In-House Counsel - Real Estate Group

About the role

A senior lawyer is sought to establish and develop an in-house legal function within a growing real estate group. Reporting directly to the CEO and CFO, the role provides commercially focused legal advice on property, leasing, agency compliance, disputes, regulatory matters, employment issues and strategic transactions. It suits an experienced lawyer who works autonomously and takes ownership of a broad practice.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal and strategic advice to executives, sales teams, property managers and other business units
• Manage disputes involving vendors, purchasers, landlords, tenants, owners corporations, agents and other stakeholders
• Draft, review and negotiate agency agreements, property management agreements, rent roll sale agreements, employment and contractor agreements, deeds, NDAs and other commercial documents
• Manage external legal advisers and identify, assess and mitigate legal and regulatory risk
• Support acquisitions, office expansions and growth initiatives, and assist with governance, compliance and risk management projects

Required profile

• Australian Practising Certificate with Condition 2 removed for unsupervised practice
• Minimum 6 years' post-qualification experience
• Prior in-house experience, or experience acting for real estate agencies, property managers or developers (highly regarded)
• Experience advising on residential and commercial property transactions, acquisitions and disposals

Required skills

• Property law, commercial leasing, litigation and dispute resolution
• Knowledge of the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (NSW) and the Property Occupations Act 2014 (QLD) highly desirable
• Experience with regulatory bodies such as the NSW Office of Fair Trading
• Understanding of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) and tenancy legislation
• Experience conducting litigation, tribunal proceedings and disputes, including before NCAT