Commercial & Leasing Lawyer

The Buckle, Inc. • Kearney, NE

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Commercial and Leasing Counsel supports the Company's commercial contract negotiation, drafting, and management; retail real estate leasing transactions in support of store development; and day-to-day compliance processes and procedures. This role manages a high volume of commercial agreements and lease transactions, relying on the Company's established templates, playbooks, and negotiation standards under the supervision of senior Legal Department leadership and in partnership with senior Leasing leadership, and exercises sound judgment about when to escalate novel, higher-risk, or unusually complex matters. This is a highly cross-functional, high-visibility role that requires building trusted working relationships with partners across Leasing, Store Construction/Operations, IT, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and other Company leaders. Success depends on the ability to think commercially, anticipate business implications, and guide business partners through negotiations toward efficient resolution.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school and active member in good standing of at least one U.S. state bar required.
• At least two (2) to four (4) years of relevant experience as a practicing attorney required.
• Candidates with as few as two (2) years of experience will be considered where that experience is concentrated in commercial real estate/leasing matters.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical, and written/verbal communication skills.
• Sound, practical judgment and the ability to work autonomously with light supervision and support, independently managing a high volume of transactions and deadlines while recognizing when to seek guidance or escalate.
• Highly collaborative mindset with a demonstrated ability to quickly build trust and rapport with cross-functional, non-legal stakeholders.
• Commercially minded problem-solver who can proactively guide and steer business partners through ambiguity, competing priorities, and complex transactions toward practical resolution.
• Comfort operating within, and helping to continuously improve, standardized templates, playbooks, and processes.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.

Nice To Haves

• Prior in-house experience preferred but not required.
• Experience negotiating and drafting commercial agreements and/or real estate leases strongly preferred
• familiarity with retail real estate leasing, including lease amendments and the use of standardized or conformed lease forms, is a plus.
• General familiarity with compliance and regulatory concepts required
• exposure to public company governance or disclosure considerations related to real estate transactions is a plus but not required at this level.

Responsibilities

• Support the Company’s real estate portfolio by negotiating and administering leases, amendments, renewals, and related transaction documents, primarily using the Company’s conformed lease forms; support Leasing and Store Construction/Operations on new store development, relocations, expansions, and closures.
• Support and lead resolution of disputes and legal matters involving contracts, leasing, landlord-tenant issues, and other business matters, including coordinating with outside counsel as directed.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including technology, intellectual property, confidentiality, data privacy, marketing, vendor/procurement, and other business agreements, using and helping refine the Company’s standard templates and playbooks.
• Partner proactively and collaboratively with business stakeholders throughout negotiations, anticipating commercial implications, offering practical alternatives, and helping steer transactions through competing priorities and complex deal dynamics toward efficient, business-appropriate resolution.
• Identify and flag legal, operational, and financial risks in commercial contracts, leases, and portfolio matters, and recommend practical, business-aligned mitigation strategies.
• Help maintain and continuously improve the Legal Department’s leasing and commercial contracting templates, negotiation standards, playbooks, and training resources.
• Build and sustain strong, trust-based, cross-functional relationships that promote effective collaboration and position Legal as a proactive business partner.
• Fulfill mission statement by performing job duties with a high level of customer service while contributing to a positive team spirit.
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level