General Counsel

Beverly Hills, California · Full-Time · Reports to the Managing Partner

Employer: Max Benjamin Partners, Inc. and Hybridge Capital Management (joint appointment)

Location: 8447 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills — in office, five days

Base Salary: $245,000 – $350,000, plus annual bonus and deal participation

The Firm

Max Benjamin Partners is a boutique real estate investment bank based in Beverly Hills. We provide capital solutions to real estate developers and investors and have participated in more than $4 billion of debt and equity across 500+ transactions, drawing on a network of over 5,000 debt and equity sources nationwide. Hybridge Capital Management is our affiliated private equity platform, with more than $180 million in assets under management invested in resort and hospitality development, value-add multifamily, and distressed and special-situation real estate.

We are a principal-led firm. Our approach is simple: strong relationships, intuitive solutions, and results. Integrity and the relentless pursuit of excellence are the basis of how we operate, and we do not settle for standard.

The Role

We are hiring our first General Counsel. The General Counsel will be the senior legal officer for both MBP and HCM and will take full ownership of the firms' legal affairs, with litigation as the first priority. That means every dispute the firms face, whether it involves a real estate asset, a joint venture partner, a lender, a contractor, an employee, or a counterparty, lands on this person's desk. The General Counsel will decide how each matter is handled, run it directly or through outside counsel, and be accountable for the result and the cost.

Beyond litigation, the General Counsel will support transactions, keep the firms' entities and investment vehicles in order, advise on employment matters under California law, and sit with the Managing Partner on decisions that carry legal or reputational risk. This is a hands on position at a firm with no legal department. The right person is comfortable being the only lawyer in the building and is used to giving clear answers quickly.

Responsibilities

Litigation and Disputes

• Own all litigation, arbitration, mediation, and pre-litigation disputes for MBP, HCM, their investment vehicles, and their portfolio assets. Matters include partnership and joint venture disputes, real estate and construction claims, lender and loan-document disputes, landlord-tenant, HOA, and commercial contract matters.
• Set strategy, assess exposure, and drive matters to resolution. Handle demand letters, default and cure notices, and settlement negotiations directly where appropriate.
• Select, engage, and manage outside counsel. Set budgets, hold firms to them, and report to the Managing Partner on status, exposure, and reserves.

Real Estate and Transactions

• Draft and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, joint venture and operating agreements, preferred equity documents, loan documents, guaranties, intercreditor agreements, ground leases, and hotel management and franchise agreements.
• Run legal due diligence on acquisitions and financings, including title, survey, entitlement, and environmental review.
• Prepare and maintain subscription documents, side letters, and investor-facing materials for the firms' investment vehicles.

Employment

• Advise on hiring, compensation structures, classification, wage-and-hour compliance, workplace policies, investigations, and separations under California and federal law.
• Draft offer letters, employment and contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements, and the employee handbook. Handle any employment claims or agency matters.

Corporate, Compliance, and Insurance

• Maintain the firms' entity structure, governance records, resolutions, and filings.
• Advise on securities and investment adviser questions that arise in capital raising and fund operations, including private placement exemptions and related‑party and conflict-of-interest matters.
• Manage the firms' insurance program (D&O, E&O, general liability, property) and coordinate claims.

Claims

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active member in good standing of the State Bar of California.
• Ten or more years of practice, including meaningful time at a top law firm. In-house experience at a real estate, private equity, development, or hospitality company is a plus.
• Lead‑attorney experience running complex commercial and real estate litigation through trial, arbitration, or settlement. This is the core requirement.
• Real transactional experience in commercial real estate: acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint ventures, and entity structuring.
• Working knowledge of California employment law.
• A track record of managing outside counsel efficiently and controlling legal spend.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills, sound judgment, and the discretion the role requires.
• Preferred: fund formation and private placement experience; familiarity with hospitality and multifamily operations; prior experience as the sole or first in-house lawyer at a growing firm.

Compensation

Base Salary

$245,000 – $350,000, depending on experience

Annual Bonus

Discretionary; target 25% – 40% of base, tied to outcomes on litigation, cost control, and firm performance