Legal Counsel - Commercial Real Estate

Overview

Hirewell has partnered with a leading commercial real estate firm to hire a Legal Counsel for its Chicago headquarters. This is a newly created role on a lean, growing in‑house legal team supporting a national portfolio of commercial properties.

The Legal Counsel will initially focus on high‑volume commercial leasing, working closely with experienced paralegals and business teams, and will grow into handling acquisitions and related real estate transactions “soup to nuts” as the function matures.

Key Responsibilities

Leasing (initial core focus)

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial leases, lease amendments, renewals, assignments, and related documents for a national warehouse/distribution portfolio.
• Partner with paralegals who manage much of the front‑end volume, acting as the “surgeon” on escalated, higher‑leverage issues (key business terms, risk allocation, complex comments).
• Develop and maintain playbooks, templates, and fallback positions to drive consistency and efficiency across leasing.

Cross‑functional support & business partnering

• Serve as a practical, business‑minded advisor to leasing, development, asset management, finance, and operations teams on day‑to‑day real estate issues.
• Help train and upskill paralegals, analysts, and other business partners to “think like legal” on recurring issues (e.g., lease provisions, consent rights, easements).
• Support occasional corporate and governance matters as needed, in coordination with the General Counsel.

Process, risk, and outside counsel management

• Help refine and formalize leasing and acquisition workflows, balancing speed, risk, and deal practicality.
• Coordinate with and manage outside counsel on specialized or overflow matters, ensuring quality and cost‑effective support.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school; admitted to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, with eligibility to practice in Illinois (admission or in‑house counsel registration).
• Approximately 4–7 years of experience with a strong focus on commercial real estate, ideally including:
• Drafting and negotiating landlord‑side leases and lease amendments for commercial assets;
• Exposure to real estate acquisitions, dispositions, or development transactions (PSAs, easements, closing documents), and
• Comfort working in a high‑volume environment with multiple concurrent matters.
• Prior in‑house experience at a REIT, owner/operator, developer, or institutional investor is strongly preferred; candidates from law firms with significant secondment or direct client‑side experience will also be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross‑functional teams and explain legal concepts clearly to non‑lawyers.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, organization, and time‑management skills; able to prioritize and move deals forward in a fast‑paced, business‑driven environment.
• High emotional intelligence, low‑ego, and a practical, solution‑oriented approach to balancing legal risk with business goals.

Work Environment & Compensation

• On‑site in downtown Chicago 4 days per week, with 1 remote day; modern, collaborative office environment within a long‑tenured, stable company.
• Comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision, 401(k), and other standard corporate benefits.