Senior Counsel, Employment (APAC)

GAQ426R351

About the Team:

The mission of Databricks Legal is to apply legal resources and expertise to help Databricks achieve its growth and strategic objectives, while thoughtfully protecting Databricks with a reasonable balance of risk versus opportunity. 

What we look for:

The Senior Counsel, Employment (APAC) will provide legal counseling to the Databricks People Team on all matters related to its growing workforce in Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region.  You will also help support global employment-related projects.

This is a full-time position reporting to Databricks’ Senior Director and Associate General Counsel of Global Employment and Litigation, joining a team of 5 international lawyers and a paralegal. As the team’s first APAC-based hire, you will have the opportunity to forge essential relationships with local People Team and business partners, while establishing foundational processes and compliance frameworks for existing and new locations.

Responsibilities:

• Provide pragmatic, risk-balanced employment advice across the APAC region on matters including: hiring and recruiting, contingent worker arrangements, labor relations, investigations, performance management, discipline and termination, redundancies and restructuring plans, leaves of absence, disability accommodations, flexible working requests, pay practices, compensation and benefits (including sales compensation plans and bonus programs), restrictive covenants, and protection of confidential information
• Manage pre-litigation employment disputes and agency matters, including investigating claims, negotiating resolutions, and drafting separation and settlement agreements
• Direct employment litigation with outside counsel, including selecting counsel, controlling budgets, directing litigation strategy, and reviewing work product
• Proactively monitor legal developments across APAC jurisdictions and translate regulatory changes into actionable guidance for the People Team and business stakeholders
• Draft employee-facing policies, handbooks, and other resources
• Prepare and lead training events on employment law-related matters
• Support M&A by conducting employment-related due diligence, identifying risks and mitigation, and advising on workforce integration
• Establish and maintain credibility and trust with internal clients, legal team members, and other partners

Required qualifications:

• Qualified attorney with 8+ years of relevant experience post-qualification
• Native or business-level English speaker with high-level written English skills 
• Employment law practice at a top international law firm
• In-house employment counsel role at a multinational company (firm secondment experience acceptable; technology industry preferred)
• Experience supporting business operations across multiple locations
• Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional projects
• Experience providing advice directly to clients
• Strong work ethic and the highest level of integrity and business ethics
• Great attention to detail and judgment, including for when to escalate matters to legal leadership