Commercial Real Estate Finance Associate

Leoforce; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Leoforce, a premier law firm in New York, seeks a mid-to-senior associate to handle commercial real estate finance transactions, drafting documents and coordinating closings.

Ideal candidate has 3–6 years of lender-side experience, strong drafting, due diligence, and client communication; open to NY, NJ, CT. Location: New York with hybrid flexibility.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of substantive commercial real estate finance experience.
• Strong preference for lender-side representation.
• Experience at a major law firm or sophisticated real estate practice.
• Strong drafting and reviewing of commercial real estate loan documents.
• Excellent drafting and analytical skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• JD from an accredited law school.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate loan documents.
• Assist with acquisition, bridge, construction, permanent, mezzanine, and other real estate financing transactions.
• Conduct and manage legal due diligence for real estate finance transactions.
• Review title, survey, organizational, environmental, insurance, and other due diligence materials.
• Review opinion letters and other third-party documentation.
• Identify and analyze legal and transactional issues and communicate recommendations to senior attorneys and clients.
• Prepare and manage closing checklists.
• Coordinate closing logistics with clients, lenders, borrowers, title companies, consultants, and other transaction parties.
• Communicate directly with clients and other deal participants throughout the transaction.
• Coordinate with partners, senior attorneys, associates, paralegals, and other members of the deal team.
• Manage multiple workstreams and deadlines within a transaction.
• Take ownership of significant portions of transactions while working collaboratively with the broader team.
• Assist with loan modifications, extensions, workouts, restructurings, and other real estate finance matters as appropriate.

Skills

Real estate finance

Legal drafting

Due diligence

Closing management

Client communication

Team collaboration

Multi-tasking

Lender-side experience

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Location: New York,NY, US

Date Posted: 09-25-2026

Job Description

Experience: Mid Level
Salary: $250,000 - $300,000 per year

Job Details

The ideal candidate will have approximately 3–6 years of substantive commercial real estate finance experience, preferably representing lenders in financing transactions. Candidates should have a strong foundation in loan-document drafting, due diligence, deal management, and closing processes. This is an opportunity to work alongside experienced real estate finance attorneys on sophisticated transactions while taking meaningful ownership of substantive portions of each deal. The position is open to candidates in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate loan documents
• Assist with acquisition, bridge, construction, permanent, mezzanine, and other real estate financing transactions
• Conduct and manage legal due diligence for real estate finance transactions
• Review title, survey, organizational, environmental, insurance, and other due diligence materials
• Review opinion letters and other third-party documentation
• Identify and analyze legal and transactional issues and communicate recommendations to senior attorneys and clients
• Prepare and manage closing checklists
• Coordinate closing logistics with clients, lenders, borrowers, title companies, consultants, and other transaction parties
• Communicate directly with clients and other deal participants throughout the transaction
• Coordinate with partners, senior attorneys, associates, paralegals, and other members of the deal team
• Manage multiple workstreams and deadlines within a transaction
• Take ownership of significant portions of transactions while working collaboratively with the broader team
• Assist with loan modifications, extensions, workouts, restructurings, and other real estate finance matters as appropriate

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of substantive commercial real estate finance experience
• Strong preference for lender-side representation experience
• Experience gained at a major law firm, sophisticated real estate practice, financial institution, or institutional lender preferred
• Strong experience drafting and reviewing commercial real estate loan documents
• Strong understanding of commercial real estate financing transactions
• Experience conducting and managing transactional due diligence
• Excellent legal drafting and analytical skills
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and competing deadlines in a fast-paced transactional environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients and other transaction participants
• Self-starter who is comfortable taking ownership of significant portions of a transaction
• Strong team-oriented approach and ability to collaborate effectively
• J.D. from an accredited law school

A bit about us:

We are a highly respected firm with a sophisticated Real Estate Finance practice representing institutional lenders, financial institutions, investment funds, loan servicers, and other sophisticated market participants in complex commercial real estate transactions.
The practice handles a broad range of commercial real estate financing matters, including acquisition and bridge financing, construction loans, permanent and interim financing, mezzanine loans, portfolio financings, syndicated and co-lending transactions, and other structured real estate finance matters.
The team also advises clients on loan workouts, restructurings, modifications, enforcement matters, and other issues involving distressed or troubled real estate assets. Attorneys work with clients throughout the lifecycle of a loan, from origination and due diligence through closing, servicing, workouts, and enforcement.
The practice is particularly focused on providing practical, business-oriented advice while handling sophisticated transactions. Attorneys work closely with clients and other members of the deal team to identify issues, manage risk, and efficiently move transactions toward closing.
The firm combines the resources and capabilities of a sophisticated national platform with a collaborative, relationship-driven culture. Teams are intentionally structured to allow attorneys to work closely with experienced partners while taking meaningful ownership of their assignments.
For attorneys looking to build a strong career in commercial real estate finance, this is an opportunity to gain substantive lender-side experience, work on sophisticated transactions, and develop both technical and client-facing skills within a supportive environment.

Why join us?

• Sophisticated Real Estate Finance work
• Work on complex commercial real estate financing transactions involving sophisticated institutional clients, financial institutions, investment funds, and other market participants.
• Meaningful deal responsibility
• This is a role where associates are expected to take ownership. Rather than simply supporting a transaction from the sidelines, associates can manage significant portions of deals and become deeply involved in the process from due diligence through closing.
• Strong lender-side experience
• The practice provides substantial exposure to lender-side commercial real estate finance, including loan documentation, diligence, negotiations, closing mechanics, and ongoing financing matters.
• Work directly with clients
• Associates have opportunities to communicate directly with clients and other transaction participants, allowing them to develop not only technical legal skills but also the relationship-management skills necessary to build a long‑term practice.
• Lean, collaborative deal teams
• The team structure provides associates with meaningful access to partners and senior attorneys. Smaller deal teams can mean more hands‑on experience and greater visibility into how sophisticated transactions are structured and negotiated.
• Broad transactional exposure
• Gain experience across acquisition financing, bridge loans, construction financing, permanent financing, mezzanine transactions, portfolio financings, syndications, and other sophisticated real estate finance structures.
• Exposure beyond origination
• The practice also handles loan workouts, restructurings, modifications, enforcement, and distressed real estate matters, providing a broader understanding of the full lifecycle of commercial real estate finance.
• AmLaw resources with a more personal culture
• The firm offers the resources and sophistication of an AmLaw platform while maintaining a collaborative environment where attorneys can work closely with one another and with clients.
• Genuine mentorship
• Professional development is taken seriously. Associates work alongside experienced attorneys who are invested in helping them develop technically, take on greater responsibility, and build their careers.

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