General Counsel

Kidder Mathews has been a leader in the commercial real estate industry for over 56 years, fostering an innovative and dynamic work culture with more than 100 "best workplace" awards. Now the largest fully independent commercial real estate firm in the Western U.S., Kidder Mathews has over 900 professionals across 19 offices in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. We offer a complete range of brokerage, appraisal, asset services, consulting, and debt & equity finance services for all property types. The firm averages $9 billion in transaction volume, manages more than 58 million square feet of space, and conducts 2,400 appraisal, consulting, and cost segregation assignments annually. Join us and find out what makes Kidder Mathews one of the best places to work.

Job Summary

The General Counsel (GC) will provide organizational expertise and assist with legal brokerage document preparation, review, and execution, case planning, development, and management, legal research, interview clients, gather facts and retrieve information, and collect, compile and utilize technical information, to make recommendations to the President of Brokerage, President of Asset Services and Chief Operating Officer. The GC will partner with Kidder Mathews’ third party Counsel on open investigations, respond to legal notices and Services of Process, and monitor and regularly inform senior executives of ongoing issues, as well as work with commercial real estate brokers and agents on transactional documentation and compliance. In addition, the GC will manage all legal data analytics and reporting while developing and implementing the centralized legal process for Kidder Mathews. Currently there are over 500 real estate agents and 500 employees, including appraisers and property managers at Kidder Mathews.  The GC will demonstrate professionalism, attention to detail, and the ability to handle multiple priorities and projects in an organized, efficient manner and support the President of Brokerage with general legal administrative duties and special projects. 

Essential Functions

• Meet with attorneys, internal clients, and other professionals to discuss assigned cases or projects
• Draft legal documents including routine pleadings and motions, affidavits, and interrogatories; may file motions and pleadings according to judicial procedures
• Research and analyze statutes, regulations, legal articles, judicial decisions, and other legal sources for multiple state jurisdictions; provides written analysis to attorneys and internal clients
• Analyze records and disciplinary files and make recommendations to the Kidder Mathews executives as to the disposition of files
• Prepare summaries of depositions and court transcripts and witness testimony
• Partner with Brokerage, Valuation and Asset Services Department on reviewing and preparing legal contractual agreements
• Provide Commercial Real Estate industry legal updates and provide guidance to Brokerage, Valuation and Asset Services Department
• Interview internal clients and witnesses and prepares summaries of their statements
• Prepare, organize, store, and retrieve case files, which may include evidence, exhibits, depositions, pleadings, exhibits, and other items
• Assist attorneys with trial preparation, which may include attending trials and hearings
• Maintain professional working relationships with both internal and external customers
• Partner with brokers and staff to track listing compliance with listing agreements
• Ensure appropriate documents are attached to transactions in listing, comp, and voucher deal phase for compliance
• Conduct advanced audits of listings in proprietary data system and company website ensuring accuracy
• Conduct advanced audits of data managed within Kidder Mathews proprietary databases and file systems

Other Functions

• Perform other duties and projects requested

Essential Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the competencies (minimum knowledge, skill, and ability) required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/certification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Relations, Paralegal Studies or related field or equivalent experience and education preferred
• Paralegal Certificate Required
• Completion of the State Bar validated standard tests

Experience Required

• 15+ years of related experience
• Experience developing legal processes & procedures
• Experience managing legal tracking platforms
• Experience managing multiple legal cases at the same time  

Required Knowledge

• Knowledge of legal language and principles, research methods, court pleadings and processes, and other related matters.
• Knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Knowledge of Principles of legal writing
• Knowledge of attorney client relationships applicable to the performance of major duties and responsibilities of the position.

Skills and Ability

• Must demonstrate good judgement and ability to maintain confidential information.  Must be able to multi-task and prioritize while working with minimum supervision.  Must be very organized and detail-oriented.  Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of firm personnel.
• The ability to multi-task and utilize resources to execute tasks within a deadline-oriented environment
• The ability to work in fast paced, result and task-oriented environments
• High level written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with clients, vendors and internal partners
• Demonstrated sense of urgency, follow-up and attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as being a strong team player
• Demonstrated ability to show initiative and provide resolution and recommendations
• Demonstrated professional telephone etiquette with excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to generate data analytics and create legal metrics  
• Demonstrated professional level of confidentiality in handling legal information
• Ability to prioritize and organize workload to meet daily, weekly and monthly deadlines
• Demonstrated high level of initiative, problem solving and strong trouble shooting skills
• Ability to work outside of normal office hours to meet various deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Windows applications

Work Environment

• This is a standard office environment with standard office noise like talking, office equipment, etc.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee must frequently sit and use a computer for long periods of time.  Specific vision abilities are required to do this job including close vision. The employee must sometimes lift and/or move items up to 10 pounds.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• There are no direct supervisory responsibilities