Real Estate Paralegal

Overview

McGuireWoods is seeking a Commercial Real Estate Paralegal to join its Chicago office. This role will service a wide range of transactions and support an active commercial real estate practice that closes hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions per year. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of relevant experience, strong organizational and multitasking skills, and will embrace a team mentality.

McGuireWoods, one of the world's leading law firms, has provided legal solutions to corporate, individual and nonprofit clients since 1834. Along with excellent benefits, McGuireWoods offers most employees a hybrid remote option allowing flexibility and work-life balance. Our Applicant Disclosures describe your rights. Our Privacy Statement describes how we will process and safeguard your personal data.

Responsibilities

• Reviews purchase and sale agreements (PSAs) to identify and docket critical dates, and monitors and updates the docket as transactions progress.
• Drafts extension notices, amendments, consents, and assignments of PSAs, as well as organizational charts reflecting entity structures involved in a transaction.
• Drafts and formats transaction documents using Harvey AI to support efficient document production.
• Reviews title commitments and surveys, drafts title memos summarizing key findings, and prepares title objection letters to raise and resolve title defects.
• Assembles and prepares signature packets, incumbency certificates, and legal opinions required for closing.
• Communicates directly with clients and external parties to keep transactions moving and address open items.
• Retrieves property information and profiles, obtains zoning letters, and orders lien searches and drafts summaries of the results.
• Assembles closing binders and delivers them to clients following closing.
• Serves as a notary for closing documents when needed.
• Handles entity formation and foreign registrations, including obtaining EINs and drafting operating agreements.
• Obtains entity certificates and certified entity documents.
• Prepares and files Form ID and Form D with the SEC and submits BlueSky filings.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of real estate legal experience
• Expertise in title and survey review is required.
• Prior experience in managing complex projects or transactions, with a track record of meticulous document management, timeline construction, and proactive problem-solving.
• Demonstrated organizational, multi-tasking, and project management skills, with a proven ability to operate as a self-starter and exercise ownership over caseloads.
• Strong interpersonal and professional communication skills, with the confidence to actively interface and coordinate with court clerks, vendors, and trial teams.
• Familiarity with Chicago or Illinois state transfer tax or local laws and deed knowledge experience is preferred.
• Willingness and desire to work with innovative technology platforms - our employees also have access to Harvey, a legal-specific AI tool that reduces time spent on routine tasks, allowing you to focus on more meaningful, high-impact work.

Have more questions? Connect with a recruiter directly. #LI-ER1