Senior Real Estate Attorney

First Student•Cincinnati, OH

About The Position

First Student is seeking an experienced Senior Real Estate Attorney to join its ten-person legal team and serve as a trusted legal advisor to the business. The role supports the General Counsel by providing comprehensive legal counsel across a broad range of matters. Approximately 70% of the work focuses on sophisticated commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, development matters, and M&A-related activity; approximately 30% focuses on broader in-house matters such as commercial contracting, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and litigation management. The attorney will support a portfolio of more than 750 owned and leased properties across 42 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces. The role provides practical, business-minded legal counsel to protect the company’s interests, facilitate strategic growth, and support business objectives. It requires English proficiency for job-related communications.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and in good standing with the State of Ohio, or eligibility to register as in-house counsel.
At least 5 years of legal experience, including significant experience handling sophisticated commercial real estate transactions in a law firm and/or corporate legal department.
Proven track record handling general real estate and commercial contracts and corporate matters.
Strong negotiation, analytical, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced, business-oriented environment.
English proficiency for job-related communications.

Nice To Haves

Experience advising on litigation or managing outside counsel.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate complex real estate agreements, including commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements, amendments, easements, development agreements, and related transaction documents.
Manage real estate transactions from due diligence through closing, including title and survey reviews, zoning verifications, land use matters, environmental assessments, financing-related issues, and other real estate diligence activities.
Partner with business leaders and internal stakeholders on acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and other strategic transactions involving real estate assets.
Serve as the primary legal partner to First Student’s Real Estate team, providing practical, business-oriented counsel on strategic initiatives, transactions, and operational matters.
Advise internal stakeholders on property management issues, landlord-tenant matters, environmental concerns, regulatory compliance, and land use matters.
Review, draft, and negotiate commercial contracts, including vendor agreements, NDAs, SaaS agreements, consulting agreements, licensing agreements, and other commercial transactions.
Provide general legal guidance to operations support teams, including Risk, HR, Business Development, Communications, IT, and Labor, to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Assist with corporate governance matters, including commercial, regulatory, and transactional matters.
Identify potential legal risks across business operations and develop practical mitigation strategies.
Manage litigation and dispute-related matters and oversee outside counsel on specialized real estate, commercial, regulatory, and litigation matters as needed.
Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to support strategic growth initiatives and operational objectives.