Role Title: National Legal Head Real Estate / Construction Finance

Experience: 15-18 Years

Location: Mumbai

Function: Legal & Compliance Leadership

Role Purpose:

To lead the legal function for the organizations real estate and construction financing business, ensuring strong deal structuring, airtight security creation, regulatory compliance, and effective recovery strategies across all lending/investment transactions.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Deal Structuring & Legal Strategy

Lead legal structuring for:

- Real estate financing (residential, commercial, land funding)

- Construction finance / project finance

- Structured credit / mezzanine deals

Provide strategic inputs on:

- Deal risk allocation

- Security cover & enforceability

- Exit structuring

2. Documentation & Transaction Execution

Oversee drafting, vetting, and negotiation of:

- Loan agreements / facility agreements

- Development agreements

- Debenture subscription agreements

- Security documents (mortgage, charge, pledge, escrow)

Ensure proper security perfection and enforceability across jurisdictions

3. Title Due Diligence & Land Risk

Lead end-to-end title due diligence for real estate projects

Evaluate:

- Land ownership & title chain

- Encumbrances, zoning, approvals

- RERA and local authority compliance

Provide legal clearance for investment committees

4. Regulatory & Compliance

Ensure compliance with:

- Securities and Exchange Board of India (for AIF-backed platforms, if applicable)

- Reserve Bank of India (NBFC/HFC norms)

- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA)

Advise on evolving regulatory frameworks impacting real estate lending

5. Recovery, Enforcement & Litigation

Lead legal strategy for stressed / NPA accounts

Drive recovery actions under:

- SARFAESI Act

- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

- Manage litigation, arbitration, and NCLT proceedings

- Work closely with enforcement teams and external counsel

6. Stakeholder & Business Partnering

Partner with:

- Credit & underwriting teams

- Investment teams

- Risk & compliance

- External law firms, trustees, and consultants

- Act as a core deal advisor, not just a legal reviewer

7. Team Leadership & Governance

- Build and lead a pan-India legal team

- Develop SOPs, legal playbooks, and risk frameworks

- Ensure audit readiness and governance standards

- Manage external legal panels and budgets

Key Requirements:

Education:

- LLB / LLM from a reputed institution

- CS (Company Secretary) strong advantage

Experience

1518 years with:

- NBFCs / HFCs / AIFs / Banks / PE Real Estate Funds

- OR Tier-1 law firms (Real Estate / Banking & Finance practice)

Deep exposure to:

- Real estate / construction finance deals

- Land/title diligence and structured lending

Core Skills

Strong expertise in:

- Real estate laws & land title frameworks

- Structured finance documentation

- Security creation & enforcement

- Commercial mindset with strong negotiation ability

- Proven leadership in managing large legal functions

Preferred Background:

Experience in:

- Developer financing (mid-large real estate developers)

- Distressed real estate assets / resolution

- Prior exposure to large-ticket deals (50 Cr 500 Cr+)

Reporting

- Reports to: Chief Legal Officer / CEO / MD (depending on org structure)

- Team: National legal + external counsels

Ideal Target Companies (for your hiring)

- NBFCs/HFCs: Bajaj Housing, Piramal Finance, Tata Capital, L&T Finance

- AIF / Credit Funds: Kotak AIF, Edelweiss ARC/Credit, IIFL, Oaktree (India)

- Developers (in-house legal): DLF, Godrej Properties, Lodha