Role Purpose:

We are looking for an experienced Chief Legal Officer (CLO) to lead the legal, regulatory and governance function for a leading real estate organization.

The CLO will be responsible for providing strategic legal counsel to the Board and senior management, managing complex real estate transactions, ensuring regulatory compliance, overseeing litigation and dispute resolution, and protecting the organization's legal and commercial interests.

The role will partner closely with the leadership team across acquisitions, development, finance, projects, sales, land, contracts and corporate functions.

Key Responsibilities:

Legal Strategy & Leadership:

- Develop and implement the organization's overall legal strategy in alignment with business objectives.

- Serve as the principal legal advisor to the Board, CEO and senior leadership team.

- Provide strategic legal advice on business decisions, investments, developments, transactions and risk management.

- Establish robust legal governance frameworks, policies and processes.

- Build, lead and mentor the in-house legal team.

Real Estate & Land Legal:

- Lead legal due diligence for land acquisitions, joint ventures, development agreements and strategic investments.

- Advise on land title, ownership, development rights, easements, zoning and land-use matters.

- Review and structure real estate development transactions and documentation.

- Provide legal support for property acquisitions, disposals, redevelopment and project development.

- Identify and mitigate legal risks associated with land and real estate projects.

Contracts & Commercial Legal:

- Oversee drafting, review and negotiation of major commercial and business agreements.

- Lead negotiations for development agreements, joint ventures, construction contracts, vendor agreements, leases, purchase agreements and other strategic contracts.

- Establish contract governance, approval and risk-management frameworks.

- Ensure appropriate protection of the organization's commercial interests and intellectual property.

Regulatory & Compliance:

- Ensure compliance with applicable real estate laws, regulations and regulatory requirements.

- Provide guidance on RERA, Companies Act, land and property laws, environmental regulations and other applicable statutory requirements.

- Monitor regulatory developments and assess their impact on the business.

- Work closely with Compliance, Finance and Business teams to ensure timely implementation of regulatory requirements.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution:

- Oversee all material litigation, arbitration, disputes and legal proceedings.

- Develop litigation strategy in consultation with external legal counsel.

- Manage relationships with law firms, advocates and external legal advisors.

- Monitor legal exposures, contingent liabilities and dispute-resolution costs.

- Drive timely and commercially appropriate resolution of disputes.

Corporate Legal & Governance:

- Advise the Board and management on corporate governance and statutory matters.

- Support Board and committee processes from a legal and governance perspective.

- Provide legal guidance on corporate restructuring, investments, M&A, joint ventures and strategic transactions.

- Ensure appropriate documentation and governance for material corporate decisions.

Risk Management:

- Identify emerging legal and regulatory risks and develop mitigation strategies.

- Establish legal risk frameworks and controls across the organization.

- Conduct periodic reviews of material legal exposures.

- Ensure appropriate legal documentation and audit readiness.

External Counsel Management:

- Manage and evaluate external law firms, advocates and legal consultants.

- Establish appropriate engagement structures, SLAs and fee arrangements.

- Optimize external legal spend while ensuring high-quality legal support.

- Build a strong network of specialist legal advisors.

Qualifications:

- LLB / Bachelor of Laws from a reputed institution.

- LLM or additional qualification in Corporate Law, Real Estate Law or a related specialization will be an advantage.

- 1520+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably with significant experience in the Real Estate / Infrastructure / Construction sector.

- Strong experience in real estate transactions, land laws, contracts, litigation and regulatory matters.

- Prior experience in a senior in-house legal leadership role is strongly preferred.

- Experience of working directly with the CEO, Board and senior leadership is desirable.

Preferred Experience:

Candidates with experience in:

- Real estate development companies

- Large real estate groups

- Infrastructure organizations

- Construction companies

- Property investment platforms / REITs

- Real estate private equity / investment firms

- Corporate legal functions handling large-scale property portfolios will be preferred.