Corporate Counsel

About Cousins Properties

Cousins is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Atlanta. Cousins invests in Class A office buildings located in high-growth Sun Belt markets.

Job Summary

The Counsel role provides high-quality legal services within the organization, focusing on operational support across all Cousins markets. The Counsel serves as a legal partner to property management and other internal teams, managing commercial contracts, property-related litigation, and a broad range of legal issues affecting the company's properties and operations.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Serve as a day-to-day legal partner to property management teams across all Cousins markets, providing practical, business-oriented advice on operational matters, including support on all property owner associations.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of office leases (including ancillary leasing documents) and other commercial contracts, including vendor and service agreements, property management agreements, construction and capital project contracts, licensing and access agreements, NDAs, consulting agreements, and other operational agreements supporting the company’s properties and corporate functions.
• Manage property-related litigation and pre-litigation matters, including landlord-tenant disputes, tenant defaults, vendor/contractor disputes, insurance defense, and casualty matters, coordinating with outside counsel as appropriate.
• Advises on insurance, indemnity, and risk-allocation provisions across contracts and disputes, partnering with the company’s risk management function on claims, coverage issues, and loss matters.
• Provides advice and counsel to business partners on legal issues affecting the company’s properties and other areas of the company.
• Contributes to the continuous creation and improvement of legal templates, playbooks, and clause libraries to enhance consistency and efficiency.
• Supports the implementation and optimization of legal technology tools, including contract lifecycle management, matter management, and knowledge management systems.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders and outside counsel as needed on specialized or escalated matters, and assists in managing outside counsel relationships, scope, and budgets.
• Works closely with the General Counsel and Associates General Counsel on operational legal matters, with appropriate escalation of strategic, transactional, or governance matters.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned by the General Counsel.

Qualifications

• Successful Candidate: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school; 4+ years of relevant legal experience, with experience in a corporate legal department preferred;
• Background in commercial contracts, commercial real estate, and/or property-related litigation;
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills;
• Demonstrated ability to translate legal analysis into clear, practical guidance for non-lawyer business partners;
• Sound judgment and the ability to identify, escalate, and manage legal risk in a fast-paced operational environment;
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of matters across multiple markets and stakeholders;
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively across legal, property management, accounting, risk, and other corporate functions;
• and Willingness to travel periodically to Cousins’ markets as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Minimum Required)

• Active license to practice law in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; if not already admitted in Georgia, must obtain admission to the State Bar of Georgia within two (2) years of hire;
• Working knowledge of commercial contract law;
• Familiarity with insurance and indemnification concepts as applied to commercial real estate operations and disputes;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort adopting and optimizing legal technology tools;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships across the organization;
• and Commitment to the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and confidentiality.

Compensation

Cousins Properties offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including base salary, annual bonus eligibility, and a comprehensive benefits program. Cousins is an equal opportunity employer where employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and aptitude. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.