Real Estate Transactions & Finance Associate (Attorney) – Leasing Focused

at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Manatt is seeking a leasing-focused real estate transaction associate with four to five years of experience to join our Real Estate Transactions & Finance practice.

If you are looking to work alongside nationally recognized real estate leaders with diverse practices on national scale deals, have a builder, can-do work ethic, thrive on teams and want to learn from the best in their fields, this might be the right opportunity for you.

Manatt’s unique professional services approach provides a combination of legal services and strategic business services - with a team of lawyers, paralegals, land use planners, and consultants - to meet the needs of our clients. With significant depth and experience across most real estate asset classes and all phases of development projects, we help clients navigate complex matters involving mixed use developments, debt and equity financings, joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions, hospitality, brownfield developments, construction, affordable housing, complex leasing, public/private transactions, and loan restructurings.

Manatt’s Real Estate Transactions & Finance team works collaboratively across offices and practices and engages in a wide range of transactions across our industry sectors, including office, multi-family, hospitality, entertainment, retail, industrial and mixed-use projects, cannabis and CBD and energy/alternative energy. Manatt’s unique professional services approach coupled with our deep industry expertise allows us to build relationships and serve as trusted advisors to our clients and, in turn, perform cutting-edge work to help guide them through a dynamic, ever-evolving legal and business landscape. The team works with clients ranging from institutional owners to entrepreneurial developers to large corporate/technology companies. Our clients include companies such as Meta, Jay Paul, Lowe Enterprises, international hotel companies, LACMA, Dignity Health, the largest national specialty grocer, Accor, and Westfield.

We are looking for candidates with broad experience in real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, retail and ground leasing, financing, construction, development, joint ventures, with experience in hospitality and CC&Rs a plus. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in This includes negotiating and drafting mortgage loan documents and purchase and sale agreements, managing closing checklists and overseeing closing documents, and significant experience with office leasing for large tenants in high-profile, headline-making deals—ideally on the tenant side, though landlord-side experience is also valuable. Additional experience drafting and negotiating commercial leases, joint ventures, construction agreements, CC&Rs, REAs, and easement agreements is a plus.

• 4–5 years of broad transactional real estate experience

• Deep experience in office leasing transactions for major tenants; landlord-side experience a plus

• Excellent writing and communication skills

• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment

• Team-oriented, collaborative mindset

• Strong problem-solving skills and confidence working independently 

• Bar membership in good standing in the jurisdiction in which you plan to practice

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion is one of Manatt’s core values and is fundamental to our organization’s continued progression. We believe a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we live, work and serve enriches Manatt’s culture and enhances our ability to understand our clients’ needs and develop better, more impactful solutions. In collaboration with Firm leadership, our Diversity and Inclusion department drives the Firm’s efforts, engaging our legal, consulting, business, and administrative professionals to create and sustain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. 

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

Join Us

If you want to join a future-thinking, entrepreneurially-minded team of passionate and driven professionals, we strongly encourage you to apply. All candidates must apply through our online application portal (apply here). Required application materials include a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample (two to three pages from your academic or work experience of which you are the sole author).

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

Job Posting Disclaimer

Please be advised that we are currently not accepting agency submissions for this position and will not review or respond to unsolicited submissions.

Salary

The base annual pay range for this role is between $295,000 - $345,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience, location and will also take into account internal equity.  Additional medical, financial and/or other benefits will be offered dependent on the position.