Real Estate Legal Counsel (Bilingual Mandarin)

Vertex Hospitality is seeking a Real Estate Counsel to lead and support all legal aspects of the company’s real estate portfolio. This role will primarily be responsible for structuring, reviewing, and negotiating commercial leases and related agreements, while proactively identifying and mitigating legal and operational risks. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in retail or restaurant leasing and can partner effectively with operations, finance, and franchise stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial leases, amendments, renewals, and terminations
• Lead and support Letters of Intent (LOIs), ensuring alignment with business and financial objectives
• Partner with internal stakeholders to structure favorable lease terms, including rent, CAM, tenant improvement allowances, and use clauses
• Oversee execution of agreements (lease, MSAs, etc) and maintain consistency across multiple brands and locations
• Serve as the primary legal point of contact in negotiations with landlords and their counsel
• Advise on deal structure and risk allocation in lease negotiations
• Support resolution of landlord-tenant disputes, including defaults, notices, and enforcement actions
• Review and advise on a broad range of real estate-related legal documents, including: Guarantees, Estoppels and SNDAs
• Vendor and construction-related agreements
• Identify legal risks and provide proactive, business-oriented solutions to mitigate exposure
• Develop standard templates, clauses, and playbooks to ensure consistency and reduce risk
• Monitor lease compliance and advise on potential defaults or breaches
• Draft and respond to legal notices, including default and cure communications
• Partner with external counsel as needed for escalated disputes or litigation
• Provide clear, practical legal guidance to non-legal stakeholders
• Support new store development and expansion initiatives across multiple brands
• Establish and maintain organized lease documentation and tracking systems
• Create scalable processes to support a growing, multi-brand portfolio
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company standards

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in good standing (or ability to register as in-house counsel)
• 3–7+ years of experience in commercial real estate law (retail/restaurant experience strongly preferred)
• Strong experience negotiating commercial leases and LOIs
• Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal concepts
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Bilingual Mandarin required.