James Y. Lee provides strategic counseling to large corporate clients on a wide range of workforce-related matters. His practice spans proactive advising and litigation, with experience representing employers in complex disputes involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and discrimination across multiple jurisdictions. He regularly advises companies on internal policies and risk mitigation related to contingent workforce oversight, workplace safety compliance, employment agreements, and policy development and implementation—drawing on his experience as outside counsel, in-house counsel, and secondment counsel.
James has developed particular experience serving as secondment counsel to enterprise clients, where he partners directly with in-house legal and compliance teams on high-impact employment initiatives. He has led efforts on staffing agency compliance, contractor classification, and joint employment risk mitigation, particularly in high-risk jurisdictions across the country.
Prior to joining Littler, James served as deputy general counsel for a major transportation company, where he oversaw employment litigation and regulatory strategy for a unionized, multistate workforce. He also previously served as lead counsel in mass tort and product liability matters for clients in the manufacturing, cosmetics, and energy sectors.
A loyal and capable advocate, James is known for delivering practical, business-oriented solutions to help clients navigate complex employment challenges.