In-House Counsel

About Chelsea Piers

Chelsea Piers is one of New York City's premier sports, fitness, and event destinations, spanning more than 28 acres on the Hudson River waterfront. The organization operates a diverse portfolio of businesses including sports training and athletic programs, fitness clubs, event and production facilities, and youth development programs across multiple locations.

Role Overview

The In-House Counsel will serve as Chelsea Piers' embedded legal resource, providing day-to-day legal support across the full range of the organization's business activities. This is a hands-on role requiring a pragmatic, business-oriented attorney who is comfortable operating as a generalist, managing relationships with outside counsel, and advising senior leadership on legal risk and strategy.

The successful candidate will be expected to build institutional knowledge of the businesses over time and function as a trusted internal advisor, not simply a contract reviewer. The role suits an experienced attorney looking for an in-house position with a positive work-life balance. Chelsea Piers is open to structuring this role as full-time or as a part-time/fractional engagement (minimum 20 hours/week), and welcomes candidates to propose the arrangement, hours, and rate structure they believe best fits the scope for consideration.

Core Responsibilities

Contract Review & Drafting

• Review, draft, and negotiate customer and client agreements for events, facilities, memberships, and programming
• Review and negotiate commercial leases, license agreements, and real estate-related documents
• Review and negotiate construction contracts, contractor agreements, vendor agreements, and service contracts
• Develop and maintain a library of standard form agreements and contract templates
• Advise on contract risk, indemnification, liability, and insurance requirements

Legal Notices & Correspondence

• Draft and review legal notices, demand letters, cure notices, and formal correspondence
• Respond to or coordinate responses to legal inquiries from counterparties, landlords, and tenants
• Manage notice and deadline tracking for material contracts and leases
• Manage Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) communications and lease compliance
• Coordinate general liability response for slip-and-trip and similar claims

General Counsel Function

• Advise senior leadership on legal risk across business decisions, transactions, and operations
• Identify and flag legal exposure proactively; recommend risk mitigation strategies
• Support HR on employment-related matters including offer letters, separations, policies, and disputes
• Oversee and manage outside counsel relationships, including matter assignment, budget oversight, and quality control
• Assist with regulatory compliance, permits, licensing, and government filings as needed
• Organize and maintain the legal file system

Legal Strategy

• Serve as a thought partner to senior leadership on legal structure, risk tolerance, and organizational priorities
• Develop and maintain a legal framework for the organization's operations, including policies, procedures, and governance
• Evaluate when outside counsel is necessary versus when matters can be handled in-house
• Track legal and regulatory developments relevant to the sports, fitness, hospitality, and real estate sectors

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school; admission to the New York State Bar (or eligible for in-house counsel registration)
• Minimum 8 years of legal experience, including meaningful exposure to commercial transactions and general corporate matters
• Demonstrated experience with commercial real estate, leasing, and/or construction contracts
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills across a broad range of agreement types
• Comfortable advising senior business leaders and operating without close supervision
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent matters in a fast-moving operational environment

Preferred

• Familiarity with the NYC commercial real estate market and local regulatory environment
• Employment law experience sufficient to support HR on routine matters
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets
• In-house experience, ideally in sports, hospitality, entertainment, fitness, or consumer-facing industries
• Practical thinker with strong problem-solving skills