SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY - Infrastructure, Major Projects, Public-Private Partnerships & Alternative Delivery

We’re looking for highly motivated, experienced attorneys to join the Infrastructure, Major Projects, Public-Private Partnerships & Alternative Delivery practice at our projects-oriented law firm. Operating outside the “Big Law” model, our collegial and collaborative firm enables our attorneys to gain momentum in their careers through meaningful involvement in innovative infrastructure projects that benefit communities across the United States.

Why consider our firm?

We are a fast-growing national boutique law firm devoted exclusively to helping clients solve problems involving the nation’s most complex and high-profile projects in infrastructure project delivery, real estate, land use, project finance, airports, rail, transit, renewable energy, environmental, conservation, and tribal law. We have a primary, but not exclusive, focus on advising public authorities on public infrastructure projects. In all our work we pride ourselves on complex, collaborative work at the intersection of our core practice areas.

Founded in 2003 to provide an alternative to the “business of law as usual,” our firm’s focus remains on our colleagues as well as our clients. We believe that when you enjoy working with a great team, know that your contributions make a difference, and are able to pursue a fulfilling career without hindering personal life responsibilities and choices, your professional life can and should be more enjoyable and rewarding.

Why consider this position?

You will be joining a growing team which is active on projects across the country. Every day through this work we are leading on progressing, and in some cases creating, innovative models for major project delivery.

We advise on some of the highest profile and most critical infrastructure projects in the nation. Our work includes advising a broad spectrum of clients, including currently for public authorities on multi-billion dollar projects in each of the nation’s three largest metropolitan areas.

You will also be joining a team widely recognized for our work. We are proud to be recognized for both the quality of our work, for example as the only boutique law firm consistently ranked for nationally advisement on public-private partnership projects by Chambers & Partners and through designation of team members as Law360 MVP’s in Project Finance in recent years.

Crucially, we provide opportunities for experienced attorneys to learn and develop while taking on leadership roles as part of leading the team toward future growth. Our attorneys are uniquely positioned to have a significant impact for clients from day one, while also gaining valuable experience and training. We believe each associate should have a path toward partnership, and our collective mentoring approach has resulted in a significant number of internally promoted partners – in 2024, approximately 30% of our partners will have been internally promoted within the past five years.

In this role, you will:

• Advise public and private sector clients on projects nationwide across multiple industry sectors. Recent experience spans surface transportation (e.g. roads, transit and rail, bridges and tunnels, and autonomous vehicles), airports, water, government facilities, transit-oriented and mixed-use development, universities, and renewables.
• Draft and review procurement and construction packages, including those using alternative project delivery methods, such as public-private partnerships (P3), predevelopment agreements (PDAs), traditional and progressive design-build, and other forms of alternative delivery contracting.
• Help create new and innovative project delivery structures tailored to particular performance, funding, environmental, technological, and community considerations.
• Meaningfully interact with clients and counterparties without the burden of artificial hierarchical constraints.

You will be supported by a firm of like-minded attorneys who are passionate and knowledgeable about infrastructure-focused disciplines at a time of unprecedented national attention to infrastructure issues. These are the same issues that the firm was founded less than 20 years ago to advise on and for which the firm continues to be a leading advocate nationally.

You will excel in this role by:

• Having 5 or more years of substantial and relevant transactional experience in infrastructure, transportation, real estate, housing, public procurement, and public and/or private finance matters.
• Demonstrating exceptional drafting, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills and the ability to successfully interact with clients and colleagues.
• Showing academic excellence and leadership, having achieved a law degree from an accredited law school.
• Being admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction (New York, California, Texas, Colorado, or Florida preferred)

You will stand out from other candidates if you:

• Demonstrate a professional and intellectual interest in and commitment to serving a predominantly public-sector client base on infrastructure project delivery.
• Have experience drafting contracts, procurement, and/or financing documents outside the use of form agreements.
• Have experience with various methods of major construction and project delivery procurement and contracting, such as design-build, design-build-operate-maintain, CM/GC, public-private partnerships (P3), progressive and traditional design-build, and/or project-related claims and disputes.
• Have prior law firm experience.
• Have experience advising public sector clients.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage junior attorneys as well as client and counterparty relationships.

Position Details: This is a full-time position to be located in New York, NY, Washington DC, Denver, CO, San Francisco, CA, or possibly Los Angeles, CA. We have an annual expectation of 1,600 billable hours for our associates, and we have incorporated our values into this target by including an unlimited amount of approved pro bono hours when meeting this target. The salary range is $175,000 – $225,000, commensurate with experience. We offer medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, STD, LTD, group term life insurance, 401(k), PTO, and parental leave. The Firm will also cover some public transportation costs.

The Firm is actively committed to fostering the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, disability, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

Please be aware that Kaplan Kirsch requires all employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19. This position will require the successful candidate to show proof that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Kaplan Kirsch is an equal opportunity employer and will engage in the interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation is appropriate to those individuals who are unable to be vaccinated consistent with federal, state, and local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing HR@kaplankirsch.com