Litigation Paralegal

At Fogo de Chão, we strive to give our guests an unforgettable dining experience of discovery while showcasing the Culinary Art of Churrasco. Our mission is to ignite fire and joy to care for our team, our guests, and our communities. We believe better futures start when we bring our best to the table every day to Feed a Purposeful Future – starting with our team members. We feed our teams with fulfilling job opportunities, making space around the table so everyone feels welcome. At Fogo, we’ll provide you with a fulfilling career with professional and personal growth opportunities at every level. Our values of teamwork, integrity, excellence, humility, and Deixa Comigo (we’ve got you!) are more than just words; they’re how we do things every day.

Position Summary:

Join our esteemed team as a Litigation Paralegal. You'll play a pivotal role in supporting our restaurant's legal framework, particularly litigation portfolio management, service of process, outside counsel coordination, litigation strategy, and exposure management.

This position is ideal for an experienced paralegal with a passion for the food service industry and a keen interest in managing litigation, reducing legal risk, and supporting the company's dispute-resolution strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Litigation Portfolio Management: Own and maintain Fogo's centralized litigation and claims portfolio, including all active, threatened, and newly filed matters. Track matter status, discovery obligations, settlement posture, next steps, responsible parties, and outside counsel assignments.
• Claims Intake and Triage: Serve as the first-line intake and triage point for lawsuits, demand letters, subpoenas, pre-suit claims, guest incidents and other potential litigation matters. Determine urgency, identify required internal stakeholders, and coordinate immediate next steps.
• Service of Process and Legal Notices: Serve as the notice point for service of process and other formal legal notices. Log, calendar, and distribute documentation promptly to the appropriate departments, restaurant teams, and outside counsel.
• Outside Counsel Management: Act as the primary day-to-day liaison with outside counsel on litigation matters.
• Strategy, Exposure, and Cost Reduction: Drive litigation strategy discussions in coordination with the Legal Department and outside counsel.
• Legal Operations and Reporting: Build and maintain litigation trackers, reporting processes, and workflows to support a disciplined litigation management function and provide Legal Department leadership and business stakeholders with clear visibility into active matters, exposure, and overall litigation risk.
• Discovery and Document Management: Manage litigation holds, document preservation, discovery coordination, subpoenas, internal fact gathering, and evidence collection for litigation and claim defense.
• Settlement and Resolution Support: Coordinate settlement, payment processing, and closure of resolved matters.
• Outside Counsel Billing and Budget Oversight: Review outside counsel invoices and adherence to billing guidelines. Track matter budgets and recommend cost-control measures.
• Research Monitoring: Monitor litigation trends and regulatory developments affecting the restaurant and hospitality industries.  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, Business, or a related field.
• Paralegal certificate, Certified Paralegal (CP), Certified Legal Assistant (CLA), or comparable credential preferred.
• Minimum of five to seven years of paralegal experience, with substantial litigation experience required.
• Experience working in-house, in a restaurant/hospitality, retail, multi-unit, franchise, or consumer-facing business environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in labor and employment litigation, civil litigation, claims management, and other disputes commonly affecting restaurant, hospitality, or multi-unit retail businesses.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, legal billing systems, and legal research tools. Experience with Smartsheet is a plus.

Competencies:

• Functional Knowledge: Applies strong litigation, claims management, discovery, subpoena, legal notice, and legal operations knowledge to manage matters accurately, improve workflows, and support timely business and legal decisions.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: Builds trust with Legal, HR, Risk, Operations, restaurant teams, outside counsel, and other partners by communicating clearly, following through on commitments, and working across functions to move matters forward.
• Decision Making: Uses sound judgment to prioritize sensitive, urgent, or complex legal matters; identifies when escalation is needed; and recommends practical next steps based on facts, risk, deadlines, and business impact.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Identifies root causes, analyzes matter trends, organizes complex information, and develops process improvements that strengthen litigation management, reduce risk, and support operational excellence.

Role Expectations:

The Litigation Paralegal will act as a central control point for claims, lawsuits, subpoenas, service of process, discovery, outside counsel communications, and litigation-related internal coordination across departments and restaurant operations. This person must be able to think independently, identify risk, escalate intelligently, and run the litigation function with urgency, ownership, and judgment.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements:

• Ability to work in a professional office environment and use a computer, phone, and standard office equipment for extended periods.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external partners.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, in accordance with applicable laws.

Physical Demands:

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Must have a high level of endurance, mental acuity, and toughness to manage conflict and deal successfully with high-stress situations.

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance are available for full-time Team Members on the first of the month following their start date. Additionally, company-paid Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability are provided where allowed. We offer a comprehensive voluntary benefits package including Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Coverage, Permanent Life, and Pet Insurance.

Fogo de Chão is an Equal Opportunity and E-Verify Employer

This posting is intended for a Texas-based, in-office position located in Addison, TX.