Associate Attorney - Workers' Compensation

Company Description

For 70 years, our firm has been a trusted legal partner throughout North and South Carolina — delivering strategic defense, practical counsel, and results that matter. Across our five offices, we combine knowledge and experience with the resources and insight to manage complex claims and litigation efficiently.

We believe the strongest defense is built on solid relationships and client engagement. Our attorneys are more than counsel. We stand beside clients at every stage of a dispute by offering clear guidance, focused strategy, and relentless advocacy. Clients trust us to protect their interests and show up when it matters most.

What sets us apart is our commitment to true partnership. We invest deeply in understanding each client’s unique perspective, challenges they are facing, and their priorities, ensuring our counsel is practical and aligned with your business goals.

We blend a legacy of steady, dependable advocacy with a collaborative multi-generational approach — where experience meets innovation and grit meets adaptability. This balance allows us to navigate complex claims with precision that enhances efficiency and outcomes.

Our five offices across the Carolinas give us unmatched perspective. We understand the nuances of state and regional regulations and court practices, enabling us to craft defense strategies grounded in real-world environments.

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP is seeking a motivated and talented Associate Attorney to join our established Workers’ Compensation practice. This position offers the opportunity to represent employers, insurance carriers, and self-insured entities across a broad range of industries while gaining substantial hands-on litigation experience in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Associates in our Workers’ Compensation practice partner closely with experienced attorneys to defend claims and advocate for clients throughout the litigation process. The successful candidate will independently manage a caseload, oversee critical deadlines, and develop effective legal strategies to achieve favorable outcomes for clients.

Responsibilities include conducting depositions of claimants, fact witnesses, medical providers, and expert witnesses; preparing and arguing motions; drafting legal briefs and position statements; representing clients at mediations; and preparing for and conducting hearings before the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Attorneys in this role are expected to analyze and evaluate new and existing claims, investigate factual and legal issues, review and interpret medical records, and provide practical, strategic guidance to clients throughout the life of a case.

The Associate Attorney will also be responsible for managing all aspects of discovery, negotiating settlements, preparing comprehensive client reports, and maintaining regular communication with clients regarding litigation strategy, case developments, exposure assessments, and resolution opportunities.

Success in this role requires the ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, including fellow Hedrick Gardner attorneys, claims professionals, insurance adjusters, risk managers, employers, medical experts, and opposing counsel. Candidates should possess strong analytical, writing, advocacy, and client service skills, along with the ability to effectively manage multiple matters in a dynamic litigation environment.

This position provides a meaningful opportunity to develop litigation, deposition, hearing, and negotiation experience while working alongside a highly respected team of workers’ compensation attorneys dedicated to delivering exceptional results for clients.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law in the State of North Carolina.
• Minimum of one (1) year of Workers’ Compensation defense litigation experience required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of workers’ compensation law, claims management, and litigation procedures, with the ability to effectively manage a caseload from inception through resolution.
• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with the ability to draft persuasive motions, briefs, position statements, and client correspondence.
• Deposition and mediation experience is strongly preferred, including experience taking and defending witness and medical provider depositions and participating in settlement negotiations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact with clients, claims professionals, employers, medical providers, opposing counsel, and administrative tribunals.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a commitment to providing outstanding client service while building and maintaining strong professional relationships.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and proactively manage competing priorities in a fast-paced litigation environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with a keen attention to detail and the ability to consistently meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and eager to contribute to a collaborative and team-focused practice.

Preferred Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a motivated workers’ compensation defense attorney who combines strong legal writing and analytical abilities with practical litigation skills. Successful candidates will have experience handling depositions, mediations, and hearings, demonstrate exceptional client service, and possess the initiative and organization necessary to independently manage a busy caseload while contributing to the success of Hedrick Gardner’s Workers’ Compensation practice.

Additional Information

Work Environment

• Office Setting
• Hybrid work after an initial training period

Benefits

• Student Loan Repayment Assistance
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• Short-term Disability
• Long-term Disability
• HRA
• FSA
• 401K
• Pet Insurance
• Paid Holidays
• 3 weeks of PTO

Benefit Conditions

• Waiting period may apply
• Only full-time employees eligible

Ability to commute/relocate

Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work.

Hedrick Gardner is committed to the equal employment opportunity of all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law.