Assistant Counsel

Asset Based Lending LLC • Cherry Hill Township, NJ

1d • $130,000 - $160,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Asset Based Lending is seeking a driven, dynamic, and detail-oriented Assistant Counsel to join our legal team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in real estate lending transactions — loans, closings, loan documentation, title insurance, borrower entity documentation — along with excellent drafting and communication skills, a quality-control and process-improvement mindset, and the judgment and maturity to supervise and develop a high-performing paralegal team.

This role reports directly to ABL’s General Counsel and has two core components.

First, the Assistant Counsel will lead and oversee ABL’s paralegal team — a team of paralegals responsible for reviewing borrower entity and title insurance documents, and drafting loan documents for closings nationwide. The Assistant Counsel will work closely with the paralegal team lead to serve as the team’s primary legal resource. This includes answering day-to-day questions, resolving escalated issues, performing regular quality-control reviews of the team’s work, and driving process and technology improvements that increase the speed, accuracy, and volume of in-house file reviews. The Assistant Counsel should be ready to roll up their sleeves and step in to help the team as needed.

Second, the Assistant Counsel will handle substantive legal work assigned by the General Counsel, including drafting and negotiating specialty loan documents for workouts and loss mitigation (loan modifications, forbearance agreements, deed-in-lieu agreements, joint venture agreements, and similar instruments), reviewing and negotiating contracts, NDAs, and vendor agreements, and assisting the Senior Compliance Officer with their compliance function as needed. The Assistant Counsel will provide legal support to all departments across the company in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (New Jersey or New York preferred) with active membership in good standing with the state bar association, and, if not admitted to practice in New Jersey, eligible to obtain in-house counsel licensure with the State of New Jersey.
• 3–5+ years of post-graduate legal experience with meaningful exposure to real estate lending transactions — loans, closings, loan documentation, and/or title insurance — at a law firm, lender, or title company.
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational abilities, with a proven track record of managing complex legal documentation.
• Sound judgment and the interpersonal skills to supervise, coach, and develop a paralegal team.
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, and collaboratively within a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable with technology and proficient in Microsoft Office and industry-standard legal research and document platforms. Enthusiasm for using technology to improve legal department efficiency is essential.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with fully remote electronic loan closings, including RON and eNotes.
• Hands-on experience drafting and negotiating loan modifications, forbearance agreements, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, joint venture agreements, and related creditor-side documents.
• Experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating non-disclosure agreements, vendor contracts, and other commercial agreements.
• General litigation experience is a plus; experience with foreclosure, creditors’ rights, title litigation, or other real estate–related disputes is even better.

Responsibilities

• Oversee, advise, and support a team of paralegals who review borrower entity and title insurance documents, and draft loan document packages; serve as the escalation point for legal questions arising from file reviews and closings.
• Conduct regular QC reviews of paralegal work product, identify recurring issues, provide coaching and training, and implement checklists, procedures, and technology that improve accuracy and throughput.
• Working in tandem with ABL’s Compliance Officer, monitor federal, state, and local legal and regulatory developments affecting business-purpose lending, and update ABL’s loan document packages and closing procedures to ensure they remain compliant and enforceable in every jurisdiction where ABL lends.
• Prepare accurate and comprehensive legal documents, including loan modifications, forbearance agreements, deed-in-lieu agreements, joint venture agreements, settlement agreements, and other workout and ancillary documents.
• Collaborate with title companies, outside counsel, and ABL staff to address title-related issues, resolve defects, and ensure appropriate title insurance coverage and endorsements for ABL’s transactions.
• Manage ABL’s relationships with the outside closing attorneys who work with the paralegal team, including overseeing their work product, responsiveness, and performance, serving as their primary legal point of contact, and escalating and resolving issues that arise during closings.
• Coordinate with loan officers, underwriters, processors, and other team members to facilitate a smooth and efficient closing process, and help implement and augment ABL’s closing processes with current best practices.
• Partner with all departments and teams to provide strategic legal guidance and ensure smooth and efficient operations.
• Conduct legal research and perform other tasks as assigned by the General Counsel.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree