Associate General Counsel, Real Estate

Associate General Counsel, Real Estate at Nuveen

Nuveen is the investment management arm of TIAA, recognized as one of the largest global asset managers. We bring specialist knowledge across fixed income, equities, and alternatives, driven by independent investment processes, advanced insights, risk management, and analytics. Our mission is to partner with clients to deliver outcome-focused solutions that secure their financial future.

For more information about the firm please visit our website at www.Nuveen.com

Overview of the Role

The Associate General Counsel, Real Estate will integrate into a global legal team spanning the US, London, and Frankfurt. This role primarily involves providing expert legal advice to Nuveen’s Asia Pacific real estate business, with occasional collaboration with European colleagues. A key focus will be on overseeing investment activity, including sophisticated fund transactions, and managing legal risk comprehensively across the business. Additionally, the role encompasses providing general corporate advisory legal counsel to the APAC region.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Assist with acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and related integration processes on behalf of the funds managed by the business, coordinating effectively with external counsel.
• In coordination with internal real estate fund counsel, support the business with new real estate fund and investment structures across various jurisdictions, collaborating with other internal teams as appropriate.
• Appoint, manage, and collaborate with external panel law firms and specialist local law firms to ensure optimal legal support.
• Lead contract negotiations, coordinating the entire investment process in cooperation with local asset managers, finance, and treasury teams.
• Analyze and advise on ideal investment routes for direct and indirect property investments across the entire real estate fund spectrum managed by Nuveen Real Estate Global.
• Attend and actively participate in weekly Investment Meetings, providing relevant updates to the legal team.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts related to fund entities’ activities, including asset management agreements, distribution agreements, side letters, joint venture agreements, investment management related services, and supplier agreements.
• Develop and implement, in conjunction with the wider legal team, policies, guidelines, and precedents for transactions and general business operations, and instruct external counsel accordingly.
• Draft clear and concise legal guidance notes on issues relevant to the business.
• Present identified key risks, mitigation strategies, and transactional structures to business stakeholders, including senior management and the Investment Committee.
• Collaborate regularly with the wider global legal and transactional teams to share ideas, knowledge, and best practices, and to develop or implement new initiatives.

Technical Skills & Qualifications Required

• A qualified solicitor with demonstrated in-house experience in financial services or a similar regulated business, or gained with an internationally recognized legal firm.
• Proven experience in real estate law, including expertise in due diligence, leasing, and developments.
• Experienced in fund transactional law, encompassing complex real estate funds and joint venture structures (both on and off-shore) and associated agreements.
• Strong capabilities in the management of fund transactions and external counsel.
• Cross-border experience and language skills are considered valuable assets for this role.

Competencies Required

• An enthusiastic individual with a collegiate approach, adept at working effectively in a culturally diverse organization and across different levels of the business.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to express complex legal issues succinctly and clearly to business partners.
• Commercially driven and motivated to develop creative solutions to complex problems or challenges.
• Strong organizational skills, operating in a timely, efficient, professional, and service-oriented manner.
• Demonstrates diligence, an analytical approach, and proactively works to resolve issues.
• Ability to spot and accurately assess risk (including reputational risk) and propose effective mitigation strategies.
• Able to think independently and challenge in an appropriate, constructive manner.
• Exhibits strong influencing skills in various contexts.
• Experience working on and managing a broad range of matters with a flexible attitude.
• Comfortable operating within and collaborating with a multi-location and multi-national extended team.
• Acts consistently in line with Nuveen’s Core Values.

Key skills/competency

• Real Estate Law
• Fund Transactions
• Due Diligence
• Contract Negotiation
• Legal Risk Management
• Corporate Advisory
• Asset Management
• Joint Ventures
• Cross-border Transactions
• External Counsel Management