The Legal Assistant supports the Legal Department of a real estate development company with a primary focus on drafting and managing construction contracts (e.g., design, GC/CM, trade, and vendor agreements) and coordinating real estate/financing closings. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and comfortable operating in a high-volume, fast-moving project pipeline.
Responsibilities
Construction Contracting
- Draft, edit, and format construction-related agreements using company templates, including prime agreements (GC/CM), design professional agreements, trade/subcontractor agreements, purchase orders, change orders, and service/vendor agreements.
Closing & Transaction Support
- Coordinate signatures, notarization, and document execution (including e-signature platforms such as DocuSign).
- Draft and coordinate estoppels and SNDAs with tenants and lender’s counsel.
- Order and track title commitments, surveys, zoning letters, and certificates, and coordinate curative deliverables.
- Assist with UCC and lien searches/filings, good standing certificates, and entity documentation.
- Track critical dates; compile closing binders and post-closing deliverables.
Process, Systems, & Collaboration
- Interface with project managers, construction, development, and finance to align legal deliverables with project schedules.
Skills & Competencies
- Drafting precision: Maintains excellent grammar and formatting; integrates negotiated changes cleanly.
- Detail orientation: Tracks dozens of dates, exhibits, and requirements without losing the thread.
- Project management: Uses proactive checklists, follows through, and manages deadlines.
- Stakeholder communication: Uses clear, professional coordination across internal teams and external parties.
- Issue spotting: Flags deviations from templates (insurance limits, indemnity, warranty, lien waivers).
- Confidentiality & judgment: Handles sensitive information with discretion.
Qualifications
- 2+ years as a legal assistant, contracts specialist, or paralegal role, preferably in real estate development or construction.
- Strong experience with contract drafting/formatting.
- Familiarity with title/survey processes, closing checklists, and entity documentation.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word styles/TOC, Excel trackers, Outlook, SharePoint/OneDrive) and e-signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign, Adobe Sign).
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with AIA forms and construction contract structures (lump sum, GMP, cost-plus).
- Notary Public commission (or willingness to obtain).
- Paralegal certificate or associate’s degree
Work Environment
All salary estimates are provided by LinkedIn, not Phoenix. Phoenix is committed to offering a competitive salary based on experience.
