HR Generalist at Law Firm

Estavillo Law Group is a Real Estate Litigation law firm with offices in Oakland, California and Newport Beach, California. We are dedicated to helping our clients through their most difficult experiences with skill, empathy, and determination. Our mission is to ensure our clients leave us in a better position than when they arrived. We are seeking a new team member that brings passion and enthusiasm to support this mission.

As our Senior HR Generalist, you’ll partner directly with firm leadership, owning the full employee lifecycle, shaping culture, and keeping us compliant as we continue to scale. We’re looking for a hands-on HR pro who pairs big-picture thinking with flawless execution and keeps a sharp eye on labor laws. If you can multitask, streamline a workflow, close a compliance loop, defuse conflicts before they spark, and still find fresh ways to strengthen our office culture, you’re meant for this role.

What You Bring

Experience: 5+ years of full-spectrum HR work in a rapidly growing organization, with prior experience in a law firm or other professional-services setting, required

Education: Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or a related field, preferred

Expertise: of California protected-leave laws, proven conflict-resolution and harassment-prevention skills, and solid working knowledge of payroll best practices

Tools: Gusto, NetDocuments, Microsoft Office

Traits: Unfailing discretion, sound judgment, organized and detail-oriented multitasking, rock-solid deadline discipline, and tactful diplomacy in challenging interactions

Work Schedule & Location

We are offering this as an in-office position Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. in our office located in downtown Oakland, just 2 blocks from the 12th street BART station. Our building hosts a number of amenities, including an on-site gym. Our suite also offers a friendly and supportive group of coworkers invested in the team’s success!

What You’ll Do

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

Own full-cycle recruiting: craft compelling job ads, source talent, screen, schedule, interview, and close offers

Design and deliver an immersive onboarding track that ramps new hires from day-one orientation to billable, value-adding contributors

Employee Relations

First-line problem solver: field concerns, mediate conflicts, and conduct fair, timely and impartial investigations.

Run pulse surveys, recognition programs, and engagement initiatives that keep morale sky-high.

Performance & Development

Coordinate annual and quarterly performance reviews, goal setting, PIPs, and salary adjustments

Run skills-gap analyses and deliver in-house or vendor-led training to close them

Payroll Administration

Prepare and process semi-monthly payroll in Gusto ensuring accurate time entries, PTO, deductions, and expenses

Perform compensation benchmarking and internal pay-equity analyses; present data-driven recommendations.

Benefits Administration

Administer medical, dental, vision, 401(k), protected leaves, and other benefit programs

Seamlessly sync all benefit deductions and employer contributions with Gusto payroll, guaranteeing error-free processing.

Guide employees and managers through eligibility, enrollment, and compliance

Maintain all required notices, filings, and annual disclosures

Manage open enrollment driving timelines, vendor negotiations, employee education sessions, and system updates from kickoff to confirmation

Compliance & Policy

Draft, update, enforce, and communicate firm policies

Maintain impeccable audit-ready HR files and records

Monitor updates and ensure compliance with Federal, California, and local labor laws

Train supervisors on feedback, documentation, and conflict-management best practices

Culture & Events

Champion employee-engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and team-building events

Infuse the workplace with an upbeat, can-do energy that elevates morale and fuels a collaborative, high-performance culture

Offboarding

Lead respectful separations: exit interviews, final pay, asset collection, and knowledge transfer

Analyze exit data and turnover trends to fuel retention strategies

Other Duties as Assigned

· Handle additional tasks and special projects as they arise, ensuring firm objectives are met with professionalism and efficiency.

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance