Real Estate Paralegal

POSITION TITLE:              Real Estate Paralegal

LOCATION:                       Santa Monica Corporate                           

Position Description: The Real Estate Paralegal assists the Company’s legal real estate transactional attorneys by providing a wide variety of real estate-oriented paralegal and support functions to a busy real estate transactional practice.

Essential Job Functions:

Under attorney supervision and guidance:

• Obtain title information, including the following: place title orders, coordinate ordering of surveys; review of title and survey matters, work with company personnel and third parties (buyers and tenants) to resolve title and survey issues, and coordinate and facilitate issuance of title insurance policies; update the legal department database of title reports, title policies and surveys; prepare legal description exhibits for use in real estate transactions.
• Respond to inquiries regarding property ownership, including: research of real property history and chain of title; confirm and diagram fee and leasehold property ownership.
• Review existing leases and other documents for existing exclusives and prohibited uses/use restrictions and prepare schedules/exhibits of same for pad sales and anchor/big box lease transactions.
• Research and review anchor and other legal documentation to determine key terms, timelines and rights and obligations and provide written assessments.
• Assist with providing property-related legal information for due diligence needs in shopping center sales, including: prepare due diligence lists (e.g., schedules of key real estate documents) and folders for shopping center sales, advise and assist asset management in response to buyer due diligence inquiries, and advise and assist asset management with preparation of and response to estoppel certificates.
• Draft template REA and anchor lease amendments, purchase and sale agreements, CC&Rs and other legal documents, prepare correspondence, memos and reports;
• Prepare critical dates charts for real estate transactions; manage critical dates and deadlines for anchor projects in process.
• Manage documentation for large transactions; coordinate execution and delivery of documents; prepare transaction summaries and prepare and maintain closing binders.
• Work on escrow transactions for pad/outparcel/excess land sales, including monitoring and coordinating escrow responsibilities, and preparation of closing documents and closing instruction letters.
• Handle, under real estate attorney guidance, the preparation and/or review and processing of estoppel certificates, and the due diligence required for issuance of estoppel certificates, as well as easements, other simple development related agreements.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of closing, REA and ground lease binders and databases
• All other duties as assigned.

Requirements and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
• Paralegal certificate from an ABA approved school is required.
• Substantial law firm or in-house experience as a real estate paralegal required.

• Strong computer skills to include MS Office, MS Word, Adobe Acrobat/Reader, iManage, Excel, Workshare and redline.
• All applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, including corresponding core job requirements, with or without a reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities (and others in accordance with applicable law) to perform the essential functions of the job, consistent with applicable laws and Company policy.