Corporate Counsel - Real Estate

Rural King; Mattoon (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Associate discounts

Career growth and development

Job summary

Rural King is seeking a Corporate Counsel – Real Estate to guide legal matters for the company’s real estate portfolio, including retail, commercial, industrial, and vacant properties. You will work with the Real Estate & Development teams to manage risk, oversee transactions, and ensure regulatory compliance.

The role requires a J.D. from an ABA‑accredited school and 2–5 years of transaction real estate experience, with Illinois licensure or the ability to obtain it within six months.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from a law school accredited by the ABA.
• 2–5 years’ experience as a transaction commercial real estate attorney preferred.
• Illinois attorney license (or ability to obtain admission within 6 months).
• Strong administrative, managerial, negotiating, writing and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Support and advise on all legal aspects of commercial real estate transactions including purchases, sales, and leases across Retail, Commercial, Industrial, and vacant property.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate documents (purchase/sale agreements, leases, financing, development contracts).
• Coordinate due diligence and closing matters with internal teams and external consultants.
• Oversee compliance, property tax assessments, and multi‑jurisdictional appeals with Senior Counsel – Real Estate and General Counsel.

Skills

Juris Doctorate

Real estate experience

Negotiation

Contract review

Attention to detail

Education

Juris Doctorate

Job description

Overview

Build Your Career with Rural King!

Rural King is seeking a Corporate Counsel – Real Estate to support the legal aspects of real estate transactions across the company’s retail, commercial, industrial, and vacant property portfolio. This role partners with Rural King’s Real Estate & Development teams to provide legal guidance on property acquisitions, financing, leasing, and sales while helping manage risk and support the company’s continued growth.

Related Job Titles

• Corporate Counsel – Real Estate
• Real Estate Attorney
• Real Estate Counsel
• In-House Real Estate Counsel
• Commercial Real Estate Attorney
• Real Estate Legal Counsel
• Corporate Real Estate Attorney
• Real Estate Transactions Attorney
• Property Attorney
• Real Estate Associate Counsel

Responsibilities

What You’ll do

As a Corporate Counsel, you will be ensuring that the company complies with relevant laws and policies. This includes staying abreast of developments, interpreting laws and regulations in the context of the company’s activities, and ensuring that key personnel are in possession of necessary information. This position assists with company legal and regulatory matters and specifically oversees compliance and real estate matters.

• Primarily support and advise the company in all legal aspects of commercial real estate transactions including purchases, sales, and leases for retail, commercial, industrial, and vacant property via various legal structures.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate documents, including purchase and sale agreements, commercial leases (including ground leases), financing agreements, and development contracts.
• Manage and coordinate legal aspects of acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing transactions, including title and survey review, zoning analysis, and closing matters.
• Oversee and coordinate due diligence processes, working closely with internal departments and external consultants (e.g., environmental, survey, zoning, and engineering).
• Support internal departments such as finance, leasing, construction and development, and property management with legal guidance as needed.
• Responsible for verifying all critical portfolio dates: lease commencement date, rent commencement date, possession dates, rent schedules, rent increase dates, option notice dates, expiration dates, etc.
• Coordinate with other internal clients regarding real property tax assessments and assist Senior Counsel – Real Estate and General Counsel to prepare multi-jurisdictional appeals.
• Develop and maintain standardized processes, templates, and form documents for recurring real estate transactions to drive efficiency, consistency, and scalability for the Company.
• Facilitate Section 1031 deferred exchanges and reverse 1031 exchanges.
• Resolve broad range of Company’s expanding legal needs.
• Respond to inquiries from regulatory agencies, customers and the business community as needed.
• Create business legal reports and correspondence, and effectively present information to senior management.
• Assist management on general contracts, third-party agreements and vendor supplier relationships.
• Manage external counsel and general litigation related to real estate matters ensuring alignment with business objectives and cost-effectiveness.
• Prepare and file government reports.
• Review new business relationships with vendors and subcontractors.
• Analyze legal issues relating to proposed ideas.
• Draft broad range of legal documents, including documents needed to form and operate various business entities.
• Provide supervision to outside lawyers hired to assist the Company with their specialized legal services.
• May be required to cross train and perform other duties as assigned.

What We’re Looking For

• Juris Doctorate Degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association
• Minimum of two to five years of experience as a transaction commercial real estate attorney preferred.
• Attorney’s license in Illinois(or ability to obtain admission within 6 months) (Dual license in other states of operation helpful).
• Possession of administrative skills, managerial skills, and negotiating, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• Detail oriented and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of attention to detail in legal document review and analysis.
• Ability to demonstrate strong business judgment, with a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach to legal issues.
• Ability to participate in our online applicant and new hire onboarding process remotely.
• Ability to complete computer-based training.

Qualifications

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds periodically.
• Ability to navigate and access all required facilities.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and electronically.
• Close vision required for computer-related activities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Why Join Rural King?

At Rural King, we believe our people are the foundation of our success. As a family-owned company with a strong history of growth, we provide opportunities to learn, grow, and build a rewarding career.

When you join our team, you'll enjoy:

• Competitive pay
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Associate discounts
• Career growth and advancement opportunities
• Training and professional development
• A collaborative, team-focused work environment

The pay range for this position is $100,000 - $150,000 annualized and is bonus eligible. Exact compensation is determined by factors such as relevant geographic location, education, certifications, experience, job level, shift, and organizational needs. Eligible associates may also receive overtime pay in compliance with applicable laws.