Associate Real Estate Counsel

Overview

Are you a business-minded attorney who enjoys solving practical, property-level legal issues in a fast-paced real estate environment? At Cedar Brook Properties, we are seeking an Associate Counsel to support the Real Estate Acquisitions and Asset Operations business, providing practical legal guidance across the lifecycle of residential real estate assets. This role will support Cedar Brook Properties and its affiliates in the acquisition, renovation, ownership, and disposition of residential assets while helping business teams resolve title issues, contractual disputes, ownership challenges, and other legal matters from escalation through resolution.

This role will manage legal matters tied to individual properties and day-to-day operations, including title disputes and defects, evictions and possession matters, consumer lawsuits and claims, vendor disputes, and contract review. The Associate Counsel will collaborate directly with local outside counsel, Cedar Brook and affiliate business teams, and Lakeview Legal to evaluate risk, establish next steps, and drive matters toward timely resolution.

The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of legal experience with exposure to residential real estate transactions, title matters, litigation, ownership disputes, probate-related matters, evictions or possession matters, vendor disputes, and related areas. This person will be highly organized, comfortable managing matters across multiple jurisdictions, and able to translate legal issues into clear, practical recommendations for non-legal business leaders.

Success in this role requires sound legal judgment, disciplined follow-through, effective communication, and the ability to distinguish routine matters from issues requiring escalation. This is a full-time, salaried exempt position eligible for Company benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and paid time off, subject to applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Pay range for the role is $130,000 to $160,000 base salary with annual bonus potential. This position is open to remote candidates located anywhere in the United States. For candidates based in the Dallas metropolitan area, a hybrid arrangement out of our Dallas, TX office is preferred.

Responsibilities

Legal Counsel & Matter Management

• Serve as the primary legal point of contact for day-to-day, property-specific legal matters arising throughout the acquisition, ownership, renovation, and disposition of residential assets.
• Provide practical legal counsel to business stakeholders, independently managing routine property-level matters and escalating material, enterprise-level, regulatory, reputational, or precedent-setting matters to Lakeview Legal, as appropriate.
• Maintain organized records and a centralized tracker of open legal matters, including status, responsible parties, next steps, expected resolution dates, and material exposure.

Real Estate, Litigation & Dispute Management

• Analyze and resolve title defects, liens, ownership disputes, easements, encumbrances, and other issues affecting the Company’s ability to acquire, possess, renovate, finance, market, transfer, or dispose of residential assets.
• Oversee eviction, occupancy, and possession matters across applicable jurisdictions, coordinating with local counsel and business teams to ensure appropriate documentation, deadlines, and resolution strategies.
• Manage consumer lawsuits, claims, demands, and other legal matters involving Company properties or operations.
• Manage vendor and contractor disputes, including matters involving performance, payment, liens, breach of contract, claims, and demands, and advise business leaders on appropriate resolution strategies.

Contracts & Commercial Support

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on vendor agreements, service agreements, settlement agreements, releases, authorizations, and other commercial agreements supporting real estate operations.

Outside Counsel & Internal Partnership

• Partner with local and specialized outside counsel to establish scope and strategy, provide relevant business context and documentation, monitor progress, and drive matters toward timely resolution.
• Serve as a liaison between Cedar Brook and affiliate leadership, Lakeview Legal, and Compliance, ensuring appropriate coordination and escalation of significant legal matters.

Legal Risk & Process Improvement

• Advise business stakeholders on applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements affecting residential property ownership and operations, partnering with Lakeview Legal and Compliance on matters requiring specialized regulatory guidance.
• Identify recurring legal and operational trends across the portfolio and recommend policies, templates, controls, training, or process improvements to mitigate risk and improve operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active license and good standing to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 3+ years of substantive post-J.D. legal experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, real estate organization, financial services organization, or comparable environment.
• Experience advising on real estate, commercial contracts, litigation/disputes, or other matters relevant to residential property operations.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple legal matters, priorities, and deadlines.
• Strong legal research, analytical, drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to assess legal and business risk and provide practical, actionable recommendations to non-legal stakeholders.

Preferred QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with residential real estate acquisitions, dispositions, title matters, liens, ownership disputes, probate-related matters, landlord-tenant/possession matters, creditor rights, or real estate litigation.
• Experience managing matters across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
• Experience managing litigation and other disputes through outside counsel.
• Experience drafting and negotiating vendor, service, settlement, and other commercial agreements.
• In-house experience supporting real estate operations, asset management, acquisitions, or a related business function.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND/OR REGISTRATION

• Active license to practice law and membership in good standing with a state bar in the United States.
• Ability to obtain and maintain any required in-house counsel registration in the applicable state of employment, as required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to operate computers and other office equipment, and communicate effectively in person and by telephone. The employee may occasionally stand, walk, or reach with hands and arms and must regularly lift and/or move up to ten pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level is usually moderate.

EEOC

Cedar Brook Properties (Cedar Brook Property, LLC) is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All aspects of consideration for employment and employment with the Company are governed based on merit, competence, and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

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