Staff Attorney

Ascendo Resources; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascendo Resources partners with a diversified real estate organization seeking an experienced Corporate Counsel to support its commercial real estate operations and broader business interests. This role will be heavily focused on commercial leasing, while also providing guidance on contracts, transactions, litigation management, compliance, and legal operations.

The ideal candidate is a practical, business-minded attorney with strong CRE leasing experience who can partner with internal

Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active Florida Bar member in good standing.
• Minimum of 5 years of legal practice experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of commercial real estate leasing experience.
• At least 3 years drafting, reviewing, and negotiating vendor & service agreements.
• Experience developing contract templates and playbooks.
• Strong understanding of commercial real estate transactions and lease negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate leases across retail, office, and other properties.
• Prepare lease amendments, estoppel certificates, SNDA, and related documents.
• Interpret leases and advise on landlord-tenant issues and risk management.
• Draft, review, and negotiate vendor and service agreements.
• Develop contract templates and playbooks; support CLM processes.
• Support litigation matters and coordination with internal teams.
• Advise on regulatory compliance affecting real estate operations.

Skills

J.D.

Florida Bar

5+ years experience

CRE leasing

Vendor & service agreements

Contract templates/playbooks

CRE transactions

Education

ABA-accredited law school

Tools

Ironclad

Yardi

Practical Law

CoCounsel

Job description

We are partnering with a diversified real estate organization seeking experienced Corporate Counsel to support its commercial real estate operations and broader business interests. This role will be heavily focused on commercial leasing, while also providing legal guidance on contracts, transactions, litigation management, compliance, and legal operations.

The ideal candidate is a practical, business-minded attorney with strong commercial real estate experience who can effectively partner with internal stakeholders to identify legal risks, negotiate favorable agreements on the Landlord side, and support strategic business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial real estate leases, including retail, office, industrial, flex, and mixed-use properties.
• Prepare and negotiate lease amendments, guaranties, estoppel certificates, SNDAs, work letters, and related lease documentation.
• Analyze title commitments, surveys, easements, restrictive covenants, zoning regulations, and land-use matters to identify risks and support transactions.
• Advise business teams on lease interpretation, landlord-tenant issues, and risk management strategies.

Contract Negotiation & Corporate Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of commercial agreements, including:
• Service agreements
• Consulting agreements
• Licensing agreements
• Other business-related contracts
• Provide practical legal guidance regarding contractual rights, obligations, and risk mitigation.

Litigation Management

• Support litigation matters by coordinating with OSC.
• Review pleadings, discovery, and legal strategy.
• Assess legal exposure and assist with dispute resolution efforts.
• Manage matters involving commercial real estate disputes, evictions, premises liability, and related claims.

Property Management Support

• Advise property management teams on lease administration and tenant-related matters.
• Assist in resolving tenant disputes and operational legal issues.

Regulatory Compliance

• Provide guidance on federal, state, and local laws affecting real estate operations.
• Monitor and advise on legal and regulatory developments impacting the business.

Legal Operations

• Utilize Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems to manage contracts and reporting.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and legal processes.
• Conduct legal research and support continuous improvements within the legal function.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with the Florida Bar.
• Minimum of 5 years of legal practice experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of commercial real estate leasing experience.
• At least 3 years of experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating vendor and service agreements.
• Experience developing contract templates and playbooks.
• Strong understanding of commercial real estate transactions and lease negotiations.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years of legal practice experience.
• Previous in-house legal experience with a real estate developer, owner/operator, or property management company.
• Experience with legal operations initiatives and process improvements.
• Familiarity with Ironclad, Yardi, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, and CoCounsel.
• Experience with ADA and accessibility compliance matters.
• Prior law review or legal journal experience.
• Experience overseeing and managing litigation matters from an in-house perspective.