Deputy General Counsel

Job Title: Deputy General Counsel

Department: Legal

Reports To: Principal and General Counsel

FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary:

The Deputy General Counsel will serve as a senior member of the legal team and a key legal and business advisor to GFO Investments and its affiliated businesses.

The Deputy General Counsel will work closely with the General Counsel, principals, senior executives, and business teams across GFO's diverse real estate, hospitality, financing, and investment platform, with primary responsibility for sophisticated commercial real estate transactions and real estate finance.

The ideal candidate is a highly commercial transactional attorney who is comfortable taking ownership of complex matters, working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, and balancing legal risk with practical business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Real Estate Transactions

• Lead and oversee acquisitions, dispositions, development transactions, joint ventures, and other real estate investments from initial term sheet and due diligence through documentation and closing.
• Draft, review, and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, joint venture and operating agreements, development agreements, easements, declarations, restrictive covenants, access agreements, and other real estate documentation.
• Manage legal due diligence, including title, survey, zoning and land use matters, organizational documents, property-level agreements, and other diligence items.
• Advise business teams regarding transaction structure, risk allocation, closing requirements, and post-closing obligations.

Real Estate Finance

• Structure, negotiate, and document sophisticated borrower-side real estate financing transactions, including acquisition loans, construction loans, mortgage financing, mezzanine financing, preferred equity investments, refinancing transactions, and other debt and equity arrangements.
• Review and negotiate loan agreements, mortgages and deeds of trust, guaranties, assignments, cash management arrangements, deposit account control agreements, intercreditor and subordination arrangements, SNDAs, estoppels, and other financing documents.
• Coordinate transaction closings with lenders, title companies, outside counsel, borrowers, guarantors, investors, and other stakeholders.
• Advise GFO and its affiliates regarding lender requirements, loan covenants, consent rights, ongoing compliance matters, and financing-related risks.

Leasing, Hospitality & Commercial Matters

• Draft and negotiate commercial leases, amendments, license agreements, management agreements, vendor and service agreements, NDAs, consulting agreements, and other commercial contracts.
• Provide legal oversight to GFO's hospitality and food and beverage businesses, including hotel operations, management relationships, commercial contracting, and other operational matters.
• Partner with asset management and operational teams to address legal issues arising during ownership and operation of GFO's real estate and hospitality assets.

Corporate & Strategic Matters

• Advise on entity formation, governance, organizational structuring, and corporate records for GFO and its affiliated businesses.
• Draft and negotiate LLC agreements, governance documents, written consents, resolutions, and other corporate documentation.
• Oversee joint ventures, strategic investments, private lending activities, capital markets matter, and other corporate transactions.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to senior leadership on risk management, contractual obligations, and strategic initiatives.

Construction & Development

• Oversee legal matters relating to real estate development and construction projects.
• Review and negotiate construction, design, architectural, consulting, and development-related agreements as needed.
• Assist with construction claims, liens, development issues, and other project-related matters in coordination with internal stakeholders and outside counsel.
• Prior construction law or development experience is preferred but not required.

Legal Department & Risk Management

• Manage outside counsel on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and other specialized matters, including oversight of scope, strategy, efficiency, and legal spend.
• Assist the General Counsel in developing and maintaining efficient legal processes, templates, policies, and risk-management practices.
• Identify legal and business risks early and develop practical solutions that allow transactions and business initiatives to move forward.
• Handle a broad variety of legal matters as needed in a lean, entrepreneurial legal department.

Qualifications:

• Education: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Bar Admission: Active and in good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. state or jurisdiction. Florida Bar membership is preferred. Candidates who are not members of the Florida Bar must be eligible and willing to obtain appropriate authorization to practice as in-house counsel in Florida, including Authorized House Counsel status, as applicable.
• Experience: Minimum of 8 years of relevant legal experience, preferably gained at a sophisticated law firm, an in-house legal department of a real estate developer, owner, investor, lender, or investment firm, or combination thereof.
• Real Estate: Significant experience negotiating and closing complex commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, development transactions, and leasing.
• Real Estate Finance: Strong experience with sophisticated commercial real estate financing transactions and loan documentation. Meaningful borrower-side finance experience is strongly preferred.
• Transactional Skills: Demonstrated ability to independently negotiate, draft, manage, and close sophisticated transactions involving multiple parties and competing business considerations.
• Business Judgment: Ability to identify material legal risks, understand the underlying business objectives, and provide practical, commercially focused advice.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with principals, senior executives, counterparties, lenders, outside counsel, and internal business teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience representing real estate developers, owners, investors, family offices, private investment firms, or institutional real estate clients.
• Experience with complex borrower-side real estate financing, including construction financing, mortgage loans, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and intercreditor arrangements.
• Experience with joint ventures and sophisticated LLC and operating agreements.
• Experience with hospitality assets, including hotels, restaurants, food and beverage operations, or hospitality management agreements.
• Experience with condominium, mixed-use, multifamily, or other development projects.
• Experience with construction and design agreements, including AIA documentation, construction claims, or lien matters.

Experience working within a privately held entrepreneurial organization or directly advising principals and senior executives.