Senior Staff Counsel/University Counsel

SUMMARY: 

Auburn University’s Office of General Counsel seeks a Senior Staff Counsel OR University Counsel to engage in a challenging, wide-ranging transactional practice with an emphasis in real estate business transactions and complex commercial agreements. Such legal support may encompass a broad variety of issues related to facilities, real estate, commercial leases, construction and compliance, the acquisition and disposition of property, airport management, and legal issues pertaining to the design, construction, and delivery phases for both new construction and renovations. The Senior Staff/University Counsel may be asked to advise on such transactions as public/private partnerships, hotel operating agreements, strategic financing, construction, and development agreements. The Senior Staff/University Counsel may also act as a lead legal liaison on complex strategic commercial transactions that impact the institution, including agreements related to large scale professional services, housing and food service, apparel endorsements, pouring rights, information technology, revenue generating ventures, intellectual property, trademark licensing, and other general business and transactional matters. The Senior Staff/University Counsel will provide contract negotiation, drafting, strategic planning and client counseling services to University constituents and associated University entities. This person will work closely with all the attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel.

For this position, the Office of the General Counsel seeks an attorney who has substantial sophisticated transactional legal experience, strong drafting and negotiating skills, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. The Senior Staff/University Counsel should have expertise as a corporate transactional/real estate attorney with the attitude of a generalist able to serve and support the institution in any assigned area of legal work. The ability to produce work comparable to that of experienced and sophisticated outside counsel is essential. The Senior Staff/University Counsel should have advanced written communication skills and the ability to create and deliver effective materials and/or presentations appropriate to a particular audience, including university leadership, senior university officials, and university trustees. Also essential to this role are strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; initiative, intellectual curiosity, creativity, strategic common sense, and good judgment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provide high quality, timely, creative, and solution-oriented counsel, including research, writing, advice and advocacy on complex transactional matters.
• Negotiate and prepare legal documents for real estate and other complex commercial transactions.
• Review and interpret proposed state and federal legislation.
• Provide general legal and business advice as assigned by the General Counsel to meet the needs of the University.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the General Counsel.
• Knowledge of case law, legal precedent, and legislation related to higher education and university business and operations.
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & LICENSURE:

Senior Staff Counsel – Requirements
Juris Doctor (J.D.)/Bachelor of Law degree from an accredited law school. And five (5) years of  experience in two or more of the University’s primary areas of legal practice. Special considerations will be given to applicants with experience in higher education law.

University Counsel – Requirements
Juris Doctorate and ten (10) years experience as an attorney at law. Substitutions allowed for Experience: When a candidate has the required education, but lacks the required experience, they may normally apply additional appropriate education toward the experience requirement, at a rate of one (1) year relevant education per year of required experience.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in a university general counsel’s office or advising a university as a client.
• Real estate experience is preferred.