Description:

Experience: 15-20 Years

Industry: Real Estate / Infrastructure / Construction

Education: LLB/LLM from a reputed university.

Role Summary:

The Vice President - Legal is a high-level executive position responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the organization's legal function, with a specialized focus on Real Estate Title Clearance, Litigation Management, and Complex Contractual Architecture. In this role, you will be the final authority on land due diligence, ensuring all land parcels are cleared up to the Non-Agricultural (NA) Order stage. You will act as the lead strategist for the firm's litigation portfolio, coordinating directly with Senior Advocates in the High Court and Supreme Court. This role demands an expert in drafting high-stakes instrumentsincluding Joint Venture (JV) Agreements and Land Acquisition Deedswhile ensuring absolute regulatory compliance and providing risk-mitigation advisory for large-scale real estate transactions.

Responsibilities:

- Land Title Engineering (Up to NA Stage): Oversee the end-to-end title search and clearance process, ensuring all land assets are legally converted and cleared up to the Non-Agricultural (NA) Order stage.

- Strategic Litigation Governance: Supervise the entire litigation lifecycle across all judicial and quasi-judicial forums, ensuring timely filing of replies, affidavits, and strict compliance with court directives.

- High-Stakes Document Architecture: Draft, review, and vet complex legal instruments including Joint Venture (JV) Agreements, Sale Deeds (SD), Land Acquisition Agreements, and intricate Buyer Agreements.

- Advocacy & Senior Counsel Briefing: Serve as the primary liaison for Senior Advocates, providing comprehensive briefings for critical matters appearing before the High Court and Supreme Court.

- Litigation Roadmap & Timelines: Develop and enforce case-specific legal strategies and procedural timelines in alignment with upcoming court schedules and judicial priorities.

- Regulatory Compliance & Due Diligence: Execute rigorous legal due diligence for all corporate and real estate transactions, ensuring 100% adherence to RERA, state land laws, and corporate governance standards.

- Management Advisory & Reporting: Maintain a real-time, sophisticated litigation tracker and provide periodic strategic briefings to the Board and senior management on case statuses and potential risk exposures.

- Notice & Correspondence Oversight: Review and approve all statutory notices, legal replies, and formal correspondence to safeguard the organizations legal standing.

- Risk Mitigation Strategy: Identify potential legal bottlenecks in land acquisition and development phases, formulating preemptive strategies to mitigate litigation and regulatory risks.

- External Liaisoning: Manage relationships with external legal consultants, solicitors, and regulatory authorities to facilitate smooth legal operations.

Technical Requirements:

- Core Legal Experience: 15+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE), with a minimum of 10 years in the Real Estate or Infrastructure sector.

- Title Search Expertise: Mastery of local land laws, revenue records (7/12 extracts, mutation entries), and the technicalities of NA Conversion processes.

- Litigation Management: Proven track record in managing high-volume litigation portfolios and working with high-profile legal counsel.

- Drafting Proficiency: Advanced skills in drafting specialized real estate contracts, JV structures, and development agreements with a focus on risk protection clauses.

- Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority), Transfer of Property Act, Registration Act, and local State Land Revenue Codes.

- Court Procedures: Comprehensive knowledge of Civil Procedure Code (CPC) and Writ jurisdictions of the High Courts and Supreme Court.

Preferred Skills:

- Strategic Vision: Ability to look beyond immediate legal hurdles to align legal strategies with the long-term commercial goals of the real estate group.

- Negotiation Skills: Exceptional ability to negotiate complex land deals and settlement terms during mediation or litigation.

- Leadership & Mentorship: Experience in leading a large in-house legal team and managing diverse external legal vendors.

- Crisis Management: Ability to provide calm, decisive legal leadership during high-pressure regulatory inquiries or critical court hearings.

- Communication Excellence: Superior oral and written skills for briefing top-tier advocates and presenting complex legal risks to non-legal stakeholders.