Principal, Counsel, Digital Infrastructure

About the role

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry. Ares is seeking a Principal to join the Digital Infrastructure Legal team. The Principal will serve as a senior member of the Legal team, providing strategic legal advice in connection with Ares’ Digital Infrastructure business, with a focus on our revenue, product, and marketing teams. This position will play a crucial role in negotiating leases and other revenue generating agreements, ensuring compliance with regulations, managing contractual agreements, and mitigating legal risks associated with our business operations.

Responsibilities

• Providing expert legal advice and guidance to the revenue, product, and marketing teams on a wide range of matters, including contract negotiations, lease agreements, joint ventures, intellectual property rights, advertising and marketing regulations, and data privacy laws.
• Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating various commercial agreements, including sales contracts, licensing agreements, service level agreements, partnership agreements, and lease agreements.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop and implement legal strategies that support business objectives while minimizing legal risks.
• Conducting legal research and analysis on relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards to keep abreast of changes and developments that may impact the company's operations.
• Advising on product development and marketing initiatives.
• Managing and overseeing litigation matters related to sales, product, marketing, and real estate activities, including disputes with customers, vendors, landlords, and regulatory authorities.
• Assisting in the development and implementation of corporate policies and procedures related to sales, product, and marketing activities to promote legal compliance and risk management.
• Developing and providing training and education to internal stakeholders on legal issues relevant to sales, product development, and marketing activities.
• Engaging and managing external legal counsel and consultants, driving efficient execution, cost management and consistency of legal approach across transactions.
• Supporting corporate governance initiatives and compliance programs to maintain the company's integrity and reputation in the marketplace.
• Advising on legal and structural considerations specific to asset managers and alternative investment platforms, including issues relating to fund structures, management companies, carried interest arrangements, co-investments and strategic partnerships.
• Partnering with senior stakeholders on new initiatives, such as expansion into new geographies; driving best practices, including developing scalable processes, playbooks and precedent documentation to support an active Digital Infrastructure pipeline.

Requirements

• Education: JD required with a strong academic background.
• Experience: 10+ years of strong technical and analytical capabilities, a sharp intellect and sound judgment, with demonstrated experience navigating complex legal and business issues in a fast-paced environment.
• High degree of personal integrity, accountability and professionalism, and a client-focused mindset with a commitment to developing practical, creative solutions.
• Data Center industry experience.
• Strong understanding of sales, product, and marketing processes.
• Proven track record of successfully negotiating and drafting complex commercial agreements.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to move fast and take smart risk.
• Demonstrated success as a growth-minded, authentic, service-oriented leader capable of motivating and guiding teams in an entrepreneurial environment.
• High