Head of Real Estate Transactions (Attorney/Counsel)

POSITION: Head of Real Estate Transactions (Attorney)

REPORTS TO: General Counsel

COMPENSATION: Pursuant to applicable regulations, if this job is performed in a relevant State, the salary range is $175,000-$225,000 plus bonus potential. Eligible to participate in the company benefits plan. We offer health, vision, dental, and pet insurance. We offer a 401(k) retirement plan, student loan assistance, licensing and continuing education reimbursement, parental leave, and housing allowances or gifts.

SUMMARY:

Cardinal Group Companies is a premier real estate investment, development, construction, marketing, and management company specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of multifamily and student housing properties throughout the United States.

This position is a Director or Vice President level role based on the candidate's experience and skill set. The Head of Real Estate Transactions will work closely with our investment and asset management teams, with a lead role in real estate operations and transaction strategy and planning, as well as negotiations and deal execution. The ideal candidate will possess an ability to quickly learn and understand the business, operational, financial, and technical priorities and concerns of the investment, development, and asset management teams.

The candidate must be able to (1) perform all responsibilities listed below as the Head of Real Estate Transactions for all investment firm verticals, including Student Housing, Conventional Housing, and Multifamily Development, (2) bring appropriate experience and gravitas to effectively engage with the Executive Leadership Team and advise the Investment Committee, and (3) contribute as a leader in other strategic company initiatives, such as ESG program integration. As a part of the Legal & Compliance team, all team members also contribute to developing and maintaining legal and compliance frameworks to ensure consistency and improve and maintain quality at scale across the company.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (Including but not limited to):

• Provide legal and risk leadership on multi-family real estate transactions:
  • Transaction Leader - This position will work closely with our SVPs of acquisition and development to lead the transaction process - including complex deal structuring and review, negotiation, and drafting of key transaction contracts in JV/fund formation, real estate acquisition, disposition, and real estate development deals. The position will demonstrate substantive knowledge of multifamily real estate transaction contracting terms and strong negotiation skills. The position will have responsibility for maintaining transaction checklists, coordinating executives, providing responses to transaction requests and changes, managing outside counsel, and executing deal closings.
  • Real Estate Legal Advisor – This position will interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for real estate transactions, including supporting the acquisitions and development regulatory processes.
  • Project Finance Counsel – The position will support our internal treasury & finance department with the review and negotiation of loan documents, including in connection with new debt, loan assumptions, substitutions, and releases related to real estate transactions.
  • Outside Counsel Management – The position will understand the most effective role of outside counsel in a variety of transaction types and manage engagement with outside counsel to maximize deal success. Strong counsel management strategies are a must, including but not limited to experience managing outside providers to strict budgets.
• Provide counsel to the real estate asset management team regarding day-to-day legal needs:
  • Contracting – The position will possess a sufficient understanding of real estate management principles and issues to lead the review and negotiation of contracts for portfolio services, capex contracts, and commercial leases. The position will clearly and concisely identify and explain the ramifications of contractual terms to business decision-makers and third parties during contract negotiations.
  • General Legal Advice – This position will assist the asset management team in navigating development, regulatory, property tax, title, and insurance issues. The position brings to the table an understanding of the balance between business interests and legal risks and is able to spot and explain issues to non-legal teammates and find creative solutions to business-legal challenges.
  • Due Diligence Readiness – The position will have experience preparing, facilitating, and conducting diligence on real estate assets and preparing transaction schedules, as well as the ability to advise business counterparts on best practices with regard to diligence readiness.
  • Fund/JV Governance: The position will have an advanced understanding of the capital markets, complex real estate fund and JV structures, and fund/JV governance requirements. The position will be responsible for structuring and managing complex real estate vehicles, as well as drafting and reviewing complex operating agreements, investor agreements, private placement memoranda, indemnity agreements, and other organizational contracts. They will also be responsible for maintaining institutional knowledge regarding investment org charts, operational authority, and other key governance terms affecting the investment management team.
  • Assist in the development and maintenance of legal forms, systems, and processes: The position will help the company do more with less by continuing the development and improvement of form documents and finding efficiencies in legal systems and processes, including tech-enabled solutions.
  • Develop and execute training and resources to increase investment team understanding and awareness of key legal issues and processes: This position requires a good listener, who turns problems into opportunities to get creative and provide solutions to the business. The attorney is also an educator and mentor to teammates, helping them learn how to navigate common legal issues and providing guidance on best practices.
  • Pinch-hit as needed: We are a small Legal & Compliance team, so we all pitch in to enable the team to meet our mutual goals, pick up the slack, and celebrate the work of our teammates. The position must adapt to changing initiatives and inputs and be willing to contribute as necessary to ensure the success of the team.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• JD from an ABA-accredited institution
• Member of an applicable State Bar in Good Standing
• 7+ years of relevant experience practicing law, with special emphasis on:
• Strong real estate transaction background, with significant experience negotiating and drafting key purchase and sale agreements
• Experience with capital markets transactions and securities law, a big plus
• Medium to large law firm experience, a plus
• Self-directed, fast-paced work with the desire to grow into a leadership role
• Excellent writing, drafting and verbal communications skills
• Must be able to anticipate problems and issues and exercise independent judgment to make sound, justifiable legal decisions and take action in solving problems while knowing when and to whom to escalate issues.
• Dedication to thorough, detail-oriented and ethical work, with a willingness to seek help and ask questions when needed
• Organizational, time-management and prioritization capabilities; able to manage high-volume workload independently, efficiently, on time and with minimal supervision
• Intellectual humility, self-awareness, and accountability with the ability to work collaboratively, respectfully, and openly as part of a team
• Ability to learn quickly and maintain stamina and good humor under pressure
• Understand the Cardinal values and be able to demonstrate how you embody them in your approach to practicing law in-house
• Puts the client first and dedicates time to relationship development. Seen by internal and external colleagues as a reliable, credible, and highly valuable resource.
• Significant PC knowledge of Excel and Word applications is critical for this role, as well as ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.
• Applicants seeking remote designation must have at least one (1) year of demonstrable success working remotely.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Incumbents work in an office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to use hands to finger, type, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms, and stoop, or squat. The Team Member is often required to sit. The Team Member must be able to push, pull, lift, carry, or maneuver office products and supplies of up to twenty (20) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Routine local travel may be required to attend training classes, client visits, or other situations necessary for the accomplishment of some or all of the daily responsibilities of this position. Non-routine, overnight travel may be required to attend company functions, training, property visits, and other situations necessary for the accomplishment of special projects that may be assigned from time to time.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their Team Leader.