Counsel, Real Estate Debt

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.Make sure to read the full description below, and please apply immediately if you are confident you meet all the requirements.Job DescriptionSummary: We are currently seeking a candidate for the position of Legal Counsel (Real Estate Debt) within our Real Estate Group. The candidate will need to demonstrate a strong background in providing legal advice and transaction support in the commercial real estate lending market including all aspects of structuring and executing CRE credit transactions across Europe.Primary Functions and Essential ResponsibilitiesOverall responsibility for internal legal support for Real Estate Debt & Opportunistic Credit transactions: Supporting deal teams with internal review of term sheets and advising on any legal escalations by outside counsel; assisting with negotiation of legal aspects of term sheets; advising on deal structuring (including with respect to security arrangements and enforcement) together with internal and external tax advisors and outside counsel; supervision of legal aspects of deal execution, management and oversight of outside counsel, internal review of, and advice on, issues lists and long form key transaction documents (including engagement letters, facility agreements, equity commitment letters, and indemnity letters).Back Leverage (i.e., repo and loan on loan arrangements): Internal legal review of issues lists; management and oversight of outside counsel for each back leverage arrangement, and advising on any legal escalations by outside counsel relating thereto; review of key legal documents, including back leverage loan agreement provisions, confirmation statement, Exceptions Report and DDQs when adding assets to a line; assisting with legal negotiation and closing of back leverage arrangements.Asset Management: Organising loan summaries at time of closing with outside counsel including all key terms as well as consent mechanics with back leverage providers; advising deal teams on the above in the case of changes needing to be made to loans and assist with documentation process.Other: Supporting Legal & Compliance colleagues on the identification, management and resolution of areas of house risk, including potential conflict issues, compliance and other regulatory considerations; supporting Legal colleagues on fund / account structuring matters and working with Luxembourg governance colleagues on operational and company secretarial requirements related to investment and fund structures; supporting deal teams on the legal elements / overviews in IC and screening memos particularly in respect of bespoke risks or structuring points, where applicable; interacting with investors and other internal and external stakeholders on general queries relating to existing transactions and portfolios of the Real Estate Debt Group.EducationBA or Master’s Degree and Legal QualificationExperience Required5+ years of experience as a banking / real estate finance lawyer either in a top tier law firm or as in house counselPrior experience in CRE lending is required, with a focus on negotiating transaction documents as well as coordinating closing processesKnowledge of structuring and executing back leverage (i.e., repo or loan on loan) facilities is a plusGeneral RequirementsHigh level of expertise in CRE loan structuring with cross jurisdictional, preferably pan-European experienceExperience negotiating all documentation pertaining to CRE lending including loan agreements, security documentation and all ancillary documentsStrong organisational and time management skillsConfidence to challenge and test outside counsel legal advice, including taking into account internal legal and compliance considerations and house risks / positionsEngage with and collaborate on internal knowledge building and internal legal process and deal execution initiativesDemonstrated track record in successfully managing execution processes under time pressure with a focus on delivering within strict deadlinesMust possess strong integrity and professionalismMust be a self-starter who can function independentlyReporting RelationshipsHead of European Real Estate DebtThere is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. xpwpeyx Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.#J-18808-Ljbffr