Company
The hiring company is an established full-service law firm advising businesses, institutions, and other organizations on sophisticated legal and commercial matters. Its attorneys work across complementary practice areas, providing counsel on complex transactions, regulatory requirements, governance matters, and employment-related issues.

The firm maintains a collaborative environment that emphasizes high-quality legal work, professional development, shared responsibility, and long-term client relationships. Attorneys work closely across practice groups and are given meaningful opportunities to develop substantive expertise and client-facing experience.

Opportunity for Impact
We are seeking an Executive Compensation Associate to join a sophisticated employee benefits and executive compensation practice. This role will advise public and private companies on equity compensation, executive employment arrangements, nonqualified deferred compensation, transaction-related compensation matters, and applicable tax requirements.

This position is ideal for an attorney who enjoys technically complex transactional and advisory work, values close collaboration, and wants meaningful responsibility within a lean practice group.

Outcomes
– Deliver technically precise and practical executive compensation advice
– Support the design and implementation of equity and incentive compensation arrangements
– Help clients navigate executive compensation requirements in corporate transactions
– Improve compliance with applicable tax, disclosure, and governance requirements
– Produce clear, client-ready agreements, plans, analyses, and disclosure materials
– Develop trusted relationships with corporate leaders, boards, and internal client teams
– Contribute to effective collaboration across employee benefits, tax, corporate, and transactional matters

Role & Responsibilities
– Draft and negotiate executive employment agreements, severance arrangements, and change-in-control protections
– Design and document equity compensation plans involving stock options, restricted stock units, performance shares, profits interests, and related awards
– Advise on executive compensation matters arising in mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions
– Conduct Section 280G analysis and advise on equity treatment, severance triggers, transaction bonuses, and related considerations
– Advise on compliance with IRC Sections 83, 280G, 409A, 457(f), and 457A
– Support the design and administration of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements
– Prepare and review executive compensation disclosures, including compensation discussion and analysis and summary compensation materials
– Advise compensation committees on director compensation, clawback policies, performance-based compensation, and fringe benefit arrangements
– Collaborate with attorneys across corporate, tax, and employee benefits matters
– Communicate complex legal and tax concepts clearly to boards, executives, human resources teams, and other stakeholders
– Assume increasing responsibility for client communication and matter ownership based on experience

Professional Qualifications
– Juris Doctor from an accredited United States law school
– 1–7 years of substantive executive compensation, employee benefits, or tax experience with a compensation and benefits focus
– Prior law firm experience required
– Active New York bar admission or willingness and eligibility to waive in or sit for the New York bar
– Experience drafting equity compensation plans for private and public companies
– Experience with executive employment agreements, deferred compensation arrangements, or transaction-related compensation matters
– Working knowledge of IRC Sections 83, 280G, and 409A
– Counseling or transactional experience rather than a practice focused primarily on ERISA litigation
– Strong legal research, analysis, drafting, and negotiation skills
– Ability to produce technically accurate, practical, and client-ready work
– Experience with M&A-related executive compensation matters preferred
– Experience with public-company compensation disclosure preferred
– Familiarity with IRC Sections 457(f) and 457A preferred
– LL.M. in Taxation preferred
– Must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship

Personal Attributes
– Collaborative and low-ego
– Technically precise and highly detail-oriented
– Responsive and proactive communicator
– Strong written and oral communication skills
– Comfortable translating complex legal concepts for varied audiences
– Sound professional judgment
– Client-service oriented
– Able to work effectively within a lean, collaborative practice group
– Committed to professional development and long-term growth

Benefits & Compensation
– Full-time hybrid position based in Rochester or Buffalo, New York
– Approximately 50% in-office expectation measured over the course of the year
– Base salary of $120,000–$170,000, depending on experience
– Potential signing bonus flexibility
– Annual billable-hour target of 1,800 hours
– Up to 50 hours of qualifying pro bono work credited toward the billable target
– Meaningful client-facing responsibility and substantive work
– Collaborative environment supporting professional development and advancement

Candidate Notice
This opportunity reflects a current hiring need. Certain details may be withheld to protect employer confidentiality and may be shared with qualified candidates during the hiring process. Candidate information is handled securely and used only for legitimate recruiting purposes. Qualified candidates may be reviewed on a rolling basis and considered for current or future opportunities.