In-house Legal Counsel - Real Estate
Descrizione dell'offerta
In-house Legal Counsel – Real Estate
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Aegis FSI is a recruiter specialised in the search and selection of professionals and managers in the Finance, Banking and Insurance market. On behalf of an international Real Estate investor we are looking for a senior lawyer with strong expertise in real estate law to support and work under the guidance of the Head of Legal Italy.
The Legal Counsel will provide comprehensive legal assistance across the real estate operations of the company in Italy. The role requires a senior lawyer capable of managing autonomously the legal aspects of property and asset management activities, while also taking part—under the Head of Legal’s direction—in development and transactional projects.
The Legal Counsel will act as a trusted business partner for the Italian teams, ensuring legal compliance, efficiency, and alignment with the strategy and standards defined by the Head of Legal and Group Legal. The position offers exposure to the full legal spectrum of a real estate business—from portfolio management to development and transactions—with a focus on operational excellence and cross‑functional collaboration.
Main Responsibilities
Leasing, Property & Asset Management
- Act as the main legal partner for business teams in the day‑to‑day management of the Italian portfolio, ensuring legal robustness while supporting operational agility.
- Draft, review, and negotiate leases and related documentation (renewals, amendments, terminations, ancillary agreements) in line with legal and commercial standards.
- Manage communications, notices, and contractual matters with tenants, contractors, and consultants, fostering constructive dialogue and effective issue resolution.
- Provide clear, practical guidance to non‑legal stakeholders, balancing risk mitigation with commercial needs and collaborating closely with Leasing, Development, Construction, and Finance teams.
- Support the Head of Legal in ensuring portfolio compliance with internal governance, ESG, and risk‑management requirements.
Corporate Governance, Compliance & Process Management
- Prepare and maintain corporate documentation for Italian SPVs (powers of attorney, shareholder / board resolutions, corporate changes) in coordination with the Head of Legal and Group Legal.
- Support the Head of Legal in overseeing legal matters related to the Italian REIF and liaising with its management company, ensuring compliance with fund governance rules and internal policies.
- Maintain accurate legal records and document management systems in accordance with internal policies and compliance requirements.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of internal legal templates, workflows, and procedures to improve efficiency, standardisation, and risk management.
- Help create clear, user‑friendly legal tools and templates that enable business teams to operate more efficiently and autonomously.
Development Projects & Transactional Advisory
- Draft, review, and negotiate preliminary transactional documents (LOIs, NDAs, offer letters) and project‑related agreements (lease, construction, design, consultancy, service) as assigned by the Head of Legal.
- Coordinate and perform real estate legal due diligence—managing external counsel and providing clear, accurate reporting to the Head of Legal.
- Provide legal support across the full development lifecycle, as well as on acquisitions, disposals, and other strategic transactions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and project timelines.
- Collaborate closely with internal teams to integrate legal input into commercial and operational decision‑making.
Key Criteria
- Qualified Lawyer, admitted to the Italian Bar (esame di stato passed), with 8–10 years of post‑qualification experience (PQE) gained within the real estate practice of a leading law firm and/or in‑house legal department of a real estate company.
- Proven expertise in real estate and construction law, including property and asset management, lease negotiations, and development and construction contracts. Experience in corporate administration and in working with real estate investment funds or regulated fund structures is preferred but not essential.
- Expertise and full autonomy in drafting and negotiating legal documents related to the management of properties and day‑to‑day work (e.g. PoAs, NDAs, LOIs, NBOLs, consultant / client agreements, works / services agreements, lease agreements, agency agreements and related amendments, handover protocols).
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills in both Italian and English.
- Demonstrated autonomy, judgement, and ability to work on multiple projects and to provide pragmatic business‑oriented legal advice across complex and time‑sensitive matters.
- Team player with excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, fostering collaboration across legal, technical and business teams within a structured corporate environment.