Associate Counsel- Real Estate

at  The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta AHA

Position Title: Associate Counsel - Real Estate
Department: Office of General Counsel
Reports To: Deputy General Counsel Real Estate
Pay Grade: Q

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Associate Counsel is a vital part of the Atlanta Housing’s (“AH”) in-house legal team devoted to preserving and creating affordable housing resources throughout the city of Atlanta. This legal support facilitates affordable housing resources for nearly 26,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 50,000 people. The incumbent will provide strategic and comprehensive legal advice and support to AH’s ambitious and complex multi-million-dollar real estate development initiatives from the initiation of the development concept through the financial closing. The Associate Counsel will serve as the lead counsel for AH’s mixed-finance, mixed-use, multi-family residential, single-family home and commercial developments, new as well as repositioning, rehabilitation, land acquisition, and related real estate deals and transactions. As a member of the in-house legal team, the Associate Counsel also provides oral and written advice to AH Business Units in matters relating to real estate, contracting, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and other legal matters impacting the business of AH. The Associate Counsel is responsible for and assists in the management and professional leadership development of attorneys and administrative support staff.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, in addition to possessing strong interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative manner with co-workers.
• Must have keen analytical ability, be well organized and exercise the ability to plan, organize, and control various legal matters in an environment of multiple and possibly shifting priorities.
• Strong judgment, legal acumen, analysis and reasoning abilities required in the review of legal documents, filings, or records.
• Must demonstrate a knowledge of or an ability to acquire knowledge of housing laws, and HUD regulations and requirements, in addition to other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to AH’s operations.
• Must be results oriented and able to function in a moderately-paced collegial in-house counsel office.
• Must demonstrate a desire and capability to provide outstanding leadership, coaching, mentoring and teaching of colleagues and co-workers.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Requires a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school and an ideal candidate has at least 8+ years of experience working on complex real estate transactions or other related experience. Candidates with less experience may be considered for other attorney positions in the office. Large law firm, government agency or in-house counsel experience a plus, but not required.
• Requires membership in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.
• Work requires demonstrated leadership performance in positions of increasing responsibility, independent decision-making and judgment, communication and organizational skills.
• The work requires a demonstrated proficiency using AH’s current office technology and software applications and demonstrated use of such technology and applications on a regular basis.

The essential duties and responsibilities of the Associate Counsel include, but are not limited to, the following, as may be assigned by the Deputy General Counsel:

• Prepares legal and transactional documents for mixed-finance real estate closings, conventional real estate closings and other real estate related transactions (e.g., conveyancing documents, purchase and sale agreements, developer agreements, loan documents, contracts, closing statements, restrictive covenants, corporate authority documents, etc.).
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates general business contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and other agreements that are to be entered into by AH.
• Performs due diligence reviews of closing and loan documents, title reports, environmental assessments, surveys, and other documents relating to real estate matters.
• Performs high-level policy and corporate counsel responsibilities related to AH’s governing Board, AH’s affiliates, AH’s Executive Team, other senior executives and AH’s Business Units.
• Provides leadership, mentoring and training to subordinate attorneys, legal assistants and paralegals.
• Performs such other related duties as required and/or assigned.