VP - Legal

EDENS•Fort Lauderdale, FL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role serves as the primary senior legal partner for regional portfolios, providing timely, practical, and consistent legal support. The VP - Legal will lead complex transactions, including structuring, negotiating, drafting, and closing sophisticated retail real estate matters such as grocery, anchor and junior anchor leases, ground leases, amendments, renewals, assignments, estoppels, exclusivity arrangements, reciprocal easement agreements, and related multi-party agreements. The position involves advising various business units including Investment Management, Development, Leasing, Tenant Construction, Property Management, Finance, and Transaction Coordination on deal economics, tenant credit, construction and delivery obligations, rent commencement, lease enforcement, operational litigation risk, and other material business issues. Additionally, the role provides risk-calibrated advice on major transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, portfolio strategy, tenant relationships, market positioning, and other high-stakes decisions. The VP - Legal will also lead legal resources, directing and coordinating department attorneys, paralegals, and outside counsel, setting matter strategy and quality expectations, allocating work effectively, and managing outside-counsel performance and cost. Advancing legal operations by improving templates, playbooks, workflows, technology adoption, knowledge management, and processes to increase quality, consistency, scalability, and turnaround time is a key responsibility. The role includes developing talent by mentoring legal team members in complex leasing, negotiation, legal strategy, executive communication, and professional development. The VP - Legal will represent the Legal function in regional leadership meetings, cross-functional working groups, strategic planning sessions, and relevant industry or legal forums. Finally, the role supports enterprise priorities by providing targeted support for high-priority matters and assuming defined subject-matter responsibilities when requested by the General Counsel and consistent with workload priorities.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school
Active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (CA, TX, FL, DC preferred, or ability to obtain DC admission)
At least 8-10+ years of progressive legal experience, including substantial retail leasing experience
Demonstrated leadership of complex retail leasing, including grocery, anchor, junior anchor, ground lease, development, and redevelopment transactions
Experience operating as a senior in-house attorney or in a comparable role requiring independent judgment, business partnership, and strategic impact
Demonstrated expertise in complex retail leasing, anchor negotiations, and multi-party real estate transactions
Demonstrated expertise in legal operations, process optimization, and adoption of contract lifecycle management, workflow, knowledge management, and other legal technology platforms
Demonstrated expertise in outside counsel management, cost control, and strategic vendor relationships
Strong executive presence and ability to partner effectively with senior business leaders on legal and business matters
Proven track record of driving results, managing complexity, and operating independently with minimal supervision

Nice To Haves

Leasing experience at a retail REIT, shopping center owner/operator, or similar commercial real estate platform
Sophisticated knowledge of corporate contracts, development agreements, construction contracts, or financing transactions in real estate
Subject matter expertise in sustainability (solar, EV charging), environmental, or regulatory compliance in real estate
Prior informal or formal people management experience (mentoring, coaching, or direct reports)

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary senior legal partner for regional portfolios, with responsibility for timely, practical, and consistent legal support.
Structure, negotiate, draft, and close sophisticated retail real estate matters, including grocery, anchor and junior anchor leases, ground leases, amendments, renewals, assignments, estoppels, exclusivity arrangements, reciprocal easement agreements, and related multi-party agreements.
Counsel Investment Management, Development, Leasing, Tenant Construction, Property Management, Finance, and Transaction Coordination on deal economics, tenant credit, construction and delivery obligations, rent commencement, lease enforcement, operational litigation risk, and other material business issues.
Provide risk-calibrated advice on major transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, portfolio strategy, tenant relationships, market positioning, and other high-stakes decisions.
Direct and coordinate department attorneys, paralegals, and outside counsel; set matter strategy and quality expectations; allocate work effectively; and manage outside-counsel performance and cost.
Improve templates, playbooks, workflows, technology adoption, knowledge management, and processes to increase quality, consistency, scalability, and turnaround time.
Mentor legal team members in complex leasing, negotiation, legal strategy, executive communication, and professional development.
Participate in regional leadership meetings, cross-functional working groups, strategic planning sessions, and relevant industry or legal forums.
Provide targeted support for high-priority matters and assume defined subject-matter responsibilities when requested by the General Counsel and consistent with workload priorities.