Job description
Position Summary
Position Open Until Filled. Initial Review of Applications 8/26/2022
Prosper Portland (formerly known as the Portland Development Commission) seeks a transactional attorney to join its legal team as an Assistant General Counsel. Prosper Portland is the economic development and urban renewal agency for the City of Portland and has been at the forefront of many of the City's most iconic and recognized public-private partnerships, such as the Pearl District, the Eastbank Esplanade, the Rose Quarter, and the South Waterfront development projects. Prosper Portland is currently undertaking many new projects in the City, including the transformation of 32 acres in the “Broadway Corridor” (the 14-acre former downtown U.S. Post Office property), mixed-use affordable commercial projects throughout the City, and the activation of a multi-block site in the Central Eastside.
The Assistant General Counsel will work closely with Prosper Portland’s construction, development, and lending teams, as well as its economic development department, to support business growth, equity outcomes, and vibrant place-making. The Legal Department provides legal and strategic guidance and advice to advance a comprehensive range of loan and economic development programs that support small businesses, improve access to workforce training, and create jobs for Portland residents.
The ideal candidate will have a breadth of experience in lending and construction, with a demonstrated base of knowledge in development principles, real estate, and workforce issues. This person will possess excellent communication, organizational and problem-solving skills along with the ability to be an active team member and contribute to and be a part of Prosper Portland’s exciting and vibrant work.
Functions and Responsibilities
Summary
The Assistant General Counsel supports the General Counsel by providing competent and prompt legal advice to the agency and Prosper Portland staff. The Assistant General Counsel assists the agency on a wide variety of matters including contract law, public procurement, and transactions (including real estate, lending, and grants); conducts research and advises on issues of constitutional and municipal law and policy; and assists agency staff in proactively addressing potential legal issues in developing and implementing agency initiatives.
Functions and Responsibilities
- Advises Prosper Portland commissioners and staff regarding a variety of local, state, and federal constitutional, and municipal law matters, including public contracting laws, public records law, public meetings law, government ethics, and state constitutional limits on public agency actions and authority.
- Provides expert legal support in at least one, but ideally several of the following areas: construction; commercial lending; real estate acquisition, disposition, and development; environmental; and land use.
- Negotiates, drafts, and reviews documents necessary to implement complex transactions or agency initiatives, including contracts (such as loan agreements, construction contracts, real estate purchase and sale agreements, and leases), board resolutions, policies, and program guidelines.
- Advises Prosper Portland commissioners and assists staff with agency governance, including: compliance with the City of Portland Charter and agency policies and procedures; drafting, reviewing, and revising formal agency documents, such as Commission resolutions and reports; and drafting, implementing, amending, and interpreting urban renewal plans pursuant to ORS 457.
- Researches and responds to legal questions presented by Prosper Portland’s Board of Commissioners and staff.
- Attends briefings and Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners meetings as necessary to respond to legal questions or to explain legal context for proposed transactions.
- Assists the agency with special projects, committees, and other relevant duties as assigned.
Additional Information
Scope
- Operates under minimal supervision. Position works independently, determining day to day practices and priorities. Makes decisions for many aspects of work that require advanced technical expertise, initiative, and good judgment. Position receives management-level guidance and approval on major legal strategies and priorities. Work is subject to periodic or final review by General Counsel.
- Decisions and errors in work can have significant legal and operational impacts to the agency.
- Work involves a high level of complexity due to the advanced technical nature of practicing law, the level of inter-departmental collaboration, the intense political and community interest in projects, the need to prioritize multiple assignments, relationship management with a variety of internal and external stakeholders that require negotiation, bridge-building, and compromise, and the inherent nature of creating and implementing projects and programs grounded in racial equity.
- Position performs a variety of work functions and a varied scope of work that is often complex, new, and or has a high degree of technical difficulty. Position may serve as a subject matter expert to the agency.??
- Position has no supervisory responsibilities; however, will delegate appropriate tasks to the legal assistant or to the paralegal. May oversee the work of outside counsel, consultants, temporary workers, and/or student staff.
- Position routinely handles confidential information and must always ensure information security and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
Qualifications & Education
Competencies
Putting People First, Inclusion & Collaboration
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build constructive and trusting relationships. Exercises tact, patience, and discretion.
- Mission-Driven Service: Ability to provide excellent service by demonstrating a people-oriented mindset and a willingness to help. Ability to provide guidance to others.
- Teamwork: Ability to work with others inclusively and collaboratively.
- Communication: Effective use of both verbal and oral communication. Ability to explain the basis for legal advice and alternative strategies to varied audiences (e.g., client, judge, media, public, etc.). Ability to regularly communicate to the client the status of a task, the issues outstanding, and alternatives.
- Cultural Curiosity and Reflection: Ability to learn and use culturally responsive practices to understand, communicate, and work with people across cultures and identities. Honors and embraces differences and models inclusivity in interactions.
- Advancing Equity: A demonstrated commitment to advancing social and racial equity and actively seeks opportunities to do so. Ability to learn, understand, and apply the principles and practices of equity to work.
Excellence, Innovation & Learning
- Knowledge:
- Extensive legal knowledge in one or more of the following areas: lending, construction law, public procurement, or real estate transactions.
- Working knowledge of constitutional and municipal law and policy.
- Knowledge of the financial and legal principles, practices, and laws applicable to real estate and commercial lending transactions.
- Excellent knowledge of substantive legal research, writing, and documentation.
- Demonstrated knowledge and use of Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and other software applications.
- Understanding of the principles and practices of project management.
- Technical Abilities:
- Advanced ability to draft and review contracts, agreements, and other legal documents.
- Ability to accurately incorporate relevant business terms and concepts into a set of legal documents for real estate, finance, construction, or other transactions or agency initiatives.
- Ability to judge the relative importance of a document, contract provision, task, or assignment and to apply the appropriate level of scrutiny, detail, or effort to the matter.
- Ability to utilize existing knowledge of subject matter together with research and consultation as necessary to provide competent and practical legal advice, responsive to agency needs, priorities, and circumstances.
- Ability to form an opinion and provide advice and guidance where the legal standards are not well-defined, or the law is not settled.
- Continuous Learning: Openness to new ideas. Ability to ask for help and learn from experiences.
- Problem Solving: Apply research, analytical, and problem-solving skills to find smart solutions to complex legal situations. Exercises sound judgement in carrying out responsibilities. Ability to interpret and apply law, policy, and procedure to work.
- Adaptability: Flexibility to respond to shifting and competing work demands. Perseveres in the face of obstacles.
- Planning and Organization: Ability to organize work, set priorities, and monitor work. Detail-oriented.
- Accountability: Takes responsibility for one’s actions. Follows through on commitments and meets deadlines. Maintains confidentiality as appropriate.
Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience
Juris doctor degree required. Must be licensed to practice law in the state of Oregon or must obtain a license to practice law in the state of Oregon within the first three months of employment.
Three years of practice as a transactional attorney, or as an attorney with a substantial transactional practice element, particularly in the context of lending, real estate or construction. Public sector experience, or experience representing public sector clients, is preferable, though not required.
Physical Requirements
Position requires ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time along with the ability to frequently move throughout the office. Position often uses a computer and other standard office equipment. Position must communicate and interact with internal and external stakeholders often regarding complex legal issues.
Working Conditions
Normal working hours Monday through Friday [8 AM – 5 PM] in a combination of in-person and remote work; however, additional hours will regularly be needed to meet deadlines. Position may occasionally travel to external meetings, properties, or events. Position will be expected to engage in conversation and personal reflection around race, racism, and equity.
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