Corporate Counsel - Real Estate / Property Leases

About the Role

JD Group North America is seeking an experienced real estate attorney to join our Legal team, supporting sports fashion retail brands including JD Finish Line, Hibbett, DTLR, and Shoe Palace. This role focuses on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial leases and related real estate agreements for over 2,500 retail locations across the United States, its territories, and Canada. The attorney will provide strategic legal advice on lease interpretation, compliance, and risk mitigation while collaborating with internal teams such as real estate, construction, and finance.

Responsibilities

• Draft leases on the organization’s forms to comply with approved letters of intent and negotiate with landlord representatives to finalize new store leases.
• Review and edit leases on landlord forms, negotiating terms to align with approved letters of intent for new and existing stores.
• Draft and negotiate lease amendments on company or landlord forms as requested and approved by real estate/property teams.
• Draft, review, and edit SNDAs (Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment Agreements) and estoppels on tenant, lender, or landlord forms to protect company rights.
• Prioritize the needs of multiple business units and manage workload accordingly.
• Collaborate with lease administration, property management, construction, and real estate departments to interpret lease language, provide counsel, resolve landlord issues, and adhere to company schedules.
• Stay informed of industry trends, regulatory changes, market conditions, and best practices in commercial leasing, incorporating insights into decision-making.
• Communicate relevant changes to internal stakeholders to ensure the company remains strategically positioned.
• Assist the Legal Department with special projects as needed.
• Draft correspondence to address lease-related issues, including defaults, co-tenancy failures, and exclusive violations.
• Protect company assets and financial information by ensuring accuracy of internal control procedures and reporting potential fraud risks.

Requirements

• Law Degree from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in the United States and in good standing.
• 2–4+ years of related experience in real estate law, preferably in the retail sector.
• Strong negotiation skills and attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).

Skills

• Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to present information and respond to questions from managers, clients, and the public.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to perform basic arithmetic operations and apply generally accepted leasing principles.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems with limited standardization and interpret instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Demands

The role requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, typing, handling documents, and verbal communication. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Work Environment

The work environment is typically quiet to moderate, with reasonable accommodations available for individuals with disabilities.