Senior Staff Attorney - Real Estate/Redevelopment

The Position: The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (“HACLA”) seeks a well-qualified, highly motivated attorney to serve as a Senior Staff Attorney to handle real estate and affordable housing development/ redevelopment matters.

The ideal candidate will have substantial and significant real estate and affordable housing development/redevelopment experience, as well as general land use expertise, particularly in the area of land leasing, property acquisition, and property disposition. Experience handling general governmental administrative matters, public works, and professional services contracts, as well as managing outside counsel, is also desirable.

Characteristics of the Class: The position allocable in this exempt classification will work with and at the direction and supervision of HACLA’s General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel on various real estate and affordable housing development/redevelopment matters, including CEQA/NEPA issues, and providing additional assistance in other municipal law matters as needed.

Anticipated Hiring Pay Scale: Candidates can expect to be hired within the 8 step salary range of $166,150.40 - $204,276.80.

The posted salary is an estimate of the potential annual pay. Final offer will be dependent on qualifications and experience.

• Prepares and/or reviews real estate-related agreements, including but not limited to letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements/addendums, lease agreements, licenses, assignments, easements, real estate listing agreements, loan agreements, and recordable instruments such as easements, leases, deeds, covenants, and other agreements;
• Assists with document preparation and review, as well as negotiations related to affordable housing and tax credit development/redevelopment and the conversion of public housing to mixed–income affordable housing;
• Assists with Low Income Housing Tax Credit transactions and CTCAC requirements, conduit bond issuance and CDLAC requirements, and all documents related to housing development financings, including HUD subsidies such as Project-Based Vouchers, the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, and state grants and loans;
• Assists with land use, zoning, entitlement, and environmental law matters;
• Assists with real estate-related contracting, including broker practice, tenant relocation, property management, and construction contracting;
• Performs legal research and prepares memoranda and legal opinions as requested;
• Provides legal direction to outside counsel negotiators, and negotiates and drafts complex documents such as ground leases, commercial leases, disposition and development agreements, deeds, master development agreements, exclusive negotiating agreements, third party contracts, loan documents, and financing documents related to routine and non-routine real estate transactions and large- scale development projects;
• Handles all aspects of closings for the sale, acquisition, and disposition of HACLA and its instrumentalities’ properties, including review of title reports and disposition of title matters such as liens and encumbrances, as well as review of surveys and appraisals;
• Reviews, drafts, and comments on staff board reports and board resolutions, including helping ensure compliance with the Brown Act and agency contracting authorities;
• Oversees outside counsel in the areas of real estate, redevelopment, and municipal finance;
• May serve as counsel to HACLA’s instrumentalities;
• Provides legal assistance to ensure compliance with state and federal public works contracting requirements, including those under federal Davis-Bacon and related acts and state prevailing wage laws;
• Assists in other legal matters and performs other duties as assigned.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of real estate, housing development, and redevelopment law
• Knowledge of municipal, state, and federal laws, including regulations and codes affecting California government entities
• Experience working for a public entity or for public entity clients
• Ability to analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form with HACLA officials and staff members in various departments as well as representatives of outside agencies and private corporations
• Experience working with the housing development community, including private developers, lenders, escrow and title companies, trustees, outside counsel, and other government agencies
• Experience with conduit bond transactions and internal agency bond issuances
• Ability to interpret and apply various government codes and regulations
• Ability to multi-task and work independently with limited supervision
• Ability to manage a large volume of work and complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame, as well as handle stressful or sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships both internally within HACLA and externally in the performance of required duties and to act as part of a team to collectively provide the highest level and most beneficial advice for internal clients (staff) of HACLA.

Minimum Requirements:

Graduate of an ABA accredited law school and member in good standing of the California State Bar. A minimum of five (5) years of experience preferably working in the areas of real estate or development/redevelopment law.

Hirings Information

All job offers are contingent upon providing a successful completion of a pre-employment evaluation, which includes: a post-offer medical examination (includes drug and alcohol screening), criminal records check, employment history and education verification, and documentation of the right to work in the United States.

Candidates will start at step one (1) of an eight (8) step salary range unless there are special exceptions in accordance with agency Personnel Rules.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

Testing Accommodations: If you require an accommodation due to a physical, mental or learning disability, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io no less than 72 hours prior to testing date for special assistance. Special testing accommodations may be arranged if verification of the disability is provided by a physician, rehabilitation counselor, or other authority.

Candidates who require a reasonable accommodation in any portion of the selection process should state their need in writing when submitting an application.

NOTE: The provisions of this announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract and any provisions contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice.

We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Pursuant to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' Conflict of Interest Policy, new and existing employees are required to refrain from participating in activities, employment or enterprises, which are in conflict with public interest and/or with his or her duties as an employee of the Authority. A copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy may be obtained by visiting our website at: