Legal Counsel, Real Estate Development

Crusoe•San Francisco, CA

1d•$218,000 - $273,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Legal Counsel, Real Estate Development will play a key role in supporting the company’s large-scale real estate developments and project financings. Reporting directly to the Assistant General Counsel, Real Estate, you will lead contract drafting, negotiation, and execution for real estate acquisitions, power matters, and project finance transactions. In this high-impact position, you will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely and strategic legal support across all of Crusoe’s data center development projects. This role is ideal for a candidate who can navigate the complexities of site selection and synthetic leases while maintaining a sharp focus on risk mitigation. This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires being in-office 5 days/week.

Requirements

Education: Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
Licensure: Active bar admission in any state.
Experience: 5–7 years of experience working on complex real estate acquisitions and power procurement.
Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of construction financing and loan due diligence processes.
Negotiation Skills: Excellent drafting and negotiation abilities with the capacity to manage high-stakes business environments.
Problem-Solving: Strong judgment and analytical abilities with a "self-starter" mentality.
Sector Expertise: Experience with data centers or large-scale industrial development projects is strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ALTA surveys and complex title insurance endorsements.
Familiarity with the legal nuances of digital infrastructure and AI cloud scaling.
Previous in-house experience at a high-growth technology or infrastructure company.

Responsibilities

Transaction Lifecycle Management: Review, negotiate, and execute real estate agreements from inception to closing, including site selection, Letters of Intent (LOIs), Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs), options, and easements.
Leasing & Ground Agreements: Lead the legal structuring and execution of synthetic/ground leases, customer leases, and specialized data center service agreements.
Legal Due Diligence: Conduct comprehensive reviews of title, survey, environmental assessments (Phase I/II), geotechnical reports, and zoning/land use matters to identify and mitigate development risks.
Property Rights & Disputes: Proactively address title matters, property rights, and boundary disputes to ensure unencumbered project progression.
Cross-Functional Advisory: Collaborate with internal departments—including Power Engineering, Construction, Finance, and Tax—to support broader legal and business objectives.
Legal Operations: Develop and maintain a suite of standardized legal documents, templates, and contract clauses to streamline negotiations and ensure portfolio-wide consistency.
Stakeholder Communication: Present complex legal concepts clearly and effectively to non-legal stakeholders both in writing and during strategic meetings.
Process Improvement: Work closely with the real estate and power business teams to continuously improve contracting processes and operational best practices.