Legal Counsel

Our client is a $350M+ AUM investment firm with a national portfolio spanning retail, industrial, office, mixed-use, multifamily, and land assets; they own and manage more than 200 properties across 22 states, with a growth trajectory toward $1B AUM.

About the Role

Our client is seeking a strategic, business-oriented Transaction Attorney to lead all transactional legal matters across our expanding national portfolio. This role spans acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and capital-markets work from LOI through closing, with close collaboration alongside our acquisitions, asset-management, and finance teams to drive deals forward and manage risk.

Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer & SVP of Operations, this attorney will also oversee and develop a legal support bench, including a junior attorney or senior paralegal and leasing/transaction-coordination resources - ensuring strong delegation, operational leverage, and consistent deal process.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and manage all aspects of commercial real-estate transactions nationwide, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and leasing.
• Draft, review, and negotiate LOIs, purchase and sale agreements, joint-venture documents, loan agreements, leases, and closing documents.
• Oversee title and survey review, due diligence, and closing coordination—clearing exceptions, managing contingencies, and ensuring timely completion of all deliverables.
• Support capital-markets initiatives by reviewing and negotiating financing structures, debt documents, and related ancillary agreements.
• Provide leasing expertise across retail, industrial, office, and ground leases; advise internal leasing and property-management teams on tenant issues, REAs, use restrictions, and renewals.
• Develop and maintain templates, playbooks, and policies to standardize and improve efficiency in transactional processes.
• Partner cross-functionally with acquisitions, asset management, property management, and accounting to identify risk, ensure compliance, and optimize deal outcomes.
• Stay current on industry trends, case law, and regulatory updates affecting commercial real-estate transactions.

Who You Are:

• J.D. from an accredited law school; licensed and in good standing in at least one U.S. state with the ability to waive into Illinois.
• 5+ years of commercial real-estate transactional experience, ideally within a fully integrated real-estate investment, private-equity, or law-firm environment.
• Proven ability to independently structure, negotiate, and close acquisitions, dispositions, and financings on a “first-chair” basis.
• Deep familiarity with title/survey review, ALTA requirements, and complex closing logistics.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and drafting skills with strong business judgment and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• Experience with joint ventures, entity formation, or real-estate funds is a plus.
• Organized, responsive, and able to manage multiple concurrent deals in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.