Head of Legal

Role Overview

The Head of Legal – Real Estate is responsible for leading and managing all legal matters relating to the company's real estate development, investment, and asset management activities. The role provides strategic legal guidance across the full real estate lifecycle, from land acquisition and development through construction, leasing, financing, and asset disposal. This position plays a critical role in mitigating legal risk, supporting commercial objectives, and ensuring regulatory compliance across all property-related operations.

Key ResponsibilitiesReal Estate & Development Legal Support

• Provide end-to-end legal support for real estate development projects, including land acquisition, planning, design, construction, leasing, and disposal
• Lead legal due diligence for property acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, and development opportunities
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex real estate agreements, including:
• Sale and purchase agreements
• Option agreements and conditional contracts
• Development agreements
• Joint venture and shareholder agreements
• Lease agreements (commercial, retail, residential, and mixed-use)

Planning, Zoning & Regulatory

• Advise on planning, zoning, land use, and permitting requirements
• Liaise with government authorities, municipalities, and regulators on real estate and development matters
• Ensure compliance with real estate, environmental, construction, and land-use regulations
• Monitor regulatory changes impacting property development and asset management

Construction & Project Delivery

• Oversee legal aspects of construction and infrastructure projects
• Draft and negotiate construction-related contracts, including EPC, design-and-build, consultant, and contractor agreements
• Advise on construction risk allocation, delay claims, variations, and defect issues
• Manage disputes arising from construction, development, or land matters

Financing & Investment

• Support real estate financing transactions, including lender negotiations and security documentation
• Advise on investment structures, fund arrangements, and joint venture models
• Coordinate with lenders, investors, and external advisors on financing and capital structuring

Leasing & Asset Management

• Oversee leasing strategy and legal documentation for commercial, retail, industrial, and residential properties
• Advise asset management teams on lease enforcement, renewals, terminations, and tenant disputes
• Support portfolio management and asset optimization initiatives

Corporate Governance & Risk Management

• Identify and manage legal risks associated with real estate transactions and development activities
• Develop and implement internal legal policies, compliance frameworks, and best practices
• Advise senior management and the Board on real estate-related legal and regulatory risks

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the in-house real estate legal team
• Manage and instruct external legal counsel and advisors
• Act as a trusted legal advisor to senior executives, project teams, and commercial stakeholders

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualified lawyer with an active license to practice law
• 10+ years of post-qualification experience, with significant focus on real estate and property law
• Strong experience working with real estate developers, investors, or property-focused organizations
• Proven track record managing large-scale real estate transactions and development projects
• Experience in construction law, planning law, leasing, and real estate finance

Skills & Competencies

• Deep knowledge of real estate, construction, and development law
• Strong commercial and strategic judgment
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills
• Ability to manage complex, multi-party transactions
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• High attention to detail and risk awareness

Job Types: Full-time, Contract