Sole In-House Counsel, Property (8+ PQE)

Sydney C B D I I Full Time

Sole In-House Counsel, Property (8+ PQE)

The Company
This organisation is one of Australia’s largest private property groups, managing a premium-grade investment portfolio spanning commercial, retail and residential assets across key Sydney locations. Its assets include landmark CBD towers and mixed‑use sites known for high‑quality design, concierge-level services and industry‑leading end‑of‑trip facilities. The business focuses on innovative workspace environments, tenant‑centric service and disciplined asset management. It operates with a lean structure: the legal function is a single‑counsel model reporting directly to a senior Director. The culture is direct, commercial and expectation‑driven: loyalty, transparency and proactive problem‑solving are essential.

The Role
The In-House Legal Counsel provides strategic and operational legal oversight across commercial leasing, disputes and general commercial contracting. This is a hands‑on, autonomous position requiring strong technical capability and commercial judgement.

Commercial Leasing
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating retail and commercial leases, licences, disclosure statements and ancillary documents
• Preparing deeds (variations, surrenders, assignments, make‑good, renewals, settlements)
• Advising on lease interpretation, legislative compliance and risk exposure
• Supporting leasing negotiations with practical, commercial advice

Disputes and Claims
• Managing leasing, tenancy and operational disputes end‑to‑end
• Handling enforcement, mediation, negotiations and settlements
• Directing external counsel and reviewing pleadings and evidence
• Maintaining dispute registers and reporting on legal risk

Commercial Contracts
• Preparing and advising on supplier, contractor and service agreements, NDAs and commercial terms
• Supporting Property, Facilities, Finance and HR
• Maintaining templates, playbooks and legal processes

Compliance and Governance
• Identifying legal risks and recommending mitigation
• Supporting governance initiatives and policy development
• Ensuring strong recordkeeping and confidentiality

The Candidate
The organisation wants someone experienced, commercially disciplined and fully accountable.
Key requirements:
• 8+ years PQE (or equivalent) with strong commercial and retail leasing experience in an In-House environment
• Demonstrated ability to draft and negotiate leasing documents autonomously
• Disputes/litigation experience, including management of external counsel
• Strong understanding of Australian commercial property legislation
• Excellent drafting discipline and risk identification
• Confident working directly with senior internal stakeholders
• In‑house experience preferred; leasing‑heavy private practice backgrounds considered
• Yardi exposure beneficial but not essential
• Cultural fit: loyal, honest, proactive, transparent and non‑political

Benefits
• Full ownership of the legal function within a major private property portfolio
• Competitive remuneration: strong candidates around $230k + super will be considered
• Standard hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm
• Primarily office‑based; up to 2 WFH days considered
• Opportunity to modernise and strengthen the internal legal framework

Apply Now using a MS Word version of your CV or contact Kalinda Campbell at people2people recruitment by emailing kalinda@people2people.com.au for a confidential discussion.

Operating for over 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, people2people, Edge Recruitment, and Frog Recruitment are an award-winning recruitment group and HR solutions provider. As an inclusive workforce, we welcome everyone and encourage our employees, clients, and candidates to showcase their authentic selves.

Should you require reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, we encourage you to make a request by phoning the above-mentioned recruitment consultant to discuss. In response to these requests, we will collaborate closely with you to implement the appropriate adjustments.