H-1B Visa Legal Counsel Jobs
Legal Counsel roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in law plus bar admission. Employers in corporate, finance, and tech sectors regularly sponsor H-1B petitions for in-house counsel positions, and the role's licensing requirements support a strong specialty occupation argument.
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Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. We continue to operate from a position of strength. Our updated growth strategy is focused on staying ahead of what our customers want and realizing further growth potential. Our relentless ambition is why McDonald’s remains one of the world’s leading corporations after almost 70 years. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world.
At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From support of Ronald McDonald House to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry and planet. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.
Department Overview
The McDonald’s Global Labor and Employment Law Group currently has an exciting opportunity for an attorney to join the team. This team handles a wide variety of matters including providing advice and counsel to HR professionals both domestically and internationally, working on the company's critical initiatives and leading all aspects of labor and employment litigation.
Duties
In addition to following McDonald's policies and procedures, principal accountabilities include, but are not limited to:
Advise, Counsel, Manage, and Influence:
- Identifies, assesses, and advises on legal risks and opportunities within the labor and employment area, including areas such as Title VII, ADEA, ADA, GINA, Equal Pay Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, FLSA and other wage & hour laws and regulations, EEOC regulations, and similar state and local laws and regulations.
- Ensures compliance with applicable international, federal, state, and local labor & employment laws, regulations, and policies.
- Participates in and influences the decision-making process with appropriate clients and collaborators.
- Educates clients and collaborators on legal matters, policies and procedures.
- Independently handles legal matters and projects ranging from basic to sophisticated.
- Recognizes when the advice of more senior counsel or outside counsel is appropriate.
Handles or participates in the handling of sophisticated legal matters or projects, including managing outside counsel on employment litigation:
- Ensures that appropriate clients and collaborators are involved in the decision-making process.
- Develops policies and procedures within a defined practice area and/or specific geographic area.
- Advocates McDonald's interests in assigned matters.
- This role requires some domestic travel (20%).
Relationships and Oversight:
- Supervises, leads, and evaluates outside counsel as appropriate.
- Supervises and/or provides direction to administrative, paralegal, and other support staff.
- Establishes and maintains relationships, credibility, and trust with clients, partners, legal team members and other colleagues.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of labor and employment practice experience.
- Significant experience in counseling clients on labor and employment matters.
- Experience handling of labor and employment matters before federal, state courts and administrative agencies.
- Strong written and communication skills required.
- Unquestionable integrity.
Compensation
- Bonus Eligible: Yes
- Long Term Incentive: Yes
- Benefits eligible: Yes
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is from $195,371 to $244,214.
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we may also consider your experience, and other job-related factors.
Additional Information:
Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as life insurance.
Bonus eligible: This position is eligible for a bonus, calculated based on individual and company performance.
Long term Incentive eligible: This position is eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald’s long-term incentive plan.
McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our workforce. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. McDonald’s provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as part of the application or hiring process or to perform the essential functions of their job. If you need assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise feel you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Nothing in this job posting or description should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment.
Job Details
Categories
- Legal Counsel
- Corporate
Job title: Director, Legal Counsel (Labor & Employment)
Position Type:
Date Posted: 05/04/2026
Job Classification:
Location(s): Chicago, IL, 60607, US
Job ID: 3656
Company Description
McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. We continue to operate from a position of strength. Our updated growth strategy is focused on staying ahead of what our customers want and realizing further growth potential. Our relentless ambition is why McDonald’s remains one of the world’s leading corporations after almost 70 years. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world.
At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From support of Ronald McDonald House to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry and planet. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements.
Department Overview
The McDonald’s Global Labor and Employment Law Group currently has an exciting opportunity for an attorney to join the team. This team handles a wide variety of matters including providing advice and counsel to HR professionals both domestically and internationally, working on the company's critical initiatives and leading all aspects of labor and employment litigation.
Duties
In addition to following McDonald's policies and procedures, principal accountabilities include, but are not limited to:
Advise, Counsel, Manage, and Influence:
- Identifies, assesses, and advises on legal risks and opportunities within the labor and employment area, including areas such as Title VII, ADEA, ADA, GINA, Equal Pay Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, FLSA and other wage & hour laws and regulations, EEOC regulations, and similar state and local laws and regulations.
- Ensures compliance with applicable international, federal, state, and local labor & employment laws, regulations, and policies.
- Participates in and influences the decision-making process with appropriate clients and collaborators.
- Educates clients and collaborators on legal matters, policies and procedures.
- Independently handles legal matters and projects ranging from basic to sophisticated.
- Recognizes when the advice of more senior counsel or outside counsel is appropriate.
Handles or participates in the handling of sophisticated legal matters or projects, including managing outside counsel on employment litigation:
- Ensures that appropriate clients and collaborators are involved in the decision-making process.
- Develops policies and procedures within a defined practice area and/or specific geographic area.
- Advocates McDonald's interests in assigned matters.
- This role requires some domestic travel (20%).
Relationships and Oversight:
- Supervises, leads, and evaluates outside counsel as appropriate.
- Supervises and/or provides direction to administrative, paralegal, and other support staff.
- Establishes and maintains relationships, credibility, and trust with clients, partners, legal team members and other colleagues.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of labor and employment practice experience.
- Significant experience in counseling clients on labor and employment matters.
- Experience handling of labor and employment matters before federal, state courts and administrative agencies.
- Strong written and communication skills required.
- Unquestionable integrity.
Compensation
- Bonus Eligible: Yes
- Long Term Incentive: Yes
- Benefits eligible: Yes
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this role is from $195,371 to $244,214.
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we may also consider your experience, and other job-related factors.
Additional Information:
Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as life insurance.
Bonus eligible: This position is eligible for a bonus, calculated based on individual and company performance.
Long term Incentive eligible: This position is eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald’s long-term incentive plan.
McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our workforce. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. McDonald’s provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as part of the application or hiring process or to perform the essential functions of their job. If you need assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise feel you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Nothing in this job posting or description should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment.
Job Details
Categories
- Legal Counsel
- Corporate
Job title: Director, Legal Counsel (Labor & Employment)
Position Type:
Date Posted: 05/04/2026
Job Classification:
Location(s): Chicago, IL, 60607, US
Job ID: 3656
See all 5,155+ Legal Counsel jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Legal Counsel roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Legal Counsel
Verify your bar admission transfers
H-1B approval for Legal Counsel depends partly on active bar membership in a relevant jurisdiction. Confirm your home-country legal credentials have been evaluated and that you've pursued admission through your state bar before the I-129 is filed.
Target in-house roles over law firms
Corporate legal departments at publicly traded companies sponsor H-1B petitions far more consistently than law firms, which often treat associates as temporary hires. Focus your search on companies with dedicated compliance, contracts, or regulatory counsel headcount.
Search verified sponsors on Migrate Mate
Filter Legal Counsel roles by employers with confirmed H-1B LCA filing history on Migrate Mate. This shows you which companies have already sponsored the role, so you're not guessing about sponsorship willingness during outreach.
Check the prevailing wage before negotiating
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your location and job level. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level I through Level IV wage tiers for Legal Counsel before you receive an offer.
Prepare a specialty occupation memo early
USCIS scrutinizes Legal Counsel petitions where the job description is broad. Work with your employer's immigration counsel to document why the role requires a law degree specifically, using your actual job duties rather than a generic counsel description.
Account for premium processing in your timeline
Standard H-1B adjudication can run several months, which affects your start date and any cap-gap or grace period calculations. Premium processing upgrades the decision timeline to 15 business days and is commonly used for time-sensitive Legal Counsel hires.
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Find Legal Counsel JobsLegal Counsel H-1B Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Legal Counsel role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Legal Counsel positions require at minimum a Juris Doctor and active bar admission, which satisfies USCIS's degree-in-a-specific-specialty requirement. The O*NET classification for lawyers confirms the role requires a doctoral or professional degree. Employers still need to document that the specific position requires that level of legal education, not just that law degrees are common in the field.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for Legal Counsel roles?
Corporate legal departments at technology, financial services, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing companies are the most consistent H-1B sponsors for in-house counsel. Law firms sponsor far less frequently and usually only for foreign-trained attorneys in specific practice areas. You can find employers with verified LCA filing history for Legal Counsel roles on Migrate Mate, which filters by role and sponsorship activity.
Can I work as Legal Counsel on H-1B if I'm not licensed in the state where the job is located?
Generally no. USCIS expects the H-1B beneficiary to hold an active bar license in the jurisdiction where they'll practice. If you're licensed elsewhere, you'll typically need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and meet that state's bar admission requirements before or concurrent with the H-1B filing. Some roles involving only federal law or transactional work have more flexibility, but state bar admission is the standard expectation.
How does the DOL prevailing wage apply to H-1B Legal Counsel positions?
Before filing the I-129, your employer files an LCA certifying they'll pay at or above the DOL prevailing wage for the Legal Counsel role in your work location. Wage levels range from Level I for entry-level positions to Level IV for senior roles. The OFLC Wage Search lets you look up the applicable wage tier by job title and metropolitan area so you can verify the offer aligns before the LCA is submitted.
What happens to my H-1B status if my employer's Legal Counsel role is eliminated?
You have a 60-day grace period after losing H-1B employment to find a new sponsoring employer, file a change of status, or depart the U.S. Your new employer must file an H-1B transfer petition before that window closes. USCIS allows H-1B portability, meaning you can begin working for the new employer once the transfer petition is filed, without waiting for approval, as long as the petition is non-frivolous.
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