond to regulatory agency complaints and participate in audits or investigations.
• Lead or support legal process management initiatives, including the development of workflows, templates, matter tracking systems, and document retention protocols to ensure consistency, efficiency, and regulatory compliance across legal functions.
• Deliver training to leaders and staff on legal compliance, claims awareness, and risk reduction best practices.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments in labor & employment law, litigation, workplace safety, and risk management.
• Foster a culture of legal and ethical compliance through collaboration with HR, Compliance, Operations, and other departments.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• Education, Experience, License Requirements: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. Minimum of 5 years of legal experience in employment law, litigation, and/or risk management.
• Extensive experience supporting HR through employee training, policy development, and general advice and counsel.
• Demonstrated experience with wage and hour issues, internal investigations, and managing or responding to agency claims.
• Knowledge of workers' compensation systems and claims defense practices.
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to provide practical, business-minded legal advice to a wide range of stakeholders.

Additional Details

• Sought after candidates within the Nashville/surrounding areas for this Hybrid schedule position.