Senior Counsel, Real Estate

Position Overview

Tesla seeks an accomplished Senior Corporate Counsel specializing in commercial real estate, bringing at least 5 years of expertise in leasing and development. This role requires comprehensive national experience in negotiating complex industrial, commercial, and retail lease transactions as well as robust knowledge in real estate development, land use, acquisitions, financing, dispositions, and overall portfolio management.

Key Duties

• Provide strategic legal guidance relating to real estate to various teams including Real Estate, Design, Construction, Finance, Policy, Environmental Health & Safety, Engineering, and Supercharger operations.
• Manage and negotiate numerous commercial real estate transactions such as lease, sublease, license agreements, and purchase/sale contracts involving retail, industrial, corporate, and energy-related facilities.
• Draft and assess ancillary agreements like amendments, assignments, terminations, easements, nondisclosure agreements, brokerage contracts, estoppels, and similar documents.
• Oversee due diligence processes, reviewing organizational papers, environmental reports, title commitments, surveys, covenants, conditions & restrictions, easements, and coordinate closings as needed.
• Identify and analyze complex legal and business matters affecting Tesla's property portfolio, proactively managing risks while aligning with company objectives.
• Resolve lease interpretation challenges, appraise risks, and make prudent judgments related to existing and new site agreements.
• Collaborate closely with Real Estate and Lease Administration teams to address post-execution lease matters, landlord-tenant relationships, and dispute resolutions.

Candidate Profile

• Membership in good standing with the California or Texas bar or eligibility for in-house counsel registration.
• A minimum of 7 years’ experience handling advanced commercial real estate transactions, including leasing and acquisitions, either at a leading law firm or corporate legal department.
• Adaptable and well-organized individual comfortable thriving in fast-paced technological settings.
• Proven capability to work autonomously with minimal supervision, rapid learner, capable of rendering sound decisions on unfamiliar issues swiftly.
• Exceptional legal drafting and analytical capabilities.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, complemented by excellent organizational and multitasking abilities under pressure.
• Capacity to build and sustain effective working relationships across internal business units.

Compensation & Benefits

As a full-time employee, Tesla offers competitive compensation alongside a comprehensive benefits package effective from day one including medical (with options requiring no payroll deductions), dental, vision, and fertility support; health savings and flexible spending accounts; 401(k) with match; employee stock purchase plans; life and disability insurance; paid holidays and PTO; child care assistance; voluntary insurance plans; wellness programs; commuter incentives; and exclusive employee discounts.