Lead / Director Lawyers salary in California
Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.
Lead / Director Lawyers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 33 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $365,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level IV — fully competent | 33 | $365,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director Lawyers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Partner | 3 | $390,000 |
| Cooley LLP | Special Counsel | 2 | $427,500 |
| Netflix, Inc. | Director, Business Affairs, Sports and Nonfiction | 2 | $301,663 |
| O'Melveny & Myers LLP | Counsel Attorney | 2 | $390,000 |
| PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP | Partner, Intellectual Property Section | 2 | $330,554 |
| Alston & Bird LLP | Senior Associate, Environmental & Land Use | 1 | $365,000 |
| Goodwin Procter LLP | Partner | 1 | $450,000 |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP | Managing Associate | 1 | $272,771 |
| ResMed Corp. | Associate General Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions | 1 | $270,000 |
| Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. | Vice President, Business Development | 1 | $272,771 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Special Counsel at Cooley LLP$465,000Palo AltoWage Level IVDecided Aug 20, 2025I-200-25225-240789
- Senior Associate, Environmental & Land Use at Alston & Bird LLP$365,000Los AngelesWage Level IVDecided Jul 24, 2025I-200-25198-183721
- Director, Business Affairs, Sports and Nonfiction at Netflix, Inc.$272,771Los AngelesWage Level IVDecided Jul 7, 2025I-203-25178-137384
- Partner at Goodwin Procter LLP$450,000Redwood CityWage Level IVDecided Jun 16, 2025I-200-25160-069924
- Managing Associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP$272,771Los AngelesWage Level IVDecided Jun 11, 2025I-200-25155-054267
- Counsel Attorney at O'Melveny & Myers LLP$390,000Los AngelesWage Level IVDecided Jun 9, 2025I-200-25153-040800
- Associate General Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions at ResMed Corp.$270,000San DiegoWage Level IVDecided Jun 9, 2025I-203-25153-042067
- Vice President, Business Development at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.$272,771BurbankWage Level IVDecided Jun 3, 2025I-200-25147-018699
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.