Job Description

Position Overview

The General Counsel serves as the senior legal advisor to The Company, responsible for leading all legal, compliance, and governance functions while remaining directly engaged in the company’s real estate transactions and business operations. This role is highly hands-on, providing legal leadership and direct participation in structuring, negotiating, and closing acquisitions, financings, developments, joint ventures, and dispositions across the company’s nationwide portfolio. The General Counsel partners closely with the CEO and executive team to ensure that business initiatives are pursued with legal integrity, operational efficiency, and sound risk management. This leader plays a critical role in aligning business strategy with legal execution, safeguarding the company’s interests while enabling growth and performance at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Deal Execution and Transaction Management

• Serve as lead counsel for major real estate transactions, including property acquisitions, developments, financings, joint ventures, and dispositions.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, partnership and operating agreements, loan documents, and related contracts.
• Oversee and coordinate due diligence, title and survey review, closing documentation, and post-closing matters.
• Collaborate closely with internal deal teams, outside counsel, lenders, and investors to ensure timely and accurate closings.
• Evaluate deal structures to balance commercial goals with risk exposure and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

Corporate Governance and Compliance

• Advise executive leadership and the Board on corporate governance, organizational structure, and entity management.
• Maintain and oversee all corporate records, licenses, and filings across multiple entities and jurisdictions.
• Develop and implement compliance policies and internal controls to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations.
• Guide the company’s risk management practices, including insurance, indemnities, and contractual obligations.

Employment and Operational Counsel

• Provide counsel on employment law and HR compliance, including policies, employee relations, and multi-state regulations.
• Support Human Resources and Operations in maintaining consistent, compliant employment practices across all business units.
• Draft and negotiate vendor, service, and construction contracts, ensuring terms align with company standards and operational goals.

Strategic and Organizational Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team, providing insight that integrates legal, operational, and business perspectives.
• Contribute to long-term strategy discussions related to growth, investment structure, and corporate initiatives.
• Lead or mentor legal and compliance personnel, building scalable systems and processes to support expansion.
• Manage and direct outside counsel relationships, ensuring effective use of resources and cost control.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (preferred in North Carolina).
• 10–15 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant time in commercial real estate law.
• In-house experience with a real estate development, investment, or construction firm strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in managing complex transactions and balancing business risk with legal exposure.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced, deal-driven environment.

Competencies

• Transactional Leadership: Expert in navigating complex deals from negotiation through closing.
• Business Acumen: Understands financial and operational drivers; aligns legal strategies with business goals.
• Judgment and Integrity: Exercises sound decision-making, balancing risk with business opportunity.
• Communication: Clearly articulates legal concepts and implications to non-legal audiences.
• Collaboration: Builds trust and works effectively across departments, functions, and external partners.
• Execution Focus: Takes ownership of deliverables; ensures precision, timeliness, and accountability.

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