Starbucks Seeks In-House Labor Attorney to Tame Organizing Wave

Starbucks Corp. is looking to hire an in-house labor lawyer to push back on a surge of union organizing nationwide.

The company said in a recent job posting that it wants an attorney with at least 12 years of experience in labor law to manage teams of outside lawyers and in-house paralegals. The candidate should also be versed in federal labor board procedure, defending against Section 10(j) injunctions and “strike contingency planning,” it said.

Until now, Seattle-based Starbucks has largely relied on outside lawyers to push back on the union drives, particularly the management-side firm Littler Mendelson.

The job posting ...