The Senior Real Estate Paralegal plays a key role in supporting the Real Estate Department’s attorneys with (i) commercial real estate matters, following each matter from its inception through the closing and post-closing phases and (ii) NYC/NYS lobbying compliance, working closely with the Firm’s outside compliance counsel.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Closings; Document and Data Production, and Management:
- Provide support for closings, including
- Tracking transaction tasks and phases and communicating progress to deal team as issues and/or items are resolved,
- Preparing and tracking signature pages,
- Managing and controlling execution of closing documents,
- Forming and qualifying business entities, and
- Ordering good standing certificates and certified copies of filed documents relating to business entities.
- Assist in organizing, obtaining, preparing, revising, proofreading, and compiling closing documents.
- Utilize, create, or establish procedures to manage transactions and responsibilities.
- Ensure that corporate service provider and other third-party invoices are timely paid in accordance with the Firm’s policies regarding billing and invoicing.
- Produce and distribute internal and external closing indices and sets; organize and ensure retention of documents and records for completed transactions.
- Responsible for compliance with client-specific document management requirements.
- Follow up on documents submitted for recording and other post-closing matters.
- Utilize Firm document management systems, databases, and other resources to organize and maintain all types of documents and information. Work closely with IS on various data management issues.
Lobbying Compliance:
- Act as a point person for the Department’s lobbying compliance processes, including
- Work closely with and act as a main point of contact for the Firm’s outside compliance counsel,
- Coordinate with the Department’s billing team to ensure compliance counsel timely receives the relevant time and expense reports for NYC/NYS lobbying reports,
- Maintain detailed registry of the Department’s active lobbying matters,
- Assist with lobbying authorization letters,
- Gather materials for random audits and assist clients with the same, and
- Monitor concurrent, time-sensitive lobbying demands with organization and follow-through.
Other Duties:
- Maintain timely and accurate timekeeping records.
- Communicate directly with clients and other third parties.
- Coordinate with paralegal colleagues across the Firm to ensure timely, effective, and efficient service to attorneys and others across the Firm; provide coverage on matters; and develop and maintain processes and procedures.
- Assist in onboarding and training new hires joining the Real Estate Department paralegal team.
- Develop and present trainings to attorneys and business services staff regarding paralegal services.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
Experience: Minimum of 5 years of commercial real estate paralegal experience within a large law firm.
Skills and Abilities:
- Prior experience with NYC/NYS lobbying files preferred but not required.
- Knowledge of title and survey review for commercial properties preferred but not required.
- Must be a Notary Public licensed in New York State or able to obtain a commission within six months of joining the Firm.
- Ability to be resourceful and coordinate all phases of a closing.
- Proactive, analytical, and consultative problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to facilitate effective working relationships with attorneys, title specialist, clients, and support staff.
- Must be able to organize and manage multiple priorities as well as effectively coordinate a heavy work flow.
- Ability to use the Firm’s resources efficiently and effectively.
- Proficiency with various software programs including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PDF software.
- Proficiency with document management systems and online database management.
- Ability to work well in a demanding and fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work well independently as well as effectively within a team.
- Commitment to work overtime, including nights and weekends.