Senior Legal Counsel

Position: Senior Legal Counsel, Employment
About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure:
Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

We are seeking an experienced employment attorney to serve as a trusted legal advisor to Human Resources, Employee Relations, Compliance, Risk, and business leadership. This role provides strategic and practical counsel on a broad range of employment law matters across the employee lifecycle, helping the organization navigate complex workforce issues while balancing legal risk, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.

The successful candidate will partner closely with senior leaders to advise primarily on US related employee relations matters, internal investigations, employment litigation, workforce transformation initiatives, regulatory developments, and policy governance. This individual will play a critical role in promoting legally compliant employment practices, mitigating enterprise risk, and supporting a positive and productive workplace culture across a large, complex organization.

Key Responsibilities Employment Law Counseling Provide legal advice regarding all aspects of the employment lifecycle, including:

Hiring and recruiting

Compensation practices

Performance management

Workplace accommodations

Leaves of absence

Discipline and terminations

Restrictive covenants

Retaliation, discrimination, and harassment issues

Advise HR and Employee Relations teams on complex workforce matters.

Deliver practical, business-focused solutions that appropriately balance legal risk and business objectives.

Investigations and Employee Relations Provide legal guidance on internal investigations involving:

Harassment Discrimination Retaliation Misconduct Ethics  and compliance concerns

Review investigation findings and recommend appropriate remediation and consequence management.

Partner with Compliance, Internal Audit, and Risk functions when investigations involve regulatory implications.

Litigation and Agency Charges Manage employment-related litigation and administrative proceedings.

Direct outside counsel and oversee legal budgets.

Develop litigation strategy and settlement recommendations.

Manage claims before federal, state, and local agencies, including EEOC and equivalent regulatory bodies.

Regulatory and Policy Support Monitor legal developments affecting employment practices.

Draft and update employment policies, procedures, and employee communications.

Advise on emerging legal requirements involving:

Pay transparency

Artificial intelligence in employment

Wage and hour compliance

Workplace accommodations

Data privacy

Whistle blower protections

Support regulatory examinations and internal audits as needed.

Strategic Workforce Initiatives Support reorganizations, reductions in force, acquisitions, and integrations.

Partner with HR leadership regarding workforce strategy.

Advise on executive employment matters, severance arrangements, and retention programs.

Help identify and mitigate employment-related enterprise risk.

Training and Leadership Develop and deliver employment law training for managers, HR professionals, and senior leadership.

Promote legally compliant…