Vice President - Counsel or Senior Counsel

Company Overview
Healthpeak Properties is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) and an S&P 500 company. We specialize in owning, operating, and developing high-quality real estate focused on healthcare discovery and delivery. Our impressive portfolio includes nearly 50 million square feet of medical outpatient buildings, lab and life science facilities and Senior Assisted Living centers throughout the country.

Role Overview
This role provides enterprise-wide legal, regulatory, compliance, risk management, litigation, and corporate transactional support. This position partners closely with the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and SVP – Risk Management to identify, assess, and mitigate risk while enabling business growth, operational excellence, and strategic initiatives. 
Key Responsibilities:  
Litigation & Risk  

• Oversee litigation and dispute resolution, including management of outside counsel, case strategy, mediation, and arbitration proceedings. 

• Oversee EPL, D&O, Coverage Disputes, and GL claims, and provide support and coverage on GL/PL claims.  

• Serve as a member of the Security Committee and advise management regarding legal, regulatory, and operational risks across the portfolio. 

• Provide strategic legal and risk mitigation support to Human Resources on workforce matters, including investigations, separations, restrictive covenants, and employment litigation. 

• Track and report on risk trends and mitigation strategies. 

Compliance & Ethics  

• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of corporate compliance programs, policies, procedures, controls, training, and reporting mechanisms.  

• Advise on data governance, cybersecurity, and emerging technology matters, including implementation of applicable state and federal requirements and related governance frameworks. 

• Advise on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. 

• Oversee senior housing regulatory and compliance matters, including licensing and reporting. 

Corporate Transactions & Legal Operations  

• Provide legal support for corporate and capital markets transactions, including diligence, negotiation, transaction documentation, disclosures, and regulatory analysis.  

• Develop scalable processes, templates, and playbooks to improve transaction execution and support increased deal volume. 

• Oversee implementation and management of legal systems and software. 

Position Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school and active bar membership 

• 10+ years of legal experience 

• Significant experience at a major law firm and/or in-house legal department 

• Experience identifying legal and operational risks and developing practical, business-oriented solutions 

• Strong commercial litigation, compliance, risk management, transactional, and employment experience  

• Demonstrated ability to independently lead sophisticated legal matters in a fast-paced environment  

• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets 

• Excellent business judgment and executive presence, including experience advising senior legal teams  

• Ability to partner effectively with Risk Management, HR and business leaders
• Salary range of $225k – $275k plus generous cash incentives