General Counsel

The General Counsel provides legal advice and counsel to the President and CEO, BPCA staff, and Board regarding corporate affairs of BPCA. He/she oversees the negotiation of various business and legal agreements, including vendor agreements, lease documents, and agreements with government or other third parties working closely with other Departments.  Additionally, he/she advises the President and CEO, BPCA staff, and Board Members on various policy and compliance matters relating primarily to existing contracts, real estate, employment, and other issues relating to the affairs of the Authority.  Demonstrates the highest standard of ethical behavior, provides support to staff across the organization to facilitate the work of the Authority, and is a problem solver.     

Essential Duties:

General Legal Counsel and Management

•    Provide expert and strategic legal advice to all levels of management.

•    Structure and manage the Authority’s internal legal function and manage a staff of seven full-time employees.

•    Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and contractual obligations.

•    Manage and perform specific legal research, as requested from Board, management, and business units.  

•    Provide on-going updates on legal matters and counsels the President and CEO on both legal and general corporate matters; participate as a member of the President’s Leadership Team.

•    Serve as the Authority’s Ethics Officer; provide advice regarding legal requirements pertaining to ethics, corporate governance, conflicts of interest, and financial disclosure.

•    Oversee outside counsel retained to represent the Authority’s interests, including assigning matters to counsel and promptly reviewing invoices.  

•    Represents the organization values and models behavior – consensus builder, organized, reliable, proactive, treats everyone with respect

Procurement and Lease Administration

•    Oversee the Legal Department’s prompt preparation, review and negotiation of procurement documents including requests for proposals, contracts for goods and services, and amendments thereto.  

•    Support the review of procurement actions.

•    Work with the President and CEO, VP of Real Estate, Deputy General Counsel of Real Estate and Board to draft and negotiate ground lease amendments or other agreements related to lease administration. 

•    Provide advice regarding (1) compliance by lessees and others with legal obligations to the Authority and (2) enforces the Authority’s rights.

•    Coordinate with Design and Construction staff to provide guidance on permitting, contracting, real estate, and other legal issues related to capital project delivery.

Litigation and Compliance

•    Oversee all litigation, evaluating and judging the merits of litigation filed against or on behalf of the Authority, and making recommendations to President and CEO, define a strategic defense and recommending settlements,       where warranted.

•    Provide legal and strategic counsel and support to the Human Resources team to ensure the development and implementation of lawful employment policies and procedures, including compliance with relevant federal, state and local laws, and obligations under the collective bargaining agreement.

•    Monitor and review legislative and other legal changes that might impact Authority policy or operations; draft, review, and advance any required proposed new legislation or legislative amendments.

•    Negotiate and draft agreements with the City of New York or other key governmental stakeholders.

•    Support the timely review of FOIL requests in conjunction w/ FOIL officer

•    Support the creation of BPCA Board meeting agendas, review of Board minutes, Board resolutions

Education and Experience:

J.D plus ten (10) or more years of previous legal experience including experience in major real estate and finance transactions is required. Must be admitted to practice law in New York.

Competencies:

Leadership – Establishes and guides a team effort that promotes a common goal

Trustworthy – Communicates openly and clearly, follows through on agreed upon actions, shares information 

Persistent – Sees projects through to completion, persevering even when faced with barriers or obstacles

Empowers Others – Gives employees confidence and allows freedom to complete tasks

Emotional Intelligence – the ability to regulate your own emotions and understand the emotions in others – reliable and steady even in challenging or stressful circumstances, treats everyone fairly and equally, looks to build consensus where possible

Innovative – Seeks novel ways to improve, including the development of systems by which the Authority maintains legal documents and materials  

Physical Requirements: 

•    Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Battery Park City Authority is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.