Senior Legal Counsel / General Counsel - Commercial Real Estate Finance (New York City Metropolitan Area)

Senior Legal Counsel / General Counsel – Commercial Real Estate Finance

Location: New York City, NY

Compensation: $300,000–$400,000 Base Salary

Performance Bonus: 20%–50% of Base Salary

Oculus Group is conducting a confidential search for an experienced commercial real estate finance attorney to join a sophisticated New York City-based organization in a senior in-house legal capacity.

This opportunity is ideally suited for an accomplished attorney with extensive experience in complex commercial real estate lending, structured finance, and sophisticated debt and equity transactions.

The successful candidate will serve as a key legal advisor on significant real estate financing transactions, working closely with business leadership and investment professionals to structure, negotiate, and execute complex transactions.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise on and negotiate complex commercial real estate financing transactions, including senior secured mortgage, mezzanine, and construction lending.
• Structure and document preferred equity investments, note-on-note financing, and A/B note arrangements.
• Handle loan acquisitions, participations, credit facilities, and repurchase facilities.
• Provide legal guidance on distressed debt situations, loan restructurings, workouts, and securitizations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and transactional risks.
• Collaborate with senior executives, investment teams, external counsel, and other stakeholders.
• Manage multiple sophisticated transactions while providing practical, commercially focused legal advice.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Significant experience in commercial real estate finance, preferably involving institutional lending, structured debt, and complex financing arrangements.
• Strong transactional background gained at a leading law firm, financial institution, investment platform, or comparable organization.
• Demonstrated experience drafting, negotiating, and closing sophisticated financing transactions.
• Familiarity with mortgage and mezzanine lending, preferred equity, loan acquisitions, and structured financing arrangements.
• Strong business judgment, negotiation skills, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience representing lenders, institutional investors, private credit platforms, or other sophisticated capital providers is particularly attractive.
• New York City presence and ability to work closely with business leadership.

Compensation

The position offers a highly competitive executive-level compensation package:

• Base Salary: $300,000–$400,000
• Annual Performance Bonus: 20%–50% of base salary, based on performance

Confidential Inquiries

Qualified attorneys interested in exploring a senior in-house opportunity are encouraged to apply.

All inquiries and expressions of interest will be handled with appropriate confidentiality.