Complex Commercial Litigation Associate — Financial Services

Complex Commercial Litigation Associate — Financial Services

Firm: Riker Danzig
Practice: Securities Litigation, Arbitration, Regulation & Investigations
Location: Madison, NJ (hybrid — 3 days in-office)
Experience: 4–8 years post-JD
Compensation: $154,000 – $185,000

About the Role

Riker Danzig is seeking a Complex Commercial Litigation Associate with 4–8 years of post-JD experience to join its award-winning Securities Litigation, Arbitration, Regulation and Investigations group in Madison, NJ.

You'll defend Fortune 500 financial institutions in high-stakes commercial litigation — a rare opportunity to do sophisticated bank-side work at a firm whose specialty practice was named NJ Law Journal Litigation Department of the Year in 2020, with a genuine partnership track from within. The firm is hiring one associate for this role.

What You'll Be Doing

• Defend banks and financial institutions in lender liability, commercial finance, consumer finance (FDCPA/TILA/RESPA), and securities litigation in NJ state and federal courts
• Manage full-lifecycle litigation: pleadings, discovery, dispositive motions, depositions, and trial preparation
• Handle parallel regulatory matters (CFPB, OCC, DOBI) that intersect with active litigation
• Work directly with partners who lead bank-side practices for Fortune 500 clients
• Contribute to business development, with origination bonus opportunities

Key Requirements

• 4–8 years of post-JD experience with bank-side (defense) financial services litigation as your primary practice area — not generalist commercial litigation with occasional bank matters
• Substantive litigation responsibility, including depositions and motion practice — not document review only
• Bank regulatory fluency — FDCPA, TILA, RESPA, securities regulations, FINRA arbitration, or CFPB/OCC investigations
• Experience managing parallel proceedings (litigation alongside regulatory matters)
• JD from an accredited law school with a strong GPA
• Active NJ bar admission, or admitted elsewhere with the ability to waive in within ~6 months
• Steady employment history — more than 2 firms in 5 years is a disqualifier
• Able to commit to 3 days/week in the Madison, NJ office
• Strong written advocacy — writing sample required upon submission

Preferred Qualifications

• Federal or NJ Superior Court clerkship
• In-house bank counsel returning to firm practice (e.g., UBS, JPMorgan) — Riker has hired three attorneys from UBS in-house
• Lateral candidates from NJ defense firms with an established financial services litigation practice (e.g., Wilson Elser, Reed Smith, Parker Ibrahim, Winget Spadafora, or similar)

Compensation & Logistics

• Salary: $154,000 – $185,000
• Equity: N/A — law firm, no equity component; origination bonus available for business development
• Hybrid policy: 3 days/week in-office, Madison, NJ
• Hiring count: 1
• Visa sponsorship: Not available

Not a Fit If

• Background is plaintiff-side consumer finance or class action work only
• Practice is generalist commercial litigation with only occasional financial services matters
• History shows a pattern of multiple moves every 1–2 years

Note: Key screening criteria — Madison, NJ on-site availability, financial services litigation experience, salary expectations, and NJ bar admission/waive-in eligibility — will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates.