Associate Real Estate Counsel

Associate Real Estate Counsel

This is a fully remote opening. The Associate Real Estate Counsel is an integral member of our Legal & Compliance team and will provide legal, business, and strategic support on real estate, lease administration, facilities, construction, and related operational matters. This role will support Mission Pet Health's national portfolio of veterinary hospitals by drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial real estate documents; assisting with landlord and property-related disputes; supporting lease administration processes; and partnering closely with internal stakeholders across Legal & Compliance, Real Estate Facilities, Operations, Finance and hospital leadership.

Role Specific Activities

• Draft, review, revise and negotiate commercial real estate documents, including letters of intent, leases, lease amendments, renewals, assignments, subleases, license agreements, estoppels, SDNAs, easements, declarations, restrictive covenants, access agreements, termination agreements, and other real estate-related documents.
• Support legal review and negotiation of design, construction, architectural, engineering, vendor facilities, maintenance, and other property-related agreements.
• Provide legal and business support for Mission's national real estate portfolio, including new hospital openings, relocations, expansions, renewals, remodels, closures, dispositions, and other strategic portfolio initiatives.
• Assist with legal review and analysis of title, survey, environmental, zoning, use restriction, landlord work, tenant improvement, operating covenant, exclusivity, assignment, insurance, and other real estate diligence matters.
• Identify and assess legal and business risks in real estate transactions and recommend practical, business-oriented solutions.
• Partner with internal stakeholders, including Legal & Compliance, Real Estate, Facilities Maintenance, Operations, Finance, and hospital leadership, to support real estate and lease-related decision-making.
• Assist with legal oversight, guidance, and support for the Lease Administration team, including lease interpretation, issue escalation, process development, template development, and critical date management, lease compliance, document organization, and internal reporting.
• Advise on lease administration, enforcement, and landlord-tenant matters, including landlord defaults, tenant rights, maintenance obligations, operating expense disputes, repair obligations, access issues, signage rights, exclusivity/use issues, casualty, condemnation, and related disputes.
• Draft and review landlord communications, notices, demand letters, default notes, consent requests, approval requests, and other real estate-related correspondence.
• Support resolution of landlord disputes and property-related operational issues in coordination with Facilities, Operations, Finance, Lease Administration, and outside counsel, as needed.
• Assist in managing outside counsel on real estate, lease, construction, dispute, and other property-related matters, including coordinating internal input and reviewing work product.
• Assist with maintaining and improving legal templates, playbooks, workflows, checklists, approval processes, and other resources related to leasing, leasing administration, construction, and real estate matters.
• Provide practical, responsive, and service-oriented legal support to internal business partners while protecting Mission's legal and business interests.
• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Responsibilities and Benefits

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school
• Active license to practice law and in good standing in at least one (1) U.S. jurisdiction
• 2-5 years of relevant legal experience, preferably including experience in commercial real estate, commercial leasing, construction, corporate transactions, or in-house legal support.
• Strong academic credentials and training from a nationally recognized law firm, sophisticated regional law firm, in-house legal department, or comparable high-performing legal environment.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial leases, lease amendments, SNDAs, estoppels, construction agreements, and other real estate-related documents.
• Experience with real estate diligence, including title, survey, zoning, environmental, and use restriction review.
• Experience working cross-functionally with lease administration, facilities, real estate, finance, operations, construction, or other business teams preferred.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects, transactions, deadlines, and stakeholders with appropriate urgency.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-moving dynamic, and growing organization.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and ability to learn lease administration, contract management, document management, property management, and project management systems

WAG Values

• Leads with respect, integrity & accountability
• Treats others with empathy and respect
• Exemplifies and leads the team to align with WAG values
• Collaborates with the team to focus on solutions
• Finds a way to say yes

This is a fully remote opportunity