Paralegal

Essex Property Trust•San Mateo, CA

6d•$101,000 - $127,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Paralegal will provide legal and operational support across all functions of Essex's Legal Department, partnering with attorneys and business stakeholders to help manage legal risk, ensure regulatory compliance, support corporate governance activities, facilitate transactions, and assist with litigation and claims matters. The successful candidate will serve as a key member of the Legal Department, providing practical and business-oriented support on a broad range of legal matters affecting the Company's operations. Responsibilities may include contract administration, corporate governance support, regulatory compliance initiatives, legal research, litigation and claims management, policy development, and transaction support. This position requires a collaborative professional who can effectively coordinate with internal business partners, outside counsel, vendors, and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will possess sound judgment, exceptional organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working across multiple legal disciplines, proactively identifying issues, coordinating solutions, and escalating matters to attorneys and senior legal team members as appropriate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
Completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association or a Certificate of completion from an accredited postsecondary institution with at least 24 semester units in law-related courses; OR Bachelor’s degree in any subject plus at least one year of law-related experience under attorney supervision.
5–7+ years of legal experience, preferably with a blend of law firm and in-house experience.
Demonstrated experience supporting multiple legal disciplines, including one or more of litigation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, contracts, transactions, or risk management.
Strategic thinker with a business-oriented approach to legal problem solving.
Skilled in managing outside counsel and internal clients across functional levels.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distill complex legal issues into practical guidance.
Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative, team-first mindset.
Proven ability to prioritize, manage multiple high-impact projects, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
High attention to detail, analytical acumen, and proficiency in interpreting legal data.
Technologically adept with strong organizational and time-management capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in multifamily real estate, insurance, or risk management a plus.
Experience supporting corporate legal departments, real estate organizations, or law firms handling a variety of business, compliance, governance, transactional, or litigation matters preferred.
Experience using Legal Tracker, LinkSquares, or ServiceNow is a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for legal inquiries from business teams, triaging requests and escalating matters as appropriate.
Support attorneys and legal team members in managing day-to-day legal matters across multiple practice areas.
Maintain legal records, databases, matter management systems, and department reporting.
Coordinate with outside counsel, consultants, insurers, and other third parties as needed.
Assist with legal research and preparation of correspondence, reports, presentations, and other legal documents.
Support corporate governance activities, including preparation and maintenance of corporate records, resolutions, minutes, and entity documentation.
Assist with annual filings, registrations, and other corporate compliance requirements.
Maintain organizational records and support entity management initiatives.
Coordinate board, committee, and governance-related materials as directed by legal leadership.
Assist with the preparation, review, administration, and tracking of contracts, amendments, service agreements, settlement agreements, NDAs, and other legal documents.
Support real estate, operational, and strategic transactions through document management, due diligence coordination, and closing activities.
Maintain contract repositories and assist with lifecycle management processes.
Coordinate signatures, document execution, and post-closing administration.
Assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of compliance programs, policies, and procedures.
Support compliance assessments and identify potential areas of legal and regulatory risk.
Partner with business teams to implement corrective actions and process improvements.
Assist with investigations, reporting, and documentation related to compliance matters.
Monitor regulatory developments and assist with implementation of legal or operational changes.
Assist with management of litigation, pre-litigation matters, and claims at the direction of attorneys and senior legal team members.
Coordinate document collection, discovery responses, legal holds, and case-related reporting.
Facilitate communication with outside counsel, insurers, brokers, and internal stakeholders.
Assist with settlement administration, billing review, budget tracking, and matter management.
Identify trends and recurring issues and provide support for risk mitigation initiatives.
Assist in drafting, updating, and maintaining internal policies, procedures, forms, and training materials.
Participate in legal training initiatives for operational and corporate teams.
Support department-wide strategic initiatives, process improvements, technology implementations, and special projects.
Contribute to continuous improvement efforts that enhance operational efficiency and reduce legal risk.