Assistant General Counsel I - South

About the role

The Assistant General Counsel I provides legal support to the U.S. renewable energy business team (wind, solar, and battery) in connection with the development and construction of projects in certain areas of the United States, as determined by management.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive, business-oriented counsel from initial site control until commercial operations for each project.
• Provide legal advice associated with real estate and permitting aspects of renewables development, including the drafting, negotiation, and management of a wide variety of real estate documents required for the development and construction of renewable energy projects.
• Oversight and performance of due diligence analyses and curative efforts related to project development, including review of title and survey documents, negotiation of curative instruments with third parties, and negotiation of title insurance solutions and policy forms with title insurance companies.
• Oversight of the discretionary local and state zoning processes for renewable development project, requiring proactive coordination of internal teams, outside counsel, consultants, and community stakeholders.
• Manage a high volume of work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Proactively resolve real estate and permitting challenges by identifying practical, risk-mitigating solutions rather than merely escalating issues.
• Coordinate closely with engineering, development, procurement, and transmission teams to align project milestones, attending regular project meetings and providing updates on real estate and permitting risks.
• Negotiate various real estate documents (including site control agreements, permit documents, and title curative instruments), analyze counterparties' positions related thereto, and develop pragmatic resolutions that balance business needs with risk management.
• Facilitate the purchase of property for renewable project assets like substations, BESS sites, and O&M buildings.
• Manage relationships with title companies and surveyors to secure pro forma title commitments and survey deliverables on schedule, oversee comprehensive review of title commitments and ALTA project surveys to determine obstacles to construction and recommend curative actions to facilitate development.
• Work with third-party utilities, banks, and other parties to secure necessary crossing agreements, SNDAs, or other curative items.
• Support development team in identifying scope of permitting approvals required or advisable for each project, ensuring timely acquisition of all required permits to support development, construction, and operation of renewable projects across multiple jurisdictions.
• Collaborate with external counsel and permitting consultants to identify permitting needs and support the development team in securing approvals.
• Work closely with legal and business leadership to identify, understand, and resolve risks in connection with the company's long-term plan for the project, supporting the business in readying the project for construction, financing, or divestment.
• Ensure projects are ready for divestment or tax equity investor involvement, working with the M&A or structured finance teams to answer diligence questions, create datarooms, and provide inputs to transaction documents and disclosure schedules.
• Provide legal support for the North American renewable energy business team (BESS, wind & solar) in connection with the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects in the United States.

Requirements and Experience

• J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree from a U.S. university.
• Admission to a state bar in the United States.
• Minimum 6 years experience as a real estate lawyer in the renewable space, other energy, or large-scale infrastructure.
• Specific legal knowledge and experience in BESS, solar and wind permitting and real estate matters, and familiarity with the nexus of various other aspects of renewables development with real estate legal issues, such as energy transmission, interconnection agreements, tax abatement agreements.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal teams, external counsel, title companies, surveyors, utilities, and counterparties.
• Highly organized, with the ability to coordinate multiple projects, manage competing priorities, and ensure timely achievement of critical real estate and permitting milestones.
• Adaptable and effective in rapidly changing environments.
• Demonstrated desire to learn about the Company.
• Goal-oriented, and resourceful, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify practical solutions to complex real estate and permitting challenges.
• Proven ability to empathize, build relationships, and effectively communicate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds.