Sr. Legal Counsel

Digital Realty•Dallas, TX

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

As Senior Legal Counsel, Commercial Contracting, you will join Digital Realty's global Legal, Risk, Sustainability & Compliance team and serve as a key legal advisor supporting Global Account and Hyperscale customers across North America and Digital Realty's global platform. You will lead sophisticated commercial and leasing transactions, partner with business teams across functions and regions, and provide practical legal guidance that advances commercial objectives while protecting Digital Realty's legal and business interests.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, and active good standing.
8+ years of relevant substantive commercial legal experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or a combination of both.
Strong experience negotiating complex commercial agreements, including master services agreements, commercial real estate leases, license agreements, and technology-related service agreements; data center leasing experience is strongly preferred.
Experience negotiating with hyperscale, cloud, or other sophisticated global customers; experience in technology, cloud services, digital infrastructure, or data centers is preferred.
Strong legal, business, and commercial judgment, with the strategic thinking and practical, solution-oriented approach needed to advise on risk, legal terms, negotiation strategy, and alignment with commercial objectives.
Proven ability to independently own complex local and global transactions, distinguish material issues from routine matters, exercise sound judgment, and appropriately escalate significant legal and commercial risks.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally and effectively with business leaders, customers, counterparties, investors, joint venture partners, and legal colleagues.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, organizational, and project-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, changing scope, and time-sensitive matters while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across regions and functions in a fast-paced global environment, including experience supervising, training, or mentoring junior attorneys and directing or partnering with administrative and legal support professionals; willingness to travel occasionally.
A diligent, hands-on, proactive, and self-motivated approach, together with professionalism, integrity, resilience, adaptability, sound judgment, approachability, and the ability to follow matters through to timely and reasonable resolution.

Nice To Haves

data center leasing experience is strongly preferred
experience in technology, cloud services, digital infrastructure, or data centers is preferred

Responsibilities

Draft, negotiate, and advise on complex, multi-tiered, and multi-jurisdictional agreements with hyperscale and global customers, including master services agreements, colocation agreements, commercial leases, licenses, service agreements, service level agreements, orders, amendments, expansions, and renewals.
Provide legal support for large-scale hyperscale development and leasing transactions, including projects and assets held through joint ventures and investment funds.
Serve as a key legal advisor to the Global Accounts Sales team, taking ownership of sophisticated customer transactions and providing practical, business-oriented advice on contractual terms, negotiation strategy, customer positioning, and legal risk.
Partner with Design, Engineering & Construction, Portfolio Management, Operations, Sales, and other stakeholders to align contractual obligations with project timelines, specifications, customer requirements, operational readiness, and commercial objectives while mitigating risk and unnecessary liability.
Advise on capital improvements, portfolio initiatives, and customer-related matters, including inquiries, audits, escalations, and significant projects that support long-term customer relationships and asset value.
Work closely with the broader global Legal team to ensure consistency across regions, evaluate legal strategy for global customers, identify and mitigate risk, and appropriately escalate material issues or matters outside established parameters.
Support executive-level engagements with customers, investors, and joint venture partners by preparing clear legal advice and assisting senior Legal leaders as appropriate.
Drive continuous improvement in templates, playbooks, policies, and legal processes; partner with the business to streamline negotiations, remove execution barriers, and deliver cross-regional strategic projects involving commercial contracting, real estate, M&A, or other Legal Department priorities.
Manage outside counsel efficiently and collaborate with non-lawyer administrative and legal support professionals to complete projects and manage team workflows.
In coordination with senior Legal leadership, help supervise, train, and develop Junior Legal Counsel by providing day-to-day guidance, reviewing work product, supporting professional development, and helping prioritize and manage workload; perform other duties assigned based on business needs.