Schafer Richardson
General Counsel, Multi-Family & Commercial Real Estate
Schafer Richardson, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55400
Reports to:
President of Schafer RichardsonLocation:
Minneapolis, MNStatus:
Full-time, ExemptSummary:Schafer Richardson, LLC (SR) is a real estate investment company providing development, management, leasing, and construction services to its commercial and multifamily real estate portfolio in the Upper Midwest.The primary focus of the General Counsel is to function as internal legal counsel and provide legal services and advice to SR, its subsidiaries and affiliates on company strategies and their implementation. The General Counsel will participate in corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives, providing senior management and executives with effective advice on company strategies and their implementation. The General Counsel is directly involved in complex business transactions, negotiating critical contracts and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Most work will be completed by the General Counsel and the internal legal department staff, with the understanding that appropriate third-party legal services may be contracted and managed as needed.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:Commercial Leasing and General Real Estate Contracts:
Review, negotiate and draft commercial leases, easements, license agreements, guaranties, management agreements, service agreements, listing agreements, escrow and disbursing agreements, tenant financing waivers, tenant estoppels, subordination agreements, and all other types of real estate related contracts.Property Acquisitions and Sales:
Responsible for coordinating and managing closing of real property acquisitions and sales. Review, negotiate and draft purchase agreements, closing documents, closing statements, title commitment mark-ups and pro-forma title policies. Prepare pre-closing and post-closing acquisition/sale checklists and monitor and assist in timely completion of checklist items. Research zoning compliance as needed. Manage real estate deliverables for debt/equity financings, including title curative efforts and acquisitions and sales.Property Management Legal Support:
Function as a resource for legal questions pertaining to residential (including both LIHTC/affordable housing compliance and market rate residential) and commercial property management. Assist in enforcement and settlement of contract defaults and disputes. Review contracts to determine nature of defaults and remedies of the parties.Construction Group:
Review, negotiate and draft construction contracts and related documents.Corporate Compliance; Board oversight:
Prepare corporate entity documents and agreements; oversee compliance matters and complete corporate record keeping. Serve as Assistant Secretary for various entities and attend Board meetings. Communicate corporate initiatives.Human Resources:
Assist with research and preparation of policies and other employment/employee matters as they arise.Additional Functions:Participates in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures and programs and provides continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and on legal implications of all matters.Serves as key lawyer/legal advisor on all major business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.Judges the merits of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the company, collaborates with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approves settlements of disputes where warranted.Structures and manages the company’s internal legal function and staff.Oversees the selection, retention, management, and evaluation of all outside counsel.Knowledge, Skills, and Other Abilities:Manage Legal department personnel; ability to effectively manage, train staff and delegate appropriately.Retain and manage outside counsel, as necessary.Attend meetings with various internal groups and assist in preparation of agreements.Ability to interface with senior-level business leaders, as well as work independently and collaboratively with all departments within the organization.High degree of professionalism.Exceptional leadership, management, and collaboration skills; highly organized and able to effectively multitask and juggle competing priorities.Ability to effectively communicate and negotiate skillfully at all levels both inside and outside of the organization; ability to build and maintain strong, positive working relationships with organizational leadership team as well as key stakeholders and other interested project parties.Strong problem-solving and creative skills.Ability to be outgoing, straightforward, self-assured, and one who shares information readily, listens actively, and respects the abilities of others.Reliable judgment on when to seek guidance or subject matter expertise.Self-motivated with ability to make independent and sound decisions.Detail oriented with good analytical skills and an ability to advise a diverse range of clients.Ability to think strategically to develop and execute organizational strategy.Computer proficiency is required including a strong working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.High level of integrity and dependability required; operates with sense of urgency while understanding the needs of the organization.Working knowledge of finance, budgeting, and cost control principles.Experience/Education Requirements:Minimum of ten (10) years law firm or a combination of law firm/corporate law experience including exposure to sophisticated corporate/partnership law.Extensive experience in commercial real estate and financing transactions.Experience spearheading and managing multiple real estate and development transactions with little required oversight in a fast-paced, high growth, and dynamic organization.Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Commercial Real Estate, Finance).Law Degree and license to practice.Physical Demands:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to remain in a stationary position, moving about the office to access file cabinets, varying office locations, office machines, and constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery (i.e., computer, copy, fax, and printer). Occasionally positions self to work atop, under or traverse company rooms and/or equipment. The person in this position frequently communicates with staff, vendors, and customers and must be able to exchange and communicate accurate information in these situations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.Travel:
Ability to attend off-site meetings as required.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:Schafer Richardson is committed to equal employment opportunity. Employment decisions are made based on individual skill, ability, reliability, productivity, and other factors. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
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President of Schafer RichardsonLocation:
Minneapolis, MNStatus:
Full-time, ExemptSummary:Schafer Richardson, LLC (SR) is a real estate investment company providing development, management, leasing, and construction services to its commercial and multifamily real estate portfolio in the Upper Midwest.The primary focus of the General Counsel is to function as internal legal counsel and provide legal services and advice to SR, its subsidiaries and affiliates on company strategies and their implementation. The General Counsel will participate in corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives, providing senior management and executives with effective advice on company strategies and their implementation. The General Counsel is directly involved in complex business transactions, negotiating critical contracts and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Most work will be completed by the General Counsel and the internal legal department staff, with the understanding that appropriate third-party legal services may be contracted and managed as needed.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:Commercial Leasing and General Real Estate Contracts:
Review, negotiate and draft commercial leases, easements, license agreements, guaranties, management agreements, service agreements, listing agreements, escrow and disbursing agreements, tenant financing waivers, tenant estoppels, subordination agreements, and all other types of real estate related contracts.Property Acquisitions and Sales:
Responsible for coordinating and managing closing of real property acquisitions and sales. Review, negotiate and draft purchase agreements, closing documents, closing statements, title commitment mark-ups and pro-forma title policies. Prepare pre-closing and post-closing acquisition/sale checklists and monitor and assist in timely completion of checklist items. Research zoning compliance as needed. Manage real estate deliverables for debt/equity financings, including title curative efforts and acquisitions and sales.Property Management Legal Support:
Function as a resource for legal questions pertaining to residential (including both LIHTC/affordable housing compliance and market rate residential) and commercial property management. Assist in enforcement and settlement of contract defaults and disputes. Review contracts to determine nature of defaults and remedies of the parties.Construction Group:
Review, negotiate and draft construction contracts and related documents.Corporate Compliance; Board oversight:
Prepare corporate entity documents and agreements; oversee compliance matters and complete corporate record keeping. Serve as Assistant Secretary for various entities and attend Board meetings. Communicate corporate initiatives.Human Resources:
Assist with research and preparation of policies and other employment/employee matters as they arise.Additional Functions:Participates in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures and programs and provides continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and on legal implications of all matters.Serves as key lawyer/legal advisor on all major business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.Judges the merits of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the company, collaborates with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approves settlements of disputes where warranted.Structures and manages the company’s internal legal function and staff.Oversees the selection, retention, management, and evaluation of all outside counsel.Knowledge, Skills, and Other Abilities:Manage Legal department personnel; ability to effectively manage, train staff and delegate appropriately.Retain and manage outside counsel, as necessary.Attend meetings with various internal groups and assist in preparation of agreements.Ability to interface with senior-level business leaders, as well as work independently and collaboratively with all departments within the organization.High degree of professionalism.Exceptional leadership, management, and collaboration skills; highly organized and able to effectively multitask and juggle competing priorities.Ability to effectively communicate and negotiate skillfully at all levels both inside and outside of the organization; ability to build and maintain strong, positive working relationships with organizational leadership team as well as key stakeholders and other interested project parties.Strong problem-solving and creative skills.Ability to be outgoing, straightforward, self-assured, and one who shares information readily, listens actively, and respects the abilities of others.Reliable judgment on when to seek guidance or subject matter expertise.Self-motivated with ability to make independent and sound decisions.Detail oriented with good analytical skills and an ability to advise a diverse range of clients.Ability to think strategically to develop and execute organizational strategy.Computer proficiency is required including a strong working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.High level of integrity and dependability required; operates with sense of urgency while understanding the needs of the organization.Working knowledge of finance, budgeting, and cost control principles.Experience/Education Requirements:Minimum of ten (10) years law firm or a combination of law firm/corporate law experience including exposure to sophisticated corporate/partnership law.Extensive experience in commercial real estate and financing transactions.Experience spearheading and managing multiple real estate and development transactions with little required oversight in a fast-paced, high growth, and dynamic organization.Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Commercial Real Estate, Finance).Law Degree and license to practice.Physical Demands:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to remain in a stationary position, moving about the office to access file cabinets, varying office locations, office machines, and constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery (i.e., computer, copy, fax, and printer). Occasionally positions self to work atop, under or traverse company rooms and/or equipment. The person in this position frequently communicates with staff, vendors, and customers and must be able to exchange and communicate accurate information in these situations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.Travel:
Ability to attend off-site meetings as required.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:Schafer Richardson is committed to equal employment opportunity. Employment decisions are made based on individual skill, ability, reliability, productivity, and other factors. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
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