In-House Counsel - Real Estate

Daniel Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 210,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Daniel Group, a private commercial real estate family office with a diverse portfolio, seeks an experienced General Counsel to serve as in-house legal advisor and strategic partner.

The role oversees acquisitions, leasing, asset management, financing, compliance, risk mitigation, and litigation, aligning legal strategy with long-term investment goals.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school.
• 6+ to 12+ years of legal experience with commercial real estate transactions and leasing.
• Experience with or within a family office, private equity RE, or commercial REIT is preferred.
• Expertise in contract law, real estate law, landlord-tenant matters, and corporate structuring.
• Strong negotiation and drafting abilities; excellent communication.
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and review purchase/sale agreements, JV docs, and related real estate deal docs.
• Oversee lease negotiations (retail, office, industrial), renewals, amendments, and tenant disputes.
• Review mortgage loan documents, refinancing packages, and lender negotiations.
• Maintain entity formation and governance (LLCs, LPs, trusts) and ownership structuring.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations including DOB/HPD and environmental codes.
• Manage outside counsel on tenant disputes, construction claims, buyouts, and contracts.
• Draft/review construction contracts, service/vendor, management, and consultant agreements.
• Advise principals and investment team on legal strategy, risk, and policy.

Skills

Real estate transactions

Leasing

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Corporate structuring

Risk management

Education

J.D. from accredited law school

Job description

IMPORTANT – LOCATION & WORK REQUIREMENTS: This is a full-time, on-site position based in Queens, New York. Applicants must be based in New York State and able to commute to our office in person each workday. This is not a remote role — out-of-state and remote applicants will not be considered.

About the Role:

We are a private, commercial real estate family office with a diverse portfolio of retail, industrial, multifamily, and development assets. We are seeking an experienced and highly proactive General Counsel to serve as our in-house legal advisor and strategic partner. This role will be responsible for overseeing all legal matters related to acquisitions, leasing, asset management, financing, compliance, risk mitigation, and litigation.

The ideal candidate will bring a mix of transactional real estate expertise and practical business judgment, with the ability to operate independently and align legal strategy with our long-term investment goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Transaction Oversight: Draft, negotiate, and review purchase and sale agreements, joint venture documents, and related real estate deal documentation.
• Leasing: Oversee lease negotiations (retail, office, industrial), renewals, amendments, and tenant disputes across portfolio assets.
• Financing: Review and advise on mortgage loan documents, refinancing packages, and lender negotiations.
• Entity & Ownership Structure: Maintain proper entity formation and governance (LLCs, LPs, trusts), and manage ownership structuring across generations.
• Risk & Compliance: Ensure legal compliance across property operations (local, state, and federal regulations including DOB, HPD, and environmental codes).
• Litigation Management: Manage outside counsel on tenant disputes, construction claims, buyouts, and contract enforcement.
• Contract Review: Draft and review construction contracts, service/vendor agreements, management agreements, and consultant arrangements.
• Internal Guidance: Serve as advisor to the principals and investment team on legal strategy, risk, and corporate policy.

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• 6–12+ years of legal experience, including significant exposure to commercial real estate transactions and leasing.
• Prior experience with or within a family office, private equity real estate firm, or commercial REIT is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in contract law, real estate law, landlord-tenant matters, and corporate structuring.
• Skilled negotiator with excellent communication and drafting ability.
• Ability to work autonomously and prioritize in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.

Preferred Traits:

• Deep understanding of NYC or tri-state real estate market (or relevant geographic focus).
• Business-minded, solutions-oriented, and able to protect the firm without over-lawyering.
• Comfortable advising principals and senior executives directly.
• Trustworthy, discreet, and aligned with long-term generational planning.