Assistant General Counsel
San Mateo, CA
Assistant General Counsel
Responsibilities
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY
The Legal Department is integral to the Company’s day-to-day operations and strategic success and provides practical, business-oriented and efficient advice on all legal matters. The department is functionally responsible for all Essex’s legal affairs, and serves both to ensure legal and ethical compliance, and to collaborate with across departments as a business partner to help create enterprise value consistent with Essex’s business model. The culture of the department is fast-paced, collaborative, smart, and professional.
POSITION SUMMARY/OBJECTIVE
The successful candidate will be skilled at a variety of legal areas, including advising on operational matters, real estate transactions, must be business oriented and able to work in a collaborative and fast pasted environment. Common sense is a must. The successful candidate must be able to review and negotiate contracts for purchase and sale agreements, secured financings, development deals, and contracts from outside vendors, consultants and other third parties and will also have drafted and reviewed lease and lease amendments with a variety of residential and commercial tenants.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Be one of the key legal advisors to the Company’s 1,500 person property operations group on a variety of issues including but not limited to:
- tenant inquiries and disputes,
- contract disputes,
- other operational issues, and
- policy/process improvement
- Review and negotiate real estate transactional documents, including purchase and sale agreements, financing agreements, joint venture agreements, preferred equity and mezzanine loan investments documentation, development agreements, easements, and rights of entry agreements.
- Manage regulatory and jurisdictional compliance for property operations and asset management.
- Oversee regulatory compliance for below market rate and tax credit units, and FHA/ADA compliance.
- Review and negotiate a variety of contracts with outside vendors, consultants and third parties for operations support agreements, ancillary income agreements, and marketing agreements.
- Review and update standardized forms including leases, contracts and other agreements.
- Assist with the management and resolution of litigation matters involving tenants, vendors and personnel, including serving as company representative for certain hearings and mediations.
- Undertake other legal assignments and tasks as directed by the General Counsel and/or Deputy General Counsel.
Qualifications
- JD law degree from an accredited law school
- Licensed to practice law in California a plus
- 5 to 9 years’ experience with a known law firm
- In-house experience a plus
- Transactional experience strongly desired (real estate and operational)
- Litigation or litigation management
- High dedication to internal customer service in a fast-paced environment
- Must be detail-oriented, self-motivated, able to work both independently and in teams, and able to prioritize time-sensitive projects
- Strong computer skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong analysis, writing and oral communications skills who can communicate clearly and effectively with all company team members
- Strong leadership skills, demonstrated business judgment, a collaborative nature, and superior intellectual and interpersonal skills will be crucial to the candidate’s success