Senior Legal Director, Real Estate Ops -NorAm

Digital Realty•Dallas, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This is an opportunity to join Digital Realty’s global Legal, Risk, Sustainability & Compliance (LRSC) team as Senior Legal Director leading the Real Estate, Infrastructure & Procurement team. Reporting to the SVP, Deputy General Counsel, Global Commercial & Real Estate/Ops, this role serves as the senior legal lead for North America supporting real estate development, construction, infrastructure and procurement activities across our data center platform. You will provide strategic, business-oriented legal counsel on complex transactions and oversee a team of legal professionals supporting these functions. You will partner closely with Development, Design & Construction, Portfolio Management, Energy, Procurement, Operations, Investments and Finance teams to enable execution of large-scale data center projects while ensuring appropriate risk management and alignment with Digital Realty’s commercial and operational objectives.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
Admitted to the bar and in good standing or otherwise authorized to practice law (e.g., have registered in-house status) in the state in which the position is located.
Minimum 12-15 years of relevant legal experience (law firm and/or in-house), with strong focus on real estate development and transactions (data center development a significant plus), construction and infrastructure projects, and procurement and commercial contracting.
Extensive experience in negotiating complex agreements (construction, MSAs, procurement and real estate).
Strong business and commercial judgment, with ability to balance risk and execution.
Proven leadership experience managing and developing legal teams.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth, international environment.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Data center development experience

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the North America legal team supporting real estate, infrastructure, construction and procurement.
Set priorities, allocate work, and support the professional development of team members.
Act as escalation point for complex or high-risk legal matters.
Drive consistency in legal positions, templates and negotiation strategies across NAM.
Serve as senior legal advisor to Development, Construction, Procurement and Operations teams, and advise and collaborate with Investments, Finance, and Legal teams to align project with financing and commercial objectives.
Provide strategic counsel on data center development, ownership and operational matters, including joint ventures, easements, entitlements and infrastructure projects.
Support structuring and execution of large-scale, multi-site and multi-jurisdictional infrastructure projects.
Align legal strategy with commercial objectives, delivery timelines, and operational requirements.
Oversee and support the drafting and negotiation of construction, design and development agreements, procurement and master service agreements (equipment, materials and services), infrastructure agreements, including for campus developments, reciprocal easements, and similar, and real estate documentation related to development and operations.
Provide guidance on complex, multi-tiered and multi-jurisdictional contracting strategies.
Ensure appropriate risk allocation and consistency with company standards.
Identify, assess and mitigate legal and commercial risks across development, construction and procurement activities.
Provide clear guidance on liability, contractual risk allocation, and negotiation strategy.
Ensure adherence to internal policies, approval processes and governance frameworks.
Support dispute management and resolution for construction and supplier-related matters.
Partner with internal stakeholders (Development, Engineering, Energy, Procurement, Finance, Investments and Operations) to facilitate execution of projects.
Work closely with global legal teams to ensure alignment on standards, processes and positions.
Support enterprise-wide initiatives and cross-regional projects.
Drive continuous improvement of templates, playbooks and contracting processes.
Streamline negotiations and remove barriers to execution while maintaining appropriate legal protections.
Implement scalable processes to support the growth of the NAM platform.
Oversee engagement and management of outside counsel for specialized real estate, construction or procurement matters.
Ensure efficient use of external legal resources and budget control.