Senior Associate Counsel – Real Estate

The Garrett Companies; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Garrett Companies is seeking a Senior Associate Counsel – Real Estate in Indianapolis to lead sophisticated real estate development, acquisitions, financing and corporate matters. You will draft, negotiate, and advise on complex agreements, and mentor junior attorneys within the in-house Legal team.

Reporting to the General Counsel, you will oversee due diligence, advise on regulatory concerns, and coordinate with internal teams, lenders, and outside counsel to drive successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• JD degree from an accredited law school with active bar status.
• 5–8 years in real estate, corporate, or transactional law, in-house or firm.
• Strong background in commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, development, and financing.
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters independently with attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound business judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; collaborative across departments.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate complex real estate and corporate agreements, including purchase and sale, development, construction, operating, JV, and financing documents.
• Manage and support real estate transactions from contract execution through closing, coordinating with internal teams, lenders, investors, and title companies.
• Provide strategic legal counsel on transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters.
• Conduct and oversee due diligence for acquisitions and development projects (title, survey, zoning, environmental, covenants, leases).
• Assist GC in managing outside counsel relationships and legal spend.
• Develop and maintain standard form agreements, templates, and internal playbooks.
• Support Property Management and Asset Management on leases, vendor agreements, compliance, and portfolio concerns.
• Mentor Associate Counsel and contribute to professional growth.
• Identify, evaluate, and mitigate legal risks across the real estate portfolio and business units.

Skills

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Active bar membership

Real estate, corporate, transactional

Contract drafting & negotiation

Independent multi-matter management

Analytical & problem-solving

Written & verbal communication

Cross-department collaboration

Professionalism & discretion

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree

Job description

Major Objectives

The Senior Associate Counsel – Real Estate is an experienced in-house attorney who provides sophisticated legal support across The Garrett Companies' real estate development, acquisitions, financing and corporate operations. This role serves as a senior legal resource within the team, handling complex transactional and advisory matters with a high degree of independence.

Brief Description

The Senior Associate Counsel – Real Estate is an experienced in-house attorney who provides sophisticated legal support across The Garrett Companies' real estate development, acquisitions, financing and corporate operations. This role serves as a senior legal resource within the team, handling complex transactional and advisory matters with a high degree of independence.

The Senior Associate Counsel works closely with the General Counsel and serves as a mentor and resource to Associate Counsel, helping to elevate the overall capabilities and output of the Legal team.

Specific Duties And Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate complex real estate and corporate agreements, including purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, construction contracts, operating agreements, joint venture documents, and financing documents.
• Manage and support real estate transactions from contract execution through closing, coordinating with internal teams, outside counsel, lenders, investors, and title companies.
• Provide strategic legal counsel to business teams on a wide range of transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters.
• Conduct and oversee legal due diligence for acquisitions and development projects, including title review, survey analysis, zoning, and land-use matters, environmental issues, restrictive covenants, organizational documents, leases, contracts, and other property-level matters.
• Assist the General Counsel in managing outside counsel relationships and legal spend.
• Develop and maintain standard form agreements, legal templates, and internal playbooks to improve consistency and efficiency.
• Support the Property Management and Asset Management teams on legal matters involving leases, property operations, vendor agreements, compliance issues, resident-related matters, and other portfolio-level concerns.
• Mentor and support Associate Counsel in the development of their legal skills and professional growth.
• Assist the General Counsel in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating legal risks across the company’s real estate portfolio and business units.
• Stay current on relevant changes in real estate, construction, and corporate law and proactively advise leadership on implications.
• Support the Investments Committee and executive team on deal structuring and new business initiatives as needed.

Prerequisites

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing required.
• Minimum 5–8 years of legal experience in real estate, corporate, or transactional law, with in-house or law firm experience.
• Strong background in commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, development, and financing.
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters independently with strong attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound business judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.

Pre-Prerequisites (these are the most important items)

• Living Our Core Values: Consistently demonstrates and upholds our Core Values in all actions, decisions, and interactions.
• Ownership & Accountability: Takes full responsibility for outcomes and follows through to deliver results.
• Growth Mindset: Seeks feedback, embraces development, and continuously improves.
• Positive & Solution-Oriented: Approaches challenges with a constructive attitude and a focus on solutions.
• Strong Communication: Listens to understand, communicates clearly, and ensures alignment across teams.
• Relentless Problem Solving: Demonstrates urgency, resourcefulness, and persistence in resolving challenges.
• Strategic Thinking & Anticipation: Thinks ahead, proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and next steps.
• Team-First Mentality: Supports the team at all levels, no task is beneath the role. We are all broom-pushers.
• Continuous Improvement: Challenges the status quo and seeks better, more efficient ways to operate.
• Commitment to Excellence: Sets high standards and consistently delivers quality work.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to traverse property and facility.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.

Initial Training and Orientation

• Garrett Companies Onboarding Program in Indianapolis.

Ongoing Training

• Membership to professional organizations and continuing education is supported by The Garrett Companies.
• Company specific.