Senior Transaction Counsel

Shine Associates, LLC•Boston, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Shine Associates, LLC has been retained to search, identify and recruit a Senior Transaction Counsel on behalf of our client (‘Company’). This position will be based in Boston, MA. Our client is a vertically integrated commercial real estate investment firm focused on acquiring, developing, and managing light industrial and research & development assets across primary and select secondary markets. The firm’s in-house legal team plays a central role in every stage of the investment lifecycle — from deal origination through disposition — and partners closely with its acquisitions, asset management, affiliated property management, accounting, and capital markets teams to execute complex transactions efficiently and at scale. Our client is seeking a highly skilled and commercially minded Senior Transaction Counsel to join their legal team. This role is ideal for a transactional real estate attorney with deep experience in commercial property acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing, operations, and joint ventures who is eager to apply that expertise in a dynamic, in-house environment. Reporting to the General Counsel, the Senior Transaction Counsel will serve as a trusted legal advisor across the firm's real estate investment activities with, among a range of other duties, responsibility for drafting, reviewing, revising, and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts and transaction documents.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school; admission to practice in any U.S. state with the requirement per the Massachusetts Bar to register as in-house counsel (if not admitted to practice in Massachusetts).
Minimum of 5 years of extensive transactional commercial real estate experience at a reputable law firm and/or in-house real estate department.
Extensive experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial real estate contracts, including PSAs, joint venture agreements, loan documents, and commercial leases.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, concurrent transactions independently and efficiently under tight deadlines.
Strong business acumen with the ability to understand and advance the firm's commercial objectives while managing legal risk appropriately.
Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Prior in-house experience at a real estate investment firm, private equity real estate fund, REIT, or developer.
Experience managing outside counsel relationships.

Responsibilities

Work closely with the General Counsel, the Company’s internal business team, and outside counsel on legal due diligence, structuring, and closing of commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and recapitalizations, and a broad range of matters incidental thereto.
Review and negotiate purchase and sale agreements
Draft, review and, if applicable, negotiate transaction documents and other agreements incidental to the ownership and operation of commercial real estate properties.
Work with the General Counsel, internal business team, and outside team on joint venture and coinvest formations and negotiations.
Draft LLC operating agreements and property management agreements, oversee the formation of new entities, and related organizational and structural matters.
Oversee the legal aspects of real estate financing transactions, including senior debt, mezzanine financing, and construction loans — coordinating with lenders' counsel, external counsel, and internal teams.
Work closely with external transaction counsel on title and survey matters and resolving title objections.
Work closely with the Company’s accounting and investment teams on matters related to deposits due under purchase and sale agreements, closing settlement statements, and similar matters related to the flow of funds.
Draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts including property management agreements, leases and lease amendments, construction contracts, development agreements, and vendor/service agreements.
Serve as primary in-house legal point of contact for commercial tenant leasing matters.
Review and negotiate brokerage agreements, listing agreements, and consulting contracts.
Develop and maintain standard form agreements, templates, and contract playbooks to improve transaction efficiency across the firm.
Provide practical, business-focused legal guidance to senior leadership, acquisitions, and asset management teams on a broad range of real estate and, occasionally, corporate matters.
Manage, supervise, and coordinate with outside counsel on a broad range of matters, including, without limitation, transactional, real estate, contract, and corporate matters.
Assist with fund-level and entity governance matters as needed, including maintenance of legal entities across the firm's portfolio.