Counsel

Lamar Companies•Madison, NJ

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lamar Companies seeks an enterprising and tech-savvy real estate attorney to serve as its sole in-house counsel. This role offers a unique opportunity for an attorney earlier in their in-house or transactional career to take ownership of the company’s legal functions, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, operations, and corporate matters. Hybrid work arrangement in Madison, NJ (three days/week).

Requirements

J.D. degree with strong law school academic performance.
In‑house counsel and/or law firm background with commercial retail real estate experience required.
5+ years of experience in real estate transactions, with emphasis on commercial retail and office leasing, acquisitions, and dispositions.
Admission to practice law in New Jersey.
Ability to multitask in a dynamic team environment and meet demanding deadlines.
Proficiency with company-approved AI-assisted legal tools and a demonstrated willingness to adopt emerging legal technology into daily workflows.

Nice To Haves

Real estate litigation experience is helpful.
Like-Kind Exchange (1031) knowledge is helpful.
Experience with or strong interest in platforms such as Anthropic's Claude (including its Legal Plugin for contract review, risk flagging, and compliance workflows) is highly preferred.
Interest in taking ownership of the firm's legal technology strategy, including evaluating AI tools for document management, deal workflow automation, and playbook-driven contract analysis.

Responsibilities

Draft, interpret, and negotiate commercial real estate documents, including retail and office leases; purchase and sale agreements; service agreements; vendor and construction contracts; estoppels; SNDAs; LOIs; and related instruments.
Support all phases of leasing, acquisitions, and dispositions, including drafting purchase and sale agreements; operating agreements, reviewing title, use restrictions, zoning, surveys, easements, development agreements, and CC&Rs; negotiating loan agreements; addressing closing requirements; and conducting legal due diligence as needed.
Maintain lease, contract, and other jurisdiction‑specific property forms.
Manage and resolve commercial tenant lease issues and ensure lease compliance.
Oversee the lease administration process.
Monitor state licenses, regulatory filings, and related compliance requirements.
Manage company legal matters as needed, providing practical counsel aligned with business objectives.
Advise company executives on corporate matters, real estate issues, and general legal considerations.
Manage litigation and oversee outside counsel, as needed.
Leverage company-approved AI-powered legal tools — including Anthropic's Claude Legal Plugin and Claude Cowork platform — to streamline contract review, lease abstraction, compliance tracking, and due diligence workflows.
Identify and implement opportunities to integrate AI into day-to-day legal operations, enhancing efficiency across acquisitions, dispositions, and portfolio management activities while following AI guidelines put forth by the American Bar Association.