Deputy General Counsel For Real Estate Transactions

JOB DESCRIPTION

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city’s housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

• We maintain building and resident safety and health
• We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
• We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.
Your Team:
Within HPD’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA’s), the Contracts and Real Estate Division (CRED) handles, among other things, all of HPD’s legal work related to Real Estate development, land-use planning, and asset management. The division’s primary responsibility is to provide legal services to the Agency’s affordable housing development programs, including by advising on Real Estate financings, sales and leases of City-owned property, and affordable housing regulatory agreements, and by closing the Agency’s Real Estate Transactions. The division is also responsible for advising on planning, pre-development, and asset management matters and affordable housing development policy and program design and implementation.
Your Impact:
As Deputy General Counsel, you will lead the division in support of the City’s ambitious affordable housing plan and serve as OLA’s primary internal and external point of contact for legal issues arising from the Agency’s financial transactions. You will also lead, support, and train a team of talented lawyers and support staff.
Your Role:
Your primary role will be to supervise and manage the operations of a team of approximately 25 professionals who advise the agency’s development programs on transactional Real Estate matters, in addition to associated offices on related matters. You will also provide legal advice and strategic guidance to senior Agency staff regarding Real Estate Transactions and related issues. You will report to the General Counsel.

Your Responsibilities:

• Supervise and mentor lawyers and support staff who advise on construction and permanent Real Estate financings, sales and leases of City-owned property, and affordable housing regulatory agreements, and who close the Agency’s Real Estate Transactions.
• Prepare and review, and supervise the preparation and review of, complex legal documents related to Real Estate Transactions and governmental approvals.
• Manage the operations of CRED to ensure the efficient closing of the Agency’s Real Estate Transactions.
• Negotiate, and supervise the negotiation of, complex legal issues, transactions, and documents pertaining to the Agency’s affordable housing programs.
• Advise senior Agency staff regarding the design and implementation of affordable housing programs.
• Review and advise Agency staff on existing and proposed federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
• Draft state and local laws and regulations related to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
• Assist the General Counsel with strategic planning related to Agency’s support of the City’s ambitious affordable housing plan.
• Work collaboratively with Agency colleagues and partners.

Minimum Qualifications
Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
Preferred Skills
- Substantial legal experience in the area of affordable housing finance and development is required. - Familiarity with complex Real Estate Transactions, particularly those involving a variety of public and private funding sources. - Familiarity with State and City laws and rules relating to affordable housing creation and preservation, including, for example, statutory loan authorities under the Private Housing Finance Law and General Municipal Law, rent stabilization and the Rent Stabilization Code, and New York City zoning and land use laws and regulations. - Familiarity with federal, state, and local affordable housing subsidy programs and policy. - Excellent writing, legal research, and analytical skills. - Experience managing and supervising attorneys and other professionals. - Ability to draft legislation and rules. - Ability to review and analyze proposed legislation and rules. - Ability to liaise with litigation counsel to protect Agency programs and processes. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement
New York City Residency is not required for this position
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
Minimum Qualifications
Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Preferred Skills

• \tSubstantial legal experience in the area of affordable housing finance and development is required.\n-\tFamiliarity with complex Real Estate Transactions, particularly those involving a variety of public and private funding sources. \n-\tFamiliarity with State and City laws and rules relating to affordable housing creation and preservation, including, for example, statutory loan authorities under the Private Housing Finance Law and General Municipal Law, rent stabilization and the Rent Stabilization Code, and New York City zoning and land use laws and regulations.\n-\tFamiliarity with federal, state, and local affordable housing subsidy programs and policy.\n-\tExcellent writing, legal research, and analytical skills.\n-\tExperience managing and supervising attorneys and other professionals.\n-\tAbility to draft legislation and rules.\n-\tAbility to review and analyze proposed legislation and rules.\n-\tAbility to liaise with litigation counsel to protect Agency programs and processes.\n-\tExcellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement
New York City Residency is not required for this position
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
Job ID
628423
Title code
95005
Civil service title

• Supervise and mentor lawyers and support staff who advise on construction and permanent Real Estate financings, sales and leases of City-owned property, and affordable housing regulatory agreements, and who close the Agency’s Real Estate Transactions.
• Prepare and review, and supervise the preparation and review of, complex legal documents related to Real Estate Transactions and governmental approvals.
• Manage the operations of CRED to ensure the efficient closing of the Agency’s Real Estate Transactions.
• Negotiate, and supervise the negotiation of, complex legal issues, transactions, and documents pertaining to the Agency’s affordable housing programs.
• Advise senior Agency staff regarding the design and implementation of affordable housing programs.
• Review and advise Agency staff on existing and proposed federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
• Draft state and local laws and regulations related to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
• Assist the General Counsel with strategic planning related to Agency’s support of the City’s ambitious affordable housing plan.
• Work collaboratively with Agency colleagues and partners