Attorney - Commercial Real Estate - Chicago - $270k

BAND 1 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY | ELITE TRANSACTIONAL PLATFORM $270K+ Base Salary | 1,850 Billable Hours | Partnership Track Chicago, Illinois | Remote

I am working with an elite, nationally recognised commercial real estate practice that has built its reputation around real estate — not a secondary group sitting behind a larger corporate practice.

The team acts as go-to deal counsel to institutional investors, major real estate owners, investment platforms, lenders and sophisticated developers, handling high-value transactions across the US.

They are now looking for a talented 4th–5th year Commercial Real Estate Associate who wants sophisticated work, genuine client exposure and a credible route toward partnership.

Highlights:

• Top-tier ranked real estate practice with a longstanding reputation at the very top of the Illinois market
• Work on major institutional transactions and portfolios, within a team accustomed to handling significant multi-billion-dollar deal volume
• Exposure across acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, leasing, development and sophisticated real estate finance
• Direct access to senior lawyers and clients rather than spending your associate years several layers removed from the relationship
• 1,850 billable-hour target — unusually attractive for work of this quality

Role:

• Drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements and associated transaction documents
• Advising on significant acquisitions and dispositions from initial structuring through closing
• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases, amendments and related agreements
• Working on real estate financing transactions, including loan documentation and closing deliverables
• Assisting with the structuring and negotiation of real estate joint ventures and investment arrangements
• Managing title, survey, diligence and closing processes
• Helping drive transactions from term sheet through closing, rather than being limited to isolated pieces of the deal

About you:

Ideally a 4th–5th year associate with substantial commercial real estate transactional experience gained within a respected large law firm or sophisticated real estate boutique.

You should have:

• Illinois Bar admission in good standing
• Strong experience across commercial real estate transactions
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and deal-management skills
• Experience handling sophisticated acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and/or finance matters
• A representative deal sheet or transaction list demonstrating relevant experience

Location: Chicago area, Illinois; Remote working.

Package:

• Base salary from $270,000
• 1,850 annual billable-hour target
• Remote flexibility
• Platform designed for lawyers who want to develop into trusted commercial real estate advisers — not simply execute tasks behind the scenes

This is particularly compelling for an associate who is already doing excellent work but questioning whether the hours, hierarchy or long-term prospects at their current firm justify staying put.

#litigation #legalwriting #estatelaw #Propertylaw #realestatetransactions