Real Estate Counsel

The Quest Organization
Cleveland, OH

We are seeking a seasoned Real Estate Counsel to support a dynamic pipeline of commercial real estate activity while driving efficiency across legal workflows. This is a high-impact, hybrid role blending hands-on transactional work with legal operations and outside counsel management.


Roughly 50% of the role is dedicated to executing real estate transactions, with the remaining 50% focused on matter management, prioritization, budgeting, and oversight of external legal partners.

This is an ideal opportunity for a business-minded attorney who enjoys staying close to deals while also building structure and scalability within a growing organization.


Responsibilities:


Real Estate Transactions

  • Draft, review, and negotiate agreements across acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, construction (AIA), financing, and property management
  • Support diligence efforts including title, survey, zoning, and environmental review
  • Structure and document transactions involving historic tax credits, Opportunity Zones, and other incentive-based programs
  • Provide practical, business-oriented legal guidance throughout the deal lifecycle
  • Partner cross-functionally with Acquisitions, Development, Asset Management, Accounting, and Operations

Legal Operations & Matter Management

  • Serve as primary liaison to outside counsel; manage performance, budgets, and deliverables
  • Triage legal requests, allocate internal vs. external resources, and oversee matters through resolution
  • Implement and refine legal workflows, tracking systems, and intake processes
  • Monitor legal spend and ensure cost-effective execution

Additional Responsibilities

  • Support adoption of AI and legal tech to improve efficiency and consistency
  • Develop templates, playbooks, and internal documentation
  • Provide guidance on corporate governance, compliance, and regulatory matters


Qualifications:


  • J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school; active bar membership (Ohio preferred)
  • 7+ years of transactional experience (law firm or in-house)
  • Strong background in commercial real estate transactions
  • Experience managing outside counsel and complex legal matters preferred
  • Exposure to tax credit or incentive-based real estate structures is a plus
  • Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical capabilities
  • Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities
  • Business-oriented mindset with sound judgment
  • Comfortable leveraging legal technology and AI tools
  • Effective communicator across legal and non-legal stakeholders

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