Assistant General Counsel

Invest Atlanta; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Invest Atlanta seeks an Assistant General Counsel to join the Legal Department of the city’s economic development agency. The role provides legal support for ADA-related entities and advises on programs managed by Invest Atlanta, URFA, DDA, and AURA.

Applicants must have a JD from an ABA‑accredited school, be admitted to the Georgia Bar, and have at least five years’ experience in commercial real estate and business transactions, with knowledge of public finance and local government matters.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.
• Minimum of five (5) years of legal practice with substantial experience in commercial real estate and business transactions, plus experience with local government law and Georgia intergovernmental activities.
• Knowledge of public finance transactions, including conduit financing and housing transactions is ideal.
• Litigation experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice to Invest Atlanta’s departments and component units on legal issues for programs under their administration.
• Direct and implement complex legal strategies under the direction of the General Counsel.
• Independently manage real estate transactions, including acquisition/sale, purchase agreements, land use, leases, easements, mortgages, and construction contracts.
• Conduct project real estate due diligence including title exams, surveys, and environmental/geotechnical reviews.
• Participate in tax-exempt and taxable bond financings, including review and drafting of documents and pre-closing activities.
• Draft and review grant, loan, development, and other contracts and related closing documents.
• Review program guidelines and provide legal advice on best practices.

Skills

Real estate transactions

Contract drafting

Legal research

Government law

Negotiation

Education

Juris Doctorate

State Bar of Georgia

Tools

Microsoft Word

SharePoint/Teams

PowerPoint

Job description

The Assistant General Counsel is a member of the Legal Department of The Atlanta Development Authority d/b/a Invest Atlanta (“Invest Atlanta”), the economic development agency of the City of Atlanta, reports to the General Counsel. This position makes a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the vision and mission of Invest Atlanta (www.investatlanta.com), and provides administrative support for legal matters that originate from Invest Atlanta-related organizations, such as the Urban Residential Finance Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (“URFA”), the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Atlanta (“DDA”), the Atlanta Urban Redevelopment Agency (“AURA”), and various special purpose entities associated with specific programs and projects of Invest Atlanta, URFA, DDA and AURA. The Assistant General Counsel works closely with other members of the Legal Team to implement the vision and mission of ADA.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The following are the core duties and responsibilities for Assistant General Counsel:

• Provide advice to Invest Atlanta’s various departments and component units on legal issues specific to programs under their administration.
• Direct and implement complex legal strategies under the direction of the General Counsel.
• Independently manage real estate transactions, including the acquisition and sale of land and interests in land, negotiating and drafting of purchase and sale agreements, land use & zoning matters, option agreements lease agreements, easements, licenses, mortgage concerns and construction contracts.
• Conduct project real estate due diligence, including title examinations, survey and appraisal reviews, and environmental and geotechnical reviews.
• Participate in tax-exempt and taxable bond financings, including working group meetings, transaction and offering document review, opinion drafting, and pre-closing activities.
• Draft grant agreements, loan agreements, development agreements, contracts, and their related transaction documents, such as commitment letters, due diligence checklists, term sheets and closing documents for Invest Atlanta business activities.
• Review program guidelines, determine best practices from a legal perspective and provide such advice to Invest Atlanta departments.
• Draft confidentiality agreements and other contracts pertinent to business activities.
• Research legal issues and prepare legal opinions, memoranda and correspondence.
• Manage legal aspects major project implementation by business teams.
• Prepare resolutions for adoption by the Boards of Directors of Invest Atlanta, URFA, DDA, AURA and City of Atlanta
• Attend Board meetings of Invest Atlanta, URFA, DDA, AURA and staff meetings and present resolutions or information as needed.
• Attend Meetings of Finance Committee, TAD Committee, Housing Committee and Economic Development Committee and present resolutions or other legal information as needed.
• Manage outside counsel in litigation or claims, including strategy, court appearances, motions, discovery, pleadings, and communication with outside counsel.
• Perform other legal duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Juris Doctorate degree required from an ABA accredited law school. Candidate must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.

An attorney in this position should have a minimum of five (5) years of legal practice with substantial experience in commercial real estate and business transactions, as well as experience with local government law and Georgia intergovernmental activities. Knowledge of public finance transactions, including conduit financing and housing transactions is ideal. Litigation experience is a plus.

Characteristics:

Persons in this position must possess the following characteristics:

• Self-starter and able to work efficiently and independently in a fast-paced business and legal environment, whether in person or in a virtual environment.
• Able to multi-task, problem-solve and bring projects to completion.
• Able to assess and prioritize different critical tasks.
• Able to read, analyze and interpret complex documents. Highly developed written and oral communication skills,
• Excellence in drafting legal documents.
• Attention to detail absolutely necessary.
• Computer proficiency, especially in Microsoft Word, and other Microsoft applications, Excel, SharePoint/Teams, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Knowledgeable and skilled in the use of technology, such as Board Docs and online legal research.
• Possess a reputation for honesty, integrity, and ability to maintain client confidentiality and all other ethical obligations.

Invest Atlanta is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This process includes a pre-employment background investigation that applies to all applicants, employees and contractors of the company. The scope of this inquiry may cover such elements as verification of education, employment history, criminal history, driver’s license history, and reference checks.