Corporate Counsel - Real Estate & General Cor

CRANE DATA CENTERS INC.•San Francisco, CA

37d•$150,000 - $275,000

About The Position

At Crane, we are redefining digital infrastructure by building future-proof, high-density data centers engineered for flexibility and sustainable, long-term scale. Headquartered in San Francisco with a growing nationwide pipeline, we partner with major institutional investors to rapidly deliver flexible carrier-neutral capacity. We balance design excellence with environmental stewardship. As we scale our footprint across domestic markets, we are seeking a highly-versatile Corporate Counsel who will serve as the key legal execution lead for both day-to-day general corporate legal functions and our real estate development pipeline. This is an impactful, hands-on role reporting to executive leadership. You will wear two primary hats: executing the legal workflows for our real estate acquisition, power and data center infrastructure development, and hyperscale tenant leasing operations, while simultaneously managing Crane’s day-to-day corporate governance, vendor contracts, and routine risk management. The ideal candidate has a strong foundational background in commercial or industrial real estate development or energy infrastructure transactions and is looking to expand their career in-house by taking ownership of a variety of corporate legal functions in a fast-growing, high-tech infrastructure firm.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active, good-standing membership in at least one state bar (California admission a plus).
3 to 5 years of dedicated legal practice, with a solid foundational background in complex commercial real estate, energy, or construction transactions.
Experience in an AmLaw 200 law firm or a corporate in-house setting is required.
Proven experience reviewing, redlining, and negotiating commercial contracts, with the ability to advocate effectively for the company's commercial interests with sophisticated counterparties.
Eagerness to act as a legal generalist, learning and managing diverse workstreams outside of real estate.
Comfort utilizing contract lifecycle management platforms, contract signature platforms, file management ecosystems, and have strong ability to leverage AI software across all workflows.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the distinct ability to translate dense legal risks into clear, practical, and actionable business guidance for internal stakeholders.
Highly organized with a strong attention to detail; capable of keeping multiple transactions, title reviews, and corporate records moving forward simultaneously under deadline pressure.
Works effectively with cross-functional teams (development, finance, construction, power strategy) to identify legal issues and suggest practical, commercial solutions.
Comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-paced environment where priorities fluidly shift between a multi-megawatt infrastructure project and routine corporate administrative needs.

Responsibilities

Manage comprehensive legal process associated with new multi-acre site acquisitions.
Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of real estate agreements, including land purchase and sale agreements (PSAs), due diligence documents (including reviewing complex title policies, ALTA surveys, environmental reports, zoning ordinances, etc.), municipal development agreements, and tax abatement agreements.
Assist with the customization, structuring, and negotiation of powered shell leases, wholesale colocation agreements, Master Services Agreements (MSAs), and associated Service Level Agreements (SLAs) tailored to sophisticated large enterprise tenants.
Review and track utility interconnection agreements, utility easements and rights-of-way, and power purchase agreements (PPAs) to support Crane’s energy strategy.
Support engineering and preconstruction teams by drafting and negotiating design-bid-build contracts, time and material / not-to-exceed agreements, and long-lead equipment procurement contracts (generators, chillers, and high-density cooling infrastructure).
Handle the formation, multi-state maintenance, and compliance of corporate entities and project-specific joint-venture LLCs.
Prepare standard board resolutions, meeting minutes, and corporate filings.
Manage the legal intake, review, and negotiation of day-to-day corporate agreements, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), technology / SaaS contracts, marketing agreements, and consulting contracts.
Monitor compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
Assist in maintaining corporate insurance policies, tracking the corporate compliance calendar, and implementing contract workflow improvements.
Provide general legal support to all internal stakeholders including procurement, human resources, and finance teams as needed (e.g., routine offer letters, independent contractor agreements, and tracking project financing / loan documentation).