Counsel, Network Operations & Real Estate

Company Description

At Brightspeed, we are reimagining how people live, work, play and connect by providing fast, reliable internet connections and an awesome customer experience in twenty states throughout the Midwest and South.

Backed by funds managed by Apollo Global Management, our vision is to accelerate the upgrade of copper to fiber optic technologies, bringing faster and more reliable internet service to many rural markets traditionally underserved by broadband providers, while delivering best-in-class customer experience.  

Be a part of the team that will make this vision a reality….designing and building a world class fiber network and creating a customer experience second to none.

Check us out on the web!  

Job Description

Brightspeed is looking for a driven, creative, experienced, and energetic individual to join our legal team and support our Right of Way, Real Estate and Fleet initiatives related to our network and fiber build operations.

The Network Operations and Real Estate Counsel will report directly to the VP, Deputy General Counsel – Centralized Services and will be responsible for legal counsel relating to all Right of Way, Real Estate and Fleet matters of the Company:  with emphasis on negotiating and interpreting easements, municipal franchises, pole attachment agreements, ground leases, railroad crossings, and general real estate matters relating to the maintenance and deployment of our broadband infrastructure. This role will be highly visible and integral to the management of the Company and must be capable of effective communication and coordination with department heads and executives across the Company.

In this role, you will help to further advance strategic goals, address and resolve operational challenges. Constantly immersed in critical, high-level operations, you will collaborate across the Company to creatively solve challenging problems and support our growth and progress particularly with respect to our network facilities and our extensive Fiber Build program to foster sound decision-making within the Company.

This position will be a part-time, exempt position requiring 20 hours per week.

As Network Operations and Real Estate Counsel, you will have the following duties:

• Drafting, negotiating and interpreting a large number of real estate contracts that support the construction and operation of our network, including:
  • Municipal Franchise Agreements
  • Rights of Way (including easements, leases, pole attachments, and rail-road crossings)
  • Building access agreements  
  • Pole attachment agreements
• Interpreting local laws and ordinances and establishing effective communications and strategies with our Government Affairs department for the advancement of our Fiber Build
• Draft and negotiate Purchase and Sale Agreements for real estate acquisitions and sales
• Draft and negotiate commercial leases (primarily complex leases for office space and parking facilities), letters of intent, subleases, amendments, assignments, temporary license agreements, and other related leasing documents
• Provide legal support, as needed, to the Fleet Management team.
• Develop and create policies and procedures for the production and handling of real estate legal documents and information derived from the documents of the Right of Way, Real Estate, and Fleet Management departments
• Other special projects or assignments as required

Qualifications

WHAT IT TAKES TO CATCH OUR EYE:

• Law degree and admittance in good standing with a state bar, preferably North Carolina
• 5+ years of combined legal experience at a law firm and/or in-house position handling real estate matters
• Strongly preferred experience includes prior negotiation of Franchise Agreements, Easements, and other Municipal Rights of Way
• Familiarity with pole attachment regulations and requirements on a federal and state level
• Outstanding communication skills, including written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high activity environment, and able to handle ambiguity, juggle many matters at once and quickly shift from one situation or task to another
• Ability to effectively collaborate cross-functionally across teams with a positive attitude that no job is too big or too small
• Ability to work independently and with minimum supervision

#LI-SS1

Additional Information

WHY JOIN US?

We aspire to contemporary ways of working.

We are committed to being a leader in defining a new way to work because we recognize the changing mindset of today's workforce. We have a brand new, state-of-the-art corporate HQ in Charlotte, NC and o