Remote

Contract ERISA/Employee Benefits Attorney (remote)

Davis Wright Tremaine
$120.00 - $135.00 / hr
sick time, remote work
United States
Mar 07, 2025
DWTSurge Contract ERISA/Employee Benefits Attorney Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is seeking an experienced employee benefits attorney for engagement through the firm's alternative-track contract attorney and staffing program, DWTSurge. The selected contract attorney will work with the firm's Employment Services Group, focusing on ERISA and other employee benefit and executive compensation matters. While attorneys can work remotely, they must have active bar admission in their state of residence and a state in which DWT maintains an office. This contract role involves supporting the firm's clients by researching and analyzing employee benefit plans, including retirement and health plans for ERISA compliance; preparing benefit plan summaries and notifications to plan participants; analyzing questions relating to stock option plans; drafting motions and legal research relating to ERISA fiduciary issues; and conducting benefits-related due diligence for corporate transactions. Candidates must be adept at managing multiple priorities, meeting tight deadlines, and demonstrating meticulous attention to detail. The ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment is essential, as is the capacity to collaborate effectively with various business stakeholders, other attorneys, and support staff to achieve objectives within short timeframes. This position provides the flexibility of remote work with part-time hours for an initial 6-month contract. Applicants should be able to commit to 20 hours or more per week, with the understanding that hours may vary between 10-20 hours weekly. The exact schedule will depend on the selected candidate's skills and availability. We are looking for attorneys interested in forming an exclusive working relationship with DWT. The ideal candidate will have: 4+ years of ERISA/employee benefits/executive compensation experience at a mid-large size law firm and/or in-house with large institutional clients. Residency in one of the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WDC. Attorneys must have active bar admission in their state of residence and a state in which DWT maintains an office. Demonstrated experience with ERISA and Tax Code compliance requirements. Experience working with and meeting the strategic needs of large national corporate employers is preferred. Strong skills in multi-jurisdictional research, analysis of employee benefits programs, and legal writing. Experience reviewing and developing documentation relating to ERISA plans and equity incentive arrangements. Availability to work remotely for 20 hours or more a week at the outset of the engagement with a steady ramp down to 10-20 hours per week towards the end of the engagement. Flexibility for anticipated hours to fluctuate as needed. Excellent proactive communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain effective working relationships and communicate verbally and in writing, with clients, firm members, and other business contacts. Exceptional client service skills, as well as the ability to handle stressful situations in a calm, composed manner. Excellent writing skills, strong attention to detail and strong time and task management skills, and ability to produce high quality work product with minimal supervision and direction. Please note that this is a temporary contract position managed by DWT's flexible contract attorney program, DWTSurge. Compensation will be paid on an hourly or monthly salary basis, commensurate with experience and skill level (see below). This role is unbenefited. We are interested in candidates who are electing to pursue a more flexible way of providing continuous, high-value legal services to the firm and our clients. If you are interested in a more traditional law firm position, please check the DWT careers page for lateral opportunities. Salary Range The hourly compensation range for attorney secondments in CA, IL, MD, MN, NY, OR, WA, and WDC is $120-135/hour. Actual pay will be adjusted based on the candidate's education, training, experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Additional benefits include: First Stop Health Telemedicine: Speak with a licensed physician or mental health counselor 24/7, covered by the firm TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program: Receive support with mental, financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing Voluntary Pet Insurance Milk Stork: Virtual lactation consulting, breast milk shipping and nutritional testing covered by the firm Wellness Benefits: Peloton App Headspace App WASHINGTON STATE Paid sick leave is accrued on a biweekly basis at a rate of 1 hour per 30 hours worked. All applications should be submitted by sending a resume and cover letter directly to DWTSurge Recruiting Manager, Mariah Watson at mariahwatson@dwt.com, or DWTSurge Recruiter, Zo Melcher at zoemelcher@dwt.com. The DWTSurge Recruiting team will be in touch as we review your application materials. For this opportunity, we are not accepting third party submissions. We are an AmLaw 100 law firm with eleven offices nationwide. We are relentlessly committed to client service and look for candidates who share that commitment. At DWT, client service means having empathy for each client's and each lawyer's work and personal pressures, business objectives, and legal needs; anticipating their needs; and having the capabilities and commitment to deliver what matters most to them. Davis Wright Tremaine LLP embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. It brings out the best of what each individual has to offer and inspires us to build strong and lasting connections with each other, our clients, and our communities. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of the fabric of Davis Wright Tremaine - central to who we are and what we do. Our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals - including those who are from traditionally underrepresented communities in the legal profession - can have, and can see, a path to success. We embed DEI throughout our law firm with our four-pillar framework: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement. We invite you to learn more about our commitment to DEI at https://www.dwt.com/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion. In order to support our effort to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive law firm, we request that you voluntarily provide demographic data. All self-reported demographic information is stored securely in a manner that is compliant with DWT's privacy and security policies and is only accessible by authorized members of the Talent Acquisition and HR Departments; it is not shared with any of the hiring decision-makers. It is our policy to hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to an employee's sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious creed, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, medical condition, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal laws. To review our Anti-Harassment Policy, click on this URL, https://www.dwt.com/-/media/files/policyagainstharassmentdiscrimination.pdf?la=en&hash=66A1B0095748A5E76B0B8A00773F5246. As an equal opportunity employer, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP values the diversity of our work force and the knowledge of our personnel. Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) for specialty occupation petitions are displayed electronically in accordance with notice requirements pursuant to U.S. Department of Labor regulations, and public access files are available pursuant to regulation. See 20 CFR * 655.734, 655.760. Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email HumanResources_Confidential@dwt.com.