Senior Associate / Vice President, Counsel

Brookfield Properties•New York, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Brookfield Properties is seeking an experienced in-house leasing counsel to provide legal support for leasing and related asset-level matters across designated New York City office and retail properties within the Brookfield portfolio. This role will work closely with internal business teams—including Asset Management, Leasing, Operations/Property Management, Capital Markets, and Portfolio Management—and will serve as primary legal liaison to such functions with respect to designated assets, as well as front-facing externally with tenants, brokers, and outside counsel. The position will also support capital markets and investment activities and will oversee property management legal matters, including tenant-related disputes and litigation.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Admission to the New York State Bar and in good standing.
5+ years of experience practicing commercial real estate law, with substantial focus on office and/or retail leasing.
Experience gained at a leading law firm and/or in-house legal department.
Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills, with sound business judgment.
Prior in-house experience at a real estate owner, operator, developer, or institutional platform.
Experience with New York City office and retail assets.
Experience supporting investment and capital markets transactions and overseeing disputes or litigation.

Responsibilities

Provide legal support for leasing activities across assigned NYC assets.
Working primarily with outside counsel, review and negotiate office and retail leases, renewals, expansions, amendments, assignments, subleases, and terminations.
Partner closely with Leasing and Asset Management teams throughout the transaction lifecycle, from LOI through execution.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of leasing legal processes, templates, playbooks, and standard positions.
Lead legal stakeholder and representative with respect to designated assets, serving as legal advisor to similarly leveled counterparts across functions and reporting back to legal leadership on ongoing asset initiatives / transactions.
Support Asset Management with respect to leasing strategy, risk assessment, and asset performance considerations.
Advise Operations and Property Management teams on tenant issues, building operations matters, and property-related legal risks.
Collaborate with Capital Markets, Asset Management and Portfolio Management teams on leasing and operational matters that intersect with financings, refinancings, dispositions, and other transactions.
Assist with financings, refinancings, and dispositions through lease diligence and issue identification.
Supervise preparation and negotiate estoppels, SNDAs, tenant consents, and related documentation.
Review and coordinate responses and provide analysis on property-level debt considerations, including representations, covenants and cash management mechanics
Oversee tenant-related disputes, including defaults, enforcement actions, and negotiated resolutions.
Manage litigation and claims involving tenants and property operations, including coordination with outside counsel.
Advise on property management legal issues and risk mitigation strategies.
Serve as a primary point of contact for outside counsel, ensuring efficiency and quality of work product.
Interface directly with tenants, tenant counsel, and brokers in connection with leasing and dispute matters.
Address ancillary asset-related agreements, including licenses, easements, telecom/rooftop agreements, IP Agreements, service agreement, and design and construction agreements, as needed in support of asset operations.
Assist in global portfolio initiatives including diligence exercises, form creation and process improvement