Corporate Counsel

Corporate Counsel

Work Location: 601 First Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Position Classification: Full-Time Regular

About This Opportunity

Rockford is seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Corporate Counsel to support the Rockford legal team and team adjacent. In this role, you will be responsible for handling real estate, construction and corporate matters which includes the construction company, development company, and brokerage and property management firm. As a Corporate Counsel, you will also oversee outside counsel on insurance claims, dispute resolution and other specialized business matters as they arise. This position reports directly to the Chief Counsel. The ideal candidate is proactive, communicative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, construction-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Review and identify risks in construction contracts and provide alternate solutions.
• Draft, review, modify, and negotiate construction and design-build agreements and ancillary documents (including subordination agreements, indemnification agreements, assignments, and amendments).
• Draft, review, modify, and negotiate subcontracts, including Master Trade Contractor Agreements.
• Draft, review, and update, as needed, templates and lists of standard edits.
• Support project teams in resolving pre-litigation issues faced during project execution (including drafting and reviewing notices of default and settlement agreements).
• Must be able to negotiate and draft commercial leases with owners and developers.
• Draft and negotiate third party agreements for both real estate and construction related transactions.
• Must be able to perform every step of a commercial real estate transaction, whether it is a sale, purchase, lease, or other arrangement, including site acquisition due diligence (e.g. title, Phase 1 and Phase 2 environment report, zoning and flood reports and other entitlement matters).
• Summarize and present key terms to senior leadership and project teams.
• Work with various departments within the organization, assist with all necessary legal documentation.
• Provide legal planning and strategic analysis to maximize the inter-relationships between all departments.
• Serve as liaison with outside counsel in formal dispute resolution.
• Draft, review, and update corporate documents, including resolutions and policies.
• Review software agreements, service agreements, and NDAs.
• Spearhead the company's efforts to leverage legal technology, including using AI for contract reviews and negotiations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.