Senior Counsel

Duties Description

The Battery Park City Authority is a public benefit corporation dedicated to caring for Battery Park City, collaborating with New York City and New York State. The Senior Counsel will join a seven-member legal department and report directly to the General Counsel. This role involves representing the Authority in a major environmental resiliency project and other infrastructure projects within Battery Park City. Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as Ethics Counsel to the Authority.
• Provide ethics advice, review policies, and ensure compliance with ethics laws.
• Work with various departments to develop and implement compliance mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with New York State Freedom of Information Law and New York Public Authorities Law.
• Advise and represent the Authority on real estate, construction, employment, public finance, and litigation matters.
• Provide counsel to and assist in managing the Corporate Governance Committee.
• Negotiate, draft, review, and revise agreements, including ground leases, construction agreements, and consulting agreements.
• Research legal issues and provide recommendations or memoranda.
• Assist in preparing board materials and advising on corporate governance.
• Review compliance of tenants and contractors with lease and contractual requirements and develop enforcement options.
• Supervise outside counsel on litigation matters, including commercial, construction, and employment cases.

Essential Duties

As Ethics Counsel, the Senior Counsel will:

• Provide ethics advice as needed.
• Review and update ethics policies.
• Ensure compliance with ethics law obligations through training, reporting, and other measures.
• Collaborate with various departments to develop and implement compliance mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with New York State Freedom of Information Law and New York Public Authorities Law.
• Support the Corporate Governance Committee.
• Negotiate, draft, review, and revise a wide variety of agreements.
• Research legal issues and provide written and verbal recommendations or memoranda.
• Assist in the preparation of board materials and provide advice on corporate governance.
• Review compliance of tenants and contractors with lease and contractual requirements and develop enforcement options.
• Supervise outside counsel on litigation matters.

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited law school.
• Member in good standing with the New York State Bar.
• A minimum of six (6) or more years of law firm, government, or applicable in-house experience preferred.
• Substantive experience in one or more of the following practice areas is preferred: New York State or City government, significant real estate transactional matters, contracting and procurement, construction, or litigation.

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to interact with high-level executives and stakeholders.
• Independent and simultaneous project management skills.
• Interpretation and effective communication of legal documents.
• Prioritization and responsiveness to a heavy workload.
• Critical writing and analysis skills.
• Negotiation skills.
• Strategic thinking and proactive risk evaluation.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• In-office presence required at least three days per week.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited law school.
• Member in good standing with the New York State Bar.
• A minimum of six (6) or more years of law firm, government, or applicable in-house experience preferred.
• Substantive experience in one or more of the following practice areas is preferred: New York State or City government, significant real estate transactional matters, contracting and procurement, construction, or litigation.

Additional Comments

Battery Park City Authority is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify identity.