Sr Counsel, Real Estate

About the role

The Knoxville, TN based Senior Counsel serves as a senior legal advisor and strategic leader, responsible for supporting the legal aspects of the company’s real estate portfolio, facility revenue team, dealer program, retail joint ventures and construction team.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate real estate contracts, lease agreements, purchase and sale agreements, easements, and related documents.
• Lead and manage the legal function for real estate (United States and Canada), dealers, construction, environmental, utilities, facility revenue.
• Serve as a strategic partner to senior executives, advising on legal implications of real estate decisions and business strategy.
• Oversee legal risk management related to property use, construction, zoning, environmental compliance, and title issues.
• Direct resolution of high-stakes disputes involving landlord-tenant relationships, dealer relationships, land use, and property rights.
• Develop and implement enterprise-wide policies and procedures for real estate lifecycle management and compliance.
• Lead cross-functional legal support for real estate, construction, facilities, finance, and operations teams.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement within the legal department.
• Provide thought leadership on emerging legal trends and regulatory developments in real estate.
• Build and lead a high-performing team ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Set strategic direction for legal support of business teams.
• Champion collaboration across departments to ensure legal consistency and operational efficiency.
• Support legal team innovation in legal processes and technology adoption to improve service delivery and reduce risk.
• Serve as a role model for ethical conduct, professionalism, and leadership within the organization.
• Participate in executive-level decision-making and contribute to corporate governance as needed.
• Provide support for other areas of the legal department as needed.

Qualifications

• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited college or university, required.
• Licence to practice law in the state of Tennessee or registration with the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners if not licensed in the state of Tennessee.
• Minimum eight (8)+ years prior real estate and/or construction experience working in a law firm or other corporate legal setting is required.
• Strong business acumen.
• Time management and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment while working autonomously.
• Ability to draft, review and interpret complex documents.
• Critical thinking and ability to proactively identify potential problems and mitigate existing issues.
• Legal research capabilities with attention to detail.
• Ability to demonstrate confidence, professionalism and assertiveness in complex and challenging circumstances.
• Ability to think strategically.
• Ability to lead, organize, prioritize, and manage projects and teams effectively.