The Real Estate Counsel, Transactions & Legal Operations will support GBX Group by providing legal guidance across a wide range of commercial real estate transactions and by serving as the primary manager of outside counsel and legal matters. This is a hybrid role, with approximately 50% of time spent directly supporting real estate transactions and 50% of time spent on matter management, including intake, prioritization, internal resourcing, budgeting, and oversight of outside counsel.

This high trust position is ideal for a seasoned real estate transactional attorney who enjoys remaining hands-on with deals while also bringing structure, judgment, and efficiency to legal workflows. The Real Estate Counsel, Transactions & Legal Operations will work closely with internal business partners across Acquisitions, Development, Asset Management, Accounting, and Operations, and will act as a key liaison between the business and external law firms.

GBX Group is an innovative, entrepreneurial organization. Working with our investors, we are dedicated to the revitalization of historic real estate properties in some of the greatest cities in the US. Our culture is unique and very important to us. We challenge one another, work hard, and truly enjoy how our work makes a difference to people in the communities we serve. We are looking for someone who is smart, driven and passionate about being part of a team that makes a real impact to join GBX as our Real Estate Counsel, Transactions & Legal Operations.

Real Estate Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements – leveraging AI tools to enhance accuracy and efficiency – supporting real estate acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, construction (including AIA documents), property management, and financing transactions.
• Support title and survey review, zoning and land‑use diligence, environmental review coordination, and general real estate due diligence.
• Prepare summaries of leases, operating agreements, loan documents, and other materials using AI tools to support transaction execution and decision‑making.
• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements for cross‑functional partners across Consulting, Information Technology, Accounting, Valuation, Acquisitions, and other internal teams.
• Assist with legal structuring and documentation related to federal and state historic tax credits, Opportunity Zone investments, and other incentive‑based or public‑private financing structures.
• Provide practical, business focused legal advice to internal stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of a transaction.
• Step in directly to support active deals as needed based on volume, complexity, or timing.

Matter Management & Outside Counsel Oversight

• Serve as the primary point of contact for outside counsel across real estate and related legal matters.
• Evaluate incoming legal requests, assess scope and complexity, and determine whether matters should be handled internally or referred to outside counsel.
• Manage legal matters from intake through resolution, including prioritization, resourcing, timelines, and communication with internal stakeholders.
• Oversee outside counsel performance, ensuring work product aligns with business objectives, turnaround times are reasonable, and costs are effectively managed.
• Review budgets, invoices, and fee arrangements for outside counsel and provide guidance on cost effective legal strategies.
• Balance internal capacity, expertise, and urgency to match legal demand with appropriate resources.
• Help design, refine, and manage legal workflows, ticketing systems, and matter tracking processes to support scalability and visibility.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support legal operations initiatives, including the use of AI and technology to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements for cross functional partners across Consulting, Information Technology, Accounting, Valuation, Acquisitions, and other internal teams.
• Conduct legal research and provide recommendations on corporate governance, compliance, privacy, and regulatory matters as needed.
• Assist in developing and maintaining legal templates, playbooks, and process documentation.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify legal risk, propose solutions, and support company goals.  

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited U.S. law school required.
• Admission to the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction required; Licensed to practice law in Ohio.
• 7+ years of transactional legal experience in a law firm or in‑house legal department.
• MBA or accounting related degree is a plus.
• Experience with real estate transactions required; experience with tax credit or incentive‑based real estate is a plus.
• Experience managing outside counsel and complex legal matters in a law firm or in-house environment strongly preferred.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below are the requirements needed to be proficient in this role.

• Demonstrate behaviors consistent with the organization’s Cultural Norms and Core Values.
• Strong drafting, analytical, problem‑solving, and negotiating skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively on cross‑functional teams and take direction when appropriate.
• Strong initiative and ability to identify issues proactively and propose constructive solutions.
• Commitment to continuous learning, including adoption and use of legal technology tools.
• Ability to provide timely, practical legal guidance consistent with sound business practices.
• Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on legal work with strategic oversight and prioritization.
• Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and familiarity with accepted business language.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, etc.).
• Experience with legal research platforms such as Westlaw, Practical Law, or Bloomberg Law.
• Willingness and ability to learn Legisway, Smartsheet, Power BI, Zoho, and other emerging software tools.
• Ability to leverage AI platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot) to streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and drive innovation through automation and data-driven insights.

GBX provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. GBX hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

For questions or to submit your resume, please email Chelsea, People Operations Manager at: cnewman@gbxgroup.com