Associate Counsel

The Associate Counsel is responsible for providing in-house corporate counsel and legal services to the company. This person will work on all legal aspects related to commercial financing transactions for residential real estate (including construction and bridge loans), as well as oversee drafting, review and negotiations of loan documents, mortgages and other agreements. This person will also work with outside counsel that specializes in different areas of law, on as needed basis. The ideal candidate will have to be able to work in an entrepreneurial fast paced environment and navigate through corporate legal issues by bringing a wealth of legal knowledge and wisdom to the organization, while legal due diligence, complex real estate business transactions and critical loan agreement drafting will be key areas of responsibility.

The Associate Counsel will report directly to the Counsel in the Legal Department but will also work with the business and credit personnel on a regular basis. This is a great opportunity to join a smart, driven team of professionals!

• Participates in Genesis Capital’s legal and compliance status calls.
• Develops training materials and conducts internal trainings for business teams on legal topics relevant to the business, including legal trends and developing areas of law relating to the company’s business.
• Documents and negotiates vendor agreements.
• Assists with corporate matters.
• Keeps apprised of changes of the law that impact the business of the company.
• Create, modify or customize loan-specific documents and document templates, including but not limited to: Loan Agreements, Notes, Deeds of Trusts, Loan Agreement addendums, pledge agreements, Notices of Default, Non-disclosure agreements, cross-collateralization agreement.
• Communicates and coordinates with Credit team and loan officers on prospective loans and negotiates loan agreements as necessary.
• Provides support to the Legal and Compliance Department in connection with their respective responsibilities.
• Review and interpret borrower documentation, including but not limited to organizational documents, to ensure the company understands entity ownership and management for corporate authority review purposes.
• Assists Document Production team with drafting and preparing loan documentation.

• Ability to research legal and business issues.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Must have a juris doctor (JD) from an ABA accredited law school.
• Strong negotiation skills and solid business instinct and judgment.
• Must be a member in good standing of CA Bar Association and have 2-5 years of relevant experience.
• Outstanding writing, presentation, public speaking & communication skills.
• Experience in drafting, negotiating and managing a wide range of loan transactions.
• Experience working in-house preferred with emphasis on real estate finance.
• Strong collaborative skills, able to build partnerships and alliances internally and with external partners at all levels of the organization.