Legal Associate

Primary Role

• Draft, review and revise vendor agreements, service agreements, consulting agreements, confidentiality agreements, access agreements and other routine commercial contracts using approved forms, standards and legal guidance.
• Negotiate routine contractual terms within established playbooks and approved guardrails, prepare redlines and supporting comments, and escalate non-standard or higher-risk provisions to US-based Legal leadership.
• Prepare amendments, extensions, renewals and other modifications to existing agreements, and support contracts administration from drafting through approval, execution and completion.
• Prepare abstracts and summaries of documents and agreements, identifying key business terms, obligations, deadlines, termination rights, deliverables and other material provisions.
• Support resident and property-related legal matters using approved forms and templates, including preparation of resident releases settlement agreements, notices, lease amendments and other resident-facing documents for attorney review as appropriate.
• Research, track, monitor and maintain current records of relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting residential rental housing, student housing and other areas of the Company’s operations, and prepare clear summaries of relevant legal developments.
• Support updates to agreements, forms, policies and procedures in response to changes in applicable law, working within established legal guidance and review requirements.
• Maintain and update standard residential lease forms, addenda, guarantee agreements, notices and other legal documents for properties and operations in accordance with direction from US-based Legal leadership and changes in applicable requirements.
• Maintain legal templates, form libraries, executed agreements and department records, managing version control to ensure materials are available to authorized business users.
• Support legal matter management, contract and regulatory tracking, department reporting, document organization and other legal operations activities.
• Review and process outside law firm invoices and support related to billing, matter and expense administration.
• Provide legal research, document preparation and coordination support for privacy, litigation, insurance claims and risk matters as needed, including document collection, chronologies, summaries and coordination with internal stakeholders or outside counsel.
• Provide occasional support for corporate and entity matters, including preparation and maintenance of organizational documents and support for formation or other required filings.
• Collaborate with property operations, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, Risk, Information Security and other internal teams to obtain information and support timely resolution of legal matters.
• Maintain organized legal files, clear documentation and appropriate audit trails, and handle confidential and privileged information with a high degree of judgment and discretion.
• Independently manage assigned routine matters within established procedures and legal guidance, proactively identify deadlines and issues, and escalate matters requiring additional judgment, negotiation authority or legal review.
• Assist with the maintenance and organization of company policies covering various matters, such as compliance and privacy policies.
• Identify opportunities to improve legal workflows, standardize recurring work, strengthen matter tracking and improve the effective use of templates, technology, AI and other legal tools.
• Work from the Bengaluru office under the hybrid working model, with working hours aligned to provide meaningful daily overlap with US business hours; flexibility is expected for time-sensitive legal matters and other peak periods.
• Perform other legal, regulatory and operational projects and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

JD, LL.B. or equivalent law degree is required; admission to practice law in the candidate’s home jurisdiction is preferred.

• Five or more years of relevant legal experience, including experience supporting the US corporate, commercial, real estate or operating-company matters.
• Strong commercial contract drafting and review skills, including experience working with vendor, service, consulting, confidentiality or similar agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate routine commercial terms within established standards and identify provisions requiring escalation or additional legal judgment.
• Experience conducting legal research and interpreting statutes, regulations and other legal requirements applicable across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong legal writing skills, with the ability to prepare clear, concise and practical summaries, correspondence, agreements and supporting documentation.
• Ability to work effectively from established forms, templates, playbooks and procedures while exercising appropriate judgment regarding exceptions.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple matters, deadlines and recurring legal workflows simultaneously.
• High attention to detail and demonstrated ability to maintain accurate legal records, document versions, matter trackers and supporting files.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in business English, with the ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, business stakeholders and outside parties across time zones.
• Ability to work independently on routine matters while recognizing issues that require escalation to senior attorneys.
• Experience with legal operations, matter management, contract management or document management systems are preferred.
• Familiarity with legal research databases, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat and technology-assisted legal tools are preferred.
• Experience supporting a US real estate company, property management company, corporate legal department or law firm is preferred.
• Experience in commercial contracts, landlord-tenant matters, regulatory compliance, privacy, insurance claims or risk management is advantageous