Commercial Counsel

NATIONAL COMMUNITY RENAISSANCE•Rancho Cucamonga, CA

6d•$175,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Commercial Counsel supports the Legal Department of National Community Renaissance of California and its affiliated entities (collectively, National CORE), with primary responsibility for drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements across the enterprise. Reporting to the General Counsel, the attorney works closely with Property Management, vendor management and procurement teams, resident services, Development, Construction, Information Technology, and other business leaders. This is an experienced attorney role requiring independent management of a substantial volume of contracts and practical advice on recurring commercial and selected general corporate matters. The role strengthens internal contracting capacity, improves responsiveness and consistency, and reduces reliance on outside counsel for work that can be handled effectively in-house. Specialized development, financing, landlord-tenant, litigation, tax, and other matters are coordinated with the General Counsel and appropriate internal or outside specialists. The position primarily operates in a professional office environment and may require travel to National CORE offices, properties, meetings, Board or committee sessions, trainings, and organizational events. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. The position is exempt.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active membership in good standing with the California Bar.
Approximately a minimum of 7 years of relevant legal experience.
Extensive hands-on experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in a law firm, in-house legal department, or combination thereof.
Ability to independently manage contracts from initial drafting through negotiation and execution support, including complex agreements and a substantial volume of recurring matters.
Broad experience with vendor and services agreements, commercial risk allocation, and general corporate counseling.
Strong written and oral communication, negotiation, judgment, organization, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to prioritize competing deadlines and recognize when specialist advice or escalation is needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience with property management, resident services, real estate, construction, or related operating agreements.
Experience developing contract templates, standard provisions, approval procedures, or other improvements to a contracting process.
Familiarity with technology agreements, privacy and confidentiality provisions, insurance requirements, and nonprofit or affordable housing operations.

Responsibilities

Take primary responsibility for assigned commercial agreements from intake through negotiation and execution support, prepare clear documents reflecting business terms and appropriate legal protections, manage counterparty negotiations, and identify issues requiring business decisions or escalation.
Draft and negotiate third-party property management agreements and related implementation, transition, staffing, fee, and service arrangements, as well as contracts with property management vendors.
Draft and review agreements for resident programs, supportive services, community partners, and service providers; coordinate on resident access, vulnerable-population protections, confidentiality, service responsibilities, and insurance requirements.
Handle assigned real estate and construction-related commercial documents, including leases, licenses, access agreements, confidentiality agreements, brokerage agreements, consultant contracts, and selected acquisition, disposition, or construction documents.
Coordinate project-specific matters with business teams and specialist counsel, including title, land use, financing, and affordable housing requirements.
Draft and negotiate consulting, purchasing, equipment, marketing, event, sponsorship, and other operating agreements; support technology agreements and ancillary business activities as assigned.
Evaluate contractual provisions concerning indemnification, liability limits, warranties, insurance, guarantees, confidentiality, intellectual property, data use, dispute resolution, assignment, renewal, and termination; align obligations with National CORE’s operational control and escalate material exposure.
Work with Risk Management and brokers on insurance provisions.
Develop and maintain agreement templates, standard clauses, negotiation guidance, and approval workflows; improve contract intake, legal review, execution, storage, renewal tracking, and change control with vendor management and procurement teams.
Establish practical criteria for routine contract review and escalation.
Advise internal clients on interpreting agreements, documenting amendments, managing performance issues, and exercising contractual rights; coordinate pre-dispute resolution and refer significant claims or litigation to the appropriate legal team.
Support entity documentation, resolutions, policies, confidentiality arrangements, and other corporate matters assigned by the General Counsel.
Assist with commercial due diligence and documentation for new initiatives, restructurings, and transactions, coordinating specialized advice as needed.
Coordinate outside commercial counsel on assigned matters, provide business context, and monitor scope, deadlines, and fees; identify work suitable for internal handling and matters requiring specialist expertise.
Provide practical guidance and training on contract requirements, approval authority, negotiation practices, and legal escalation.
Build effective relationships with internal clients and counterparties and communicate recommendations in plain language.
Manage multiple agreements and deadlines, maintain visibility into assigned matters, communicate priorities and status, protect confidential information and privilege, identify recurring risks, and perform other related Legal Department duties as assigned.