Senior Litigation Attorney

fairsteadescllc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 190,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairstead is seeking a Senior Litigation Attorney to join our in-house legal team, managing a broad docket across commercial, corporate, and employment disputes. This hands-on role demands strategic advising and active advocacy in a large operating platform.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years of complex commercial litigation experience, NY bar admission, and the ability to handle first-chair matters in state and federal courts while supervising outside counsel and driving litigation strategy.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active New York bar admission; multi-jurisdiction eligibility preferred.
• At least 15 years of complex commercial and corporate litigation experience.
• Experience serving as first-chair in the New York State Supreme Court (Commercial Division).

Responsibilities

• Oversee all phases of litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings.
• Manage outside counsel and control legal spend.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership on litigation matters.
• Coordinate discovery, e-discovery, and document productions.
• Draft and negotiate contracts to minimize future dispute risk.

Skills

Litigation leadership

Complex commercial litigation

Regulatory and investigations

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Active NY bar admission

Job description

Fairstead is a purpose-driven real estate firm dedicated to building affordable communities across the country. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Colorado, Florida, and Washington DC, Fairstead owns and manages a portfolio of more than 30,000 apartments, including pipeline, across 28 states. As an integrated owner, operator, and innovator, Fairstead brings development, construction, and property management under one unified platform to deliver high-quality affordable housing that serves our residents at scale.

At Fairstead, we believe affordable housing should be thoughtfully designed, professionally managed, and responsibly operated. We seek to create and preserve housing that serves residents while delivering long-term value to communities, partners, and stakeholders.

Fairstead challenges industry norms through our tech-forward, entrepreneurial approach to affordable housing. In addition to core real estate capabilities, we operate innovative service lines designed to improve resident outcomes, strengthen communities, and drive operational efficiency. We embrace digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies, including AI, to build scalable systems that support sustainable growth, grounded in a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, partnership, dedication, and integrity.

Fairstead is seeking a Senior Litigation Attorney to join our in-house legal team. This role will manage a broad and varied docket of commercial, corporate, and employment litigation and dispute resolution matters arising across the firm's businesses. The ideal candidate is a seasoned commercial litigator who has handled complex, high-stakes matters in the New York State Supreme Court (including the Commercial Division), the Delaware Court of Chancery and Superior Court, federal court, and arbitration, and who is equally comfortable running the regulatory, investigative, employment, and routine commercial matters that come with a large operating platform. This is a hands‑on role for someone who can carry many matters at once and serve as both a strategic advisor and an advocate.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee and have primary responsibility for all phases of litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings, including pre-suit strategy, pleadings, discovery, motions practice, hearings, trial, and appeals
• Manage outside counsel on complex matters, including supervising strategy, reviewing work product, and controlling legal spend
• Handle or oversee a wide range of disputes, including:
  • Complex commercial and corporate: contract disputes, business torts and fraud claims, partnership, LLC, and joint venture disputes, breach of fiduciary duty and books-and-records demands, governance and control disputes, advancement and indemnification, lender/borrower and guaranty disputes, and post-closing purchase price, earn-out, and indemnity claims
  • Employment and HR: discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, restrictive covenant, and executive separation matters, including administrative charges and agency proceedings (EEOC, NYSDHR, NYCCHR, DOL)
  • Routine commercial disputes: vendor, supplier, and service provider claims, collections, insurance coverage and tenders, subrogation, and pre-litigation demands and settlements
  • Regulatory, investigative, and administrative: federal, state, and local agency investigations and enforcement proceedings, attorney general inquiries, subpoenas and civil investigative demands, licensing and permitting disputes, audits and examinations, and compliance-related claims
• Respond to government and regulatory inquiries, including managing document productions, witness preparation, internal investigations, and negotiated resolutions with agencies
• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for business teams, HR, compliance, and finance on threatened and pending disputes, and resolve routine matters directly without outside counsel where appropriate
• Work with compliance and business teams to convert regulatory findings and litigation outcomes into policy and process fixes
• Brief senior leadership and board members on material litigation matters
• Manage litigation holds, preservation obligations, and the company's discovery and e‑discovery processes
• Assist with contract drafting and negotiation across business lines to minimize future dispute risk
• Partner with business teams early in transactions, hiring decisions, and project planning to identify and mitigate litigation exposure across the firm's operations
• Help build and refine litigation management systems, including matter tracking, budget forecasting, and reporting

Requirements:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in NY; admission or ability to waive into additional jurisdictions preferred
• 15+ years of complex commercial and corporate litigation experience
• Substantial first-chair or lead-role experience in the New York State Supreme Court (including the Commerc