Assistant General Counsel - Community Development Real Estate Finance, Vice President

Help shape financing that strengthens communities and creates access to affordable and workforce housing. In this role, you will partner with business leaders to structure and execute complex community development and commercial real estate transactions. You will advise on emerging product areas, including transferable tax credits and historic preservation initiatives. Join a collaborative legal team where your judgment and practical approach directly support impactful projects across the United States.

As a Vice President / Assistant General Counsel in Global Lending’s Commercial Real Estate Legal Practice Group, you provide transactional, regulatory, and strategic legal support for our Commercial Community Development Banking businesses. You work closely with bankers, relationship executives, credit, portfolio management, and servicing teams to help us structure, document, and manage commercial real estate finance transactions. You help us identify and mitigate legal and business risks, including reputational and financial crime risk considerations, while supporting strong controls and responsible growth. You bring sound judgment, clear communication, and a collaborative mindset to a fast-moving environment where your work helps communities thrive.

Job responsibilities

• Advise on structuring, originating, servicing, and documenting commercial real estate financing transactions, including affordable and workforce multifamily and commercial lending
• Guide business teams on legal considerations across construction lending, permanent lending, tax credit equity, transferable tax credit finance, portfolio management, servicing, and special credits matters
• Counsel stakeholders on client-related risk topics, including reputational risk, know your customer requirements, and anti-money laundering considerations
• Interpret applicable state and federal laws and regulations and provide practical guidance on their impact to supported businesses
• Execute on regulatory, product, and business initiatives, including support for new products and services
• Draft, update, and maintain standard documentation, forms, and procedures
• Manage relationships with external counsel, including engagement scope and work quality
• Deliver training to bankers and cross-functional partners on legal topics and key process updates
• Escalate issues appropriately within the legal department and partner with risk, controls, and compliance on operational risk and control matters

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• 5 years of experience in a law firm and/or in-house legal department
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements related to commercial real estate finance
• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously and prioritize effectively in a fast-moving, technology-driven environment
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and verbally with senior stakeholders
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships with internal partners, the broader legal department, and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to support a collaborative, team-oriented culture
• Licensed to practice law and a member in good standing in New York, Illinois, or Texas, or otherwise eligible to practice law in the jurisdiction where the role is based
• Ability to successfully complete a conflicts of interest clearance review prior to employment start

Preferred qualifications, capabilities and skills

• 8 years of experience in commercial real estate finance
• Experience financing affordable or workforce housing and/or tax credit investments (for example, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, or Energy Tax Credits) and/or community development financial institution lending
• Demonstrated strategic problem solving and project management skills
• Experience contributing to team initiatives that support growth and continuous learning
• Interest in emerging technology solutions and applications, including a baseline understanding of artificial intelligence concepts

All candidates for roles in the Legal department must be licensed to practice law in the country of employment and successfully complete a conflicts of interest clearance review prior to commencement of employment. Attorney must be licensed to practice law and a member in good standing in the state/jurisdiction in which the position is based or otherwise in compliance with the in-house counsel registration rules of that state/jurisdiction. 

Base Pay/Salary: Chicago,IL $183,350.00-$242,000.00; New York,NY $199,500.00-$275,000.00; Plano,TX $183,350.00-$242,000.00