Principal Counsel

Job description

Provides substantial expertise within UCSF and UCSF Health with emphasis on labor and related employment legal matters. Expertise should include an in-depth understanding of California labor and/or employment law and its application to public, academic, and/or healthcare employers. Experience in practicing before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) and in grievance and arbitration forums. Experience in collective bargaining agreement negotiations, interpretation, and implementation.
Experience advsing higher education, healthcare, government or corporations on different employment issues including, but not limited to, wage and hour issues, threat management, workplace and gun violence prevention, immigration, housing, conflicts of interest, student and faculty affairs, reasonable accommodations related to disabilities and religion, pre-litigation and litigation in state and federal courts and before the PERB, artibrations, agency investigations, regulatory proceedings and hearings, emergency operations, overlap with workers’ compenation issues. Advisor for requests for information, including from the public or labor unions. Advises on artificial intelligence use.
Independently handles a full range of legal matters and projects, including complex litigation, employment-related transactions (e.g., employment agreements, offer letters, separation and settlement agreements), regulatory proceedings, and initiatives with substantial importance and impact. Interprets complex facts and law in highly ambiguous contexts. Provides functional advice, training, and/or guidance to less experienced attorneys. Collaborates with colleagues in UCSF’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) and throughout UC Legal to achieve UCSF and systemwide objectives. Acts as a liaison with outside counsel, and/or represents the University in complex litigation. Advanced ability to represent institutional interests persuasively to internal and external parties. Demonstrated commitment to UCSF mission and values. Experience in multiple practice areas, or experience collaborating and working with others across multiple practice areas, is preferred. May also advise on student and faculty matters.
of time
Essential Function (Yes/No )
Key Responsibilities
(To be completed by Supervisor)
30
Yes
Establishes effective relationships with key internal and external constituencies. Recognizes strategic needs of the organization and proactively builds relationships with appropriate stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes. Serves as a trusted strategic partner with University business units, providing practical advice and alternative solutions to business issues.
• Responsible for research and presentation of legal issues and legal guidance, to leadership
• Provides guidance on policy and the implementation of policy, related procedures, and legal requirements, frequently involving complex implementation problem solving.
• Provides technical expertise on state and federal agency inquiries and investigations related to labor and/or employment law, including strategic advice to clients related to compliance and impacts of non-compliance.
• Provides direct advise and support in litigation, contract negotiations, effective compliance and risk mitigation strategies to facilitate the University's complex operations.
• Coordinates interface between academic and medical center entities on issues that cross multiple lines and are complex in nature and unique to the campus.

20
Yes
Advises and renders opinions to senior leaders with respect to the legal implications of establishing or changing policy. Works with colleagues at the Office of the President or campus / medical center locations to develop and modify practices and procedures to conform with changing legal requirements. Provides influence on the identification and framing of systemic legal issues, and the formulation and advancement of approaches to address them:
• Assesses and advises leadership on remedial actions related to liability exposure linked to litigated and non-litigated claims.
• Gathers input from a variety of stakeholders on the client’s risk tolerance, desired outcome, precedent, and impact at UCSF Campus, Health, and systemwide, as may be indicated by the circumstances and pathways to the desired outcome.
• Advises on remedial efforts on complex issues with multi-disciplinary stakeholders as needed.
• Monitors UCSF EPL and GL litigation cases. Develops successful strategies for optional outcomes on all matters, including identifying and strategizing on issues that impact all UC campuses and medical centers.
• Identifies and reports trends related to legal obligations, including identifying and advising on remedial actions to decrease risk of liability.
• Provides input on systemwide policies and practices as needed
• Collaborates with the Chief Campus Counsel, Chief Health Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and other OLA and UC counsel to advise on and manage litigation or other systemic legal issues in a manner that promotes UC’s mission, vision, and values.

15
Yes
Collaborates to achieve solutions on the complex legal issues in the area of
specialty, providing strategic direction with high-level stakeholders such as
faculty, senate committee chairs, and senior administrators at the Office of
the President and/or across UC locations. Proposes long-term strategic
decisions that can have a broad impact across the UC system:
• Collaborates with UC Legal and systemwide counsel regarding matters impacting the UC systemwide.
• Serves as a resource to other campus counsel in the implementation of policies.
• Coordinates with internal and external entities, including external police departments and city attorneys, and agency investigators, to coordinate and advise on actions for complex work environments governed by policies of different entities (e.g., shared work environments of San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (BCHO)).
• Non-Litigated matters: successfully develops and implements reliable strategies for early resolution of non-litigated matters. Collaborates with UCOP, Campus, and Health partners.

5
Yes
As a technical expert, may participate on external committees to provide input
on issues that affect state and/or federal legislative developments:
• May serve on systemwide or campus task forces, working groups, etc., in a strategic capacity.
• May present on panels in area of expertise.
• Responsible for systemwide and enterprise responsibilities.
• Responsible for advice and training on employment matters.
• Serves as a resource to other campus counsel in the implementation of policies.

10
Yes
Negotiates matters directly on behalf of The Regents. May act as a liaison with
outside counsel, and/or represent the University in complex litigation. May
manage outside counsel budget for area of specialty:
• Trains and monitors outside counsel on campus and systemwide priorities, litigation expectations, and client priorities.
• Responsible for identifying, escalating, and strategizing issues with systemwide implications and coordinating multi-disciplinary consensus.
• Routinely negotiates settlements on employment matters. Aligns settlements with campus and systemwide liability risk value.
• Expertise on federal law compliance and training, and advising clients on compliance and minimizing exposure to risk of liability.
• Responsive to state and federal agency inquiries, including strategic advice to client.
• Responsible and accountable for the stewardship of UC resources, including expenses associated with outside counsel, and the development of systems and procedures to protect organizational assets and institutional knowledge.

5
Yes
Provides guidance to attorneys interested in the field of expertise:
• Advises colleagues in UCSF Legal regarding labor and employment issues, in matters that involve complex collaboration.

5
Yes
Develops objectives and ensures service according to established priorities:
• Trains on objectives and strategies to align with systemwide objectives.

5
Yes
Provides clear expectations and mentors legal support staff to establish
strong commitment to teamwork and to meet expected levels of productivity
and accuracy:
• Manages and monitors administrative workflow delegated to legal support staff.

5
Yes
Supports OGC's commitment to diversity and ensures equal opportunity in the recruitment process. Encourages participation in career advising or mentoring programs:
• Advises campus on implementation of systemwide policies.

100%
Required Qualifications:
• Must possess a J.D. from an accredited law school or equivalent.
• Min. 8 years of directly related work experience.
• Must be a member in good standing of a United States state bar. (Out-of-state hire would be afforded time to pass the Bar within a reasonable period.)
• CA State Bar License in good standing. (Out-of-state hires must pass the California Bar Exam within one year of hire and be admitted within 18 months of hire.)
• Relevant practice experience in a law firm, or in-house counsel for an academic institution, corporation or other entity.
• Expert ability in collaboration, facilitation, and strategic and creative thinking.
• Trusted partner with senior management and a diverse spectrum of clients.
• Expert understanding of highly complex legal issues and ability to foresee implications in specialty area, even when ambiguous or hidden.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, including proven ability to actively listen, negotiate, persuade and educate. Skills to gain trust and build credibility with a broad group of colleagues and clients, to include senior leaders.
• Outstanding written communication skills and ability to create and deliver effective materials and/or presentations appropriate to a particular audience.
• Outstanding research skills; ability to readily identify critical legislative changes in area of specialty.
• Outstanding ability to establish strategic solutions at the macro level; to influence key stakeholders in alignment with mission.
• Expert ability in consulting, relationship building, and strategic thinking skills.
• Thorough knowledge of the organizational environment of higher education and large research universities to understand client priorities, issues, motivations and constraints.
• Relied on to represent institutional concerns persuasively to internal and external parties.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach all levels of staff; provide for succession planning in area of specialty.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion and tact when handling sensitive or potentially sensitive issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards.
• Expertise in employment law, including disability discrimination, Title IX, Title VI, and Title VII.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Current CA State Bar License in good standing at time of application.
• Experience in multiple practice areas or experience collaborating and working with others across multiple practice areas.
• Relevant practice experience specifically advising academic medical centers, hospitals, health systems, and/or medical groups.