Director, Employment & Litigation Counsel

Join us in bringing joy to customer experience.  Five9 is a leading provider of cloud contact center software, bringing the power of cloud innovation to customers worldwide.   

Living our values everyday results in our team-first culture and enables us to innovate, grow, and thrive while enjoying the journey together. We celebrate diversity and foster an inclusive environment, empowering our employees to be their authentic selves. 

Five9 is seeking a highly strategic Director, Employment and Litigation Counsel to partner with the People team as lead advisor on global employment and risk-related matters, as well as manage Five9’s litigation and disputes and identify, assess and mitigate potential risks.

Reporting directly to Five9’s SVP, Legal, this role combines corporate strategy, corporate development, PMO leadership, and Chief of Staff responsibilities. The ideal candidate will be responsible for providing expert legal advice and representation in various global employment matters, with a focus on protecting the Five9, the rights of employees and ensuring compliance with appliable employment laws, as well as advising on employee relations matters. This position offers an opportunity to work on complex cases, including whistleblower claims, class actions, and investigations. Additionally, the Senior Director will identify, assess and mitigate potential legal risks to Five9 to drive risk-adjusted business outcomes while protecting Five9 by providing subject matter expertise on litigation, arbitration and disputes, from initial communications through final resolution. This role will collaborate directly with key stakeholders (Compliance, People, IT, Security, Finance, etc.) to devise and implement creative solutions to risk-related matters.

Key Responsibilities

Employment

• Advise on global employment laws and regulations, and partner closely with the People team on employment matters throughout the employee lifecycle, including hiring and terminations, talent acquisition, employee relations, compliance trainings, policy and handbook management, accommodations and benefits.
• Represent the company in negotiations, mediations, and court proceedings.
• Manage a diverse caseload involving employment disputes.
• Conduct legal research and prepare legal documents such as briefs, memos, and pleadings. 
• Stay updated on changes in global employment law and industry trends.
• Provide training and consultation to the business on best practices in employment matters.

Litigation Management

• Develop and implement litigation strategies in collaboration with external and internal legal counsel, as well as business stakeholders.
• Manage investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation, arbitration and disputes from commencement through resolution, providing appropriate updates to cross-functional partners and leadership regarding risk, financial impact, and opportunities to resolve.
• Prepare and review legal documents, including pleadings, motions, and settlement agreements.
• Evaluate and mitigate legal risks associated with current and potential litigation, including coordination with risk management/insurance.
• Advise the sales, services and operational teams regarding customer escalations and customer disputes.
• Respond timely to requests for information and subpoenas from regulators and others, and assist the company in developing strong procedures for compliance with these requests.
• Monitor trends and legal developments, particularly those that impact the financial services and technology industries, analyze the implications for the company, and ensure the company is well-positioned to respond and react accordingly

Risk

• Partner with diverse internal business teams (Compliance, People, IT, Security, Finance, etc.) to proactively identify legal and regulatory risks facing the company and develop and implement strategies for mitigating those risks while successfully enabling the company’s business objectives.
• Partner closely with Compliance and other departments to provide pragmatic and actionable advice, develop new policies, or implement strategic revisions to existing policies/procedures as part of the company’s risk management.
• Support other risk management initiatives, including training and internal investigations.

Strategic Counsel

• Provide proactive legal advice to senior management on litigation and compliance-related issues.
• Keep abreast of legal developments and industry trends to anticipate potential legal challenges and opportunities.

Education

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and admitted to practice in at least one jurisdiction.

Experience

• 5+ years working experience in law firms and/or in-house, with a preference in-house experience.
• Strong understanding of employment law, including whistleblower-related issues and class actions.
• Deep experience in litigation, arbitration, and/or regulatory enforcement actions, including responsibility for independently managing complex disputes with employees, customers, regulators, third parties, or others from commencement to resolution. 
• Experience managing outside counsel.

Skills, Personal Traits and Attributes

• Exceptional strategic thinking with the ability to translate insight into execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, both internal (memos, guides, presentations) and external (counterparties, regulator communications).
• Ownership mentality and comfort working on complex matters that require analysis and judgment.
• High comfort with ambiguity and complex, fast-moving environments.
• Proven ability to build and scale high-performing teams.
• High EQ, low ego, and strong bias for action.
• Trusted advisor who balances legal risk with commercial practicality.

Work Location: This role is fully remote for candidates who reside outside the 50 mile radius of our San Ramon office.  For candidates who reside within 50 miles of our San Ramon location, this role is Hybrid and would require 3 days a week (M, W, TH) in our San Ramon office. 

As part of our continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Five9 supports pay transparency during the entire recruitment process.  Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate including, but not limited to: skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the job across the United States. Your recruiter can share more about the specific compensation package during your hiring process.

Additionally, the total compensation package for this position may also include an annual performance bonus, stock, and/or other applicable incentive compensation plans.

Our total reward package also includes:

• Health, dental, and vision coverage, beginning on the first day of employment. Five9 covers 100% of the employee portion of the health, dental and vision coverage and shares a high portion of the dependent cost. We also offer Short & Long-Term Disability, Basic Life Insurance, and a 401k saving plan with employer matching.
• Access to an innovative mental health support platform that offers personalized care and resources in areas such as: therapy, coaching and self-guided mindfulness exercises for all covered employees and their covered dependents.
• Generous employee stock purchase plan.
• Paid Time Off, Company paid holidays, paid volunteer hours and 12 weeks paid parental leave.

All compensation and benefits are subject to the requirements and restrictions set forth in the applicable plan documents and any written agreements between the parties.

The US base salary range for this role is below. $124,800—$388,800 USD

Five9 embraces diversity and is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.  The more inclusive we are, the better we are.  Five9 is an equal opportunity employer. 

View our privacy policy, including our privacy notice to California residents here: https://www.five9.com/pt-pt/legal.  

Note: Five9 will never request that an applicant send money as a prerequisite for commencing employment with Five9.