Paralegal or Senior Paralegal - Transactions

Working for Equity Residential, a leading multi-family real estate investment trust, means being part of a community and striving to provide the best in apartment living, speaking boldly about new ideas for innovation, and inspiring creativity in the ways we work together. Our portfolio of high-quality properties in urban growth markets – New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles – provides homes where people most want to live, work and play. We've got the best people in the business, and our experience shows in our dedication to our residents and in how much we value each other as colleagues. That’s why our employees say they are proud to work at Equity, a company that gives our residents a place where they can Live Remarkably, and offers a culture where our employees have the opportunity to make their mark.

The Paralegal or Senior Paralegal, Transactions  is responsible for providing transactional legal services to the Investments, Development, Capital Markets, Tax and Legal teams. This role is primarily responsible for supporting attorneys and senior officers in Legal and officers in other departments regarding aspects of the transactions process.  This includes acquisitions, dispositions, developments, financings, leasing and 1031 exchanges.  This position also involves handling various projects and processes for the Legal Department. 

 

WHO YOU ARE:

• Organized, Efficient, Accountable.  You are flexible and able to juggle the needs of changing priorities of the business. You multitask well, re-prioritize accordingly, and meet deadlines consistently.  You have a keen eye for detail and pride yourself on delivering quality work.  
• Motivated. Eager to Learn.  You ask smart questions, challenge the status quo, and regularly seek to understand. You invest extra energy to reach your goals.
• Analytical. You understand the “why” behind the workpapers you are preparing and are able to identify potential issues with the data, as well as potential solutions for how it needs to be corrected.
• Knowledgeable.  You have knowledge of corporate legal concepts from previous work experience.
• Creative. You are an “idea person” and like coming up with smart, innovative solutions.
• Strong Communicator. Your writing and speaking skills are clear and effective, helping you connect well with others.
• Team Player. You enjoy partnering with others, whether internal or external, in order to get work done and deliver great results.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Support an attorney with respect to the transactions and financing processes.  Responsibilities include drafting documents under an attorney’s oversight, monitoring critical dates, reviewing title and survey and other legal diligence and managing applicable closings.  Review, evaluate and analyze issues that arise in connection with the foregoing and works with an attorney or senior officer to resolve;  
• Research and respond to legal or transactional related inquiries from persons in other departments;  
• Responsible for processes in the Legal Department such as property inquiries and evaluations in connection with potential dispositions, financings or redevelopment projects;
• Prepare documents and handle other aspects of internal transfers and restructures of properties and/or entities for the Legal and Tax Departments;
• Review and revise confidentiality agreements and other agreements such as easements while working directly with applicable business persons in corporate or on site under the oversight of an attorney; 
• Directly coordinate and oversee the 1031 transactional process (drafting 1031 documents, coordinating with 1031 company); 
• Support public policy activities by tracking political contribution disclosure regulations, and processing associated filings with state & local agencies; 
• Communicate with and support other departments (Investments, Development, Capital Markets, Tax) as requests and needs arise; and
• Perform other duties and handle other projects as needs arise.

 

REQUIREMENTS:

• 5+ years (Paralegal) or 10+ years (Sr Paralegal) transactional paralegal experience in a law firm or in-house legal department required.
• BA/BS or Paralegal certificate strongly preferred. 
• The position requires a high level of autonomy, excellent issue spotting and judgment skills, a strong working knowledge of real estate transactions, landlord/tenant, land use, and other applicable laws, and a developing understanding of Company’s property management and operational policies and procedures.
• Must be flexible, organized