Commercial Real Estate Counsel

About the Role

Do you enjoy leading complex commercial real estate transactions from negotiation through execution? Are you a business-minded attorney who can balance legal risk with practical commercial objectives? Would you be energized by partnering with business leaders, managing a significant real estate portfolio, and helping shape the future of a national firm's real estate oversight function? If so, we'd love to talk with you.

At Edward Jones, our Legal Division serves as a trusted advisor to the business, helping the firm navigate opportunities and risks while supporting strategic growth. Within the Legal Division, the Commercial Transactions team provides legal counsel and transaction support across a variety of real estate and commercial matters critical to the firm's operations.

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Real Estate Counsel with significant commercial leasing experience to join our team. In this role, you will serve as the primary legal resource supporting the firm's Branch Real Estate function, leading selected lease negotiations for our Branch Real Estate group, overseeing outside counsel, advising on landlord-tenant matters, and providing practical legal guidance that enables business objectives while managing risk. This is an opportunity to work closely with stakeholders across the organization while helping drive the continued evolution and effectiveness of Edward Jones' branch real estate portfolio and transaction management practices.

Responsibilities

As the lead legal resource for Branch Real Estate transactions, you will:

• Manage and oversee selected office/retail lease negotiations across the US and Canada from initiation through execution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for day-to-day interactions with our Branch Real Estate team on leasing and other real estate matters.
• Direct legal strategy and ensure consistency in lease negotiations, documentation, and risk management approaches.
• Supervise outside counsel's work to review, draft, and negotiate office/retail branch leases.
• Provide practical, business-focused legal advice that balances legal risk, operational considerations, and commercial objectives.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders and, when needed, outside counsel throughout the transaction lifecycle to drive efficient execution and alignment.
• Advise, and when needed supervise outside counsel, on landlord-tenant disputes, lease administration, and similar matters escalated from the Branch Real Estate team.
• Identify and escalate legal risks while recommending solutions that support business needs.
• Oversee transaction progress and help ensure timely completion of high-volume real estate matters.

In addition, depending on business needs and transaction volume, you may:

• Support facilities-related legal work for Edward Jones-owned and leased properties.
• Directly handle real estate transactions or other matters in-house, rather than supervising outside counsel.
• Help develop and standardize leasing processes, negotiation playbooks, and outside counsel management practices.
• Contribute to efforts that improve operational efficiency through technology and innovative legal solutions, including artificial intelligence-enabled tools.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate and licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri or another state.
• At least 4-8 years of experience as a real estate transactional attorney.
• Ability to work independently while managing a high volume of transactions.
• Exceptional legal knowledge, judgment, work ethic, and integrity.

Skills

• Significant experience negotiating, drafting, and advising on administration of commercial leases in a sophisticated law firm or corporate legal department environment.
• Proven ability to independently manage a high volume of office/retail lease negotiations from signed LOI through execution-ready final form.
• Strong project management and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective partnerships across legal and business teams.
• Sound business judgment and experience balancing legal risk with commercial and operational objectives.
• Experience managing outside counsel and driving consistency in transaction strategy, documentation, and risk management.
• Technological aptitude with the ability to learn and leverage new tools, including artificial intelligence, to enhance legal service delivery.

Schedule

Candidates that live within a commutable distance from our Tempe, AZ and St. Louis, MO home office locations are expected to work in the office four days per week.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.