Assistant City Attorney III - Real Estate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at City of Fort Lauderdale

The City of Fort Lauderdale is seeking an experienced Real Estate Attorney to serve as Assistant City Attorney III (Real Estate) within the Office of the City Attorney.

Why Join the City of Fort Lauderdale’s City Attorney’s Office?

POSITION SUMMARY

This position serves as lead counsel on a broad range of sophisticated real estate and land development matters involving municipal operations and policy. The successful candidate will provide legal advice and representation on complex commercial real estate transactions, acquisitions and dispositions of property, development agreements, construction-related matters, public-private partnerships, easements, leasing, title issues, and other matters affecting the City's extensive real estate portfolio.

This position works closely with City leadership, including the City Manager's Office, Development Services, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Utilities, Engineering, and other departments on high-profile projects that shape the future of the City.

The ideal candidate is an experienced commercial real estate attorney with exceptional legal judgment, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to manage complex, high-value transactions from inception through closing.

Experience with P3 development transactions is highly valued.

This position serves at the pleasure of the City Attorney and is an at-will, non-classified, Management Category I position located in Fort Lauderdale.

Management Category I benefits include ten (10) additional Management Vacation Days and a Vehicle Allowance of $390/month.

Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. The omission of a function does not preclude management from assigning essential duties not listed herein if such duties relate to the position.

The following duties are illustrative and are not intended to be all-inclusive.

• Provides legal advice to the City Manager, executive leadership, boards, committees, and City departments regarding complex real estate and land use matters.
• Drafts, reviews, negotiates, and interprets complex legal documents including purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, easements, restrictive covenants, leases, licenses, declarations, interlocal agreements, public-private partnership agreements, and construction-related contracts.
• Represents the City in negotiations involving commercial real estate transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, and development projects.
• Advises City departments regarding commercial leasing, title matters, due diligence, financing documents, closing issues, and property management matters.
• Provides legal guidance on construction contracts, procurement issues, design and construction disputes, project delivery methods, and contract administration.
• Supports major capital improvement and redevelopment initiatives involving public infrastructure and municipal facilities.
• Reviews legal issues involving zoning, planning, development approvals, platting, permitting, rights-of-way, utilities, and related municipal matters.
• Represents the City in administrative proceedings, mediations, arbitrations, and litigation related to assigned practice areas.
• Performs legal research and prepares written legal opinions and memoranda.
• Attends City Commission meetings, board meetings, workshops, public hearings, and other meetings as assigned.
• Collaborates effectively with inside and outside counsel, consultants, developers, title companies, governmental agencies, and private stakeholders.
• Keeps current with changes in Florida law affecting municipal government, real estate, construction, procurement, and land development.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:

1. Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
2. Membership in good standing with The Florida Bar.
3. A minimum of eight (8) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal experience practicing real estate law.
4. Extensive experience handling complex commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, easements, development agreements, and related transactional matters.
5. Experience negotiating and drafting sophisticated commercial contracts and legal documents.
6. Experience advising clients regarding construction, development, or infrastructure-related legal matters.
7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
8. Strong analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities.
9. To claim Veterans’ Preference, candidates must attach to the application a copy of military separation papers (DD214) and service-connected disability documentation (if applicable) to meet eligibility requirements as stipulated by Florida Statues. For additional information, please refer to the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. (link: https://floridavets.org/benefits-services/veterans-preference/)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Experience representing municipalities, counties, or other governmental entities or advising public agencies on municipal law matters.
2. Experience with public-private partnerships (P3).
3. Experience with rights-of-way, utilities, land use, zoning, and development regulations.
4. Litigation experience involving real estate or construction matters.

As public servants, employees may be required to work immediately before, during, and/or after an emergency. All employees must be available and able to work assigned shifts as determined by their Department Heads.

PHYSICAL STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
The position is generally sedentary. Employees sit most of the time but may walk or stand for brief periods of time.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The City of Fort Lauderdale receives a high volume of applications, so not every applicant who meets the minimum qualifications will be guaranteed an interview. Candidates are selected for interviews based on how closely their education and work experience match the specific requirements of the position.

Applicants will be subject to an extensive selection and screening process, which may include, but not be limited to evaluation of training and experience; written; oral and performance-based testing; skills assessment; interview; employment check, background investigation; medical examination; and drug screen. For Public Safety positions, the process additionally includes polygraph examinations and psychological evaluations. The expected duration of the selection process varies by position.

All applicants, including current City of Fort Lauderdale employees, need to fully detail their work experience on the employment application. Applicants must ensure that all required documents submitted are in a format that is acceptable, clear, and legible. It is the applicant’s responsibility to update their online profile with accurate personal information, work history, education, and certifications each time they submit a new application. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification.

The City of Fort Lauderdale is an Equal Opportunity, Veteran’s Preference Employer and Drug Free Workplace.

For technical support with your application, contact GovernmentJobs.com 9am to 9pm EST, Monday to Friday, at (855) 524-5627 or email support@governmentjobs.com.

The City of Fort Lauderdale offers a comprehensive benefits package to all regular full-time employees including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and short-term disability insurance.

Click here for an overview of employment information including our benefits package.

Click here (Download PDF reader) for additional management benefits.

Say "Hello" to the City of Fort Lauderdale and Say "Goodbye" to Your Student Loan! Under the U.S. Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, the remaining balance on your student loan may be forgiven after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time at the City of Fort Lauderdale! Click here for more information or to see if you qualify.

In addition to the competitive benefits package and salary, the City of Fort Lauderdale participates in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) which offers an investment option and a pension option and requires a 3% contribution from employees. All new City of Fort Lauderdale employees are automatically enrolled in FRS. Click here to view additional information on the Florida Retirement System.

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