Real Estate Legal Assistant

New York, NY

Reports to: Director of Real Estate Practice

Summary

Assists with transactional commercial real estate deals representing lenders.  The legal assistant follows the deal from its inception through the closing and post-closing phases.  Prepares and handles UCC filings, forms and qualifies business entities, prepares closing documents, attends closings, prepares closing binders and follows up on all post-closing aspects of the transaction. 

Relationships

Works closely with associates, partners, clients and opposing counsel in the real estate department in handling commercial transactions.

Responsibilities 

• Assists in organizing and maintaining the transaction documents throughout the course of a deal.
• Arranges for UCC filings and lien searches.
• Review title and survey.
• Review borrower and related party organizational documents
• Review other loan closing documents
• Revises documents at attorney’s direction, proofreads, copies and notarizes documents.
• Sets up checklists of documents needed for the closing of the transaction, ensuring that an appropriate number of sets of documents are available.
• Organizes documents into folders so that their execution runs smoothly.
• Collects executed documents from opposing counsel, the client, and the responsible attorney.
• Prepares index of transaction documents from closing documentation and organizes executed documents into a closing binder.
• Distributes closing binder to client, responsible attorney and the Records Services department for internal filing.
• Forms and qualifies various types of business entities and maintains organizational documents relating to those entities.
• Handles publication requirements.
• Orders certified copies of documents relating to business entities.

Specifications

Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Experience:  3-5 years’ experience as a real estate legal assistant handling large commercial transactions.

Skills and Abilities

Ability to be resourceful and coordinate all phases of a closing. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, written and presentation skills.  Professionalism and integrity.  Must be able to organize and manage multiple priorities as well as effectively coordinate a heavy work flow.  Strong problem solving skills.  Ability to work under pressure with interruptions and tight deadlines and effectively manage stressful situations.  Exercises sound judgment and possesses strong analytical and decision making abilities.  Must be flexible, resourceful and detail oriented.  Must be a team player and able to work effectively with attorneys, clients, management, peers and subordinates.  Must be able to work extensive overtime. 

Attendance  

All positions require punctuality and regular attendance.  

Technological Skills 

Proficiency with various software programs including Outlook, Word, and use of the Internet.