Assistant General Counsel

Overview

RWE Clean Energy, LLC – To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent.

Functional area: Legal / Compliance.
Remuneration: Exempt.

Provide legal support to the U.S. renewable energy business team (wind, solar, and battery) in connection with the development and construction of projects in certain areas of the United States, as determined by management.

The Assistant General Counsel (AGC I) will serve as the primary point of contact on the legal team for the applicable development team. An attorney who excels in this role will provide proactive, business-oriented counsel from initial site control until commercial operations for each project. This role involves providing legal advice related to the real estate aspects of renewables development, including drafting, negotiating, and managing a wide variety of real estate documents required for development and construction of renewable energy projects (e.g., leases, easements, purchase options, co-tenancy agreements, shared facilities agreements, crossing agreements, and permitting agreements).

Work will also include due diligence analyses and curative efforts related to project development, including review of title and survey documents, negotiation of curative instruments with third parties, and negotiation of title insurance solutions and policy forms with title insurers. It also involves oversight of discretionary local and state zoning processes for renewable development projects, requiring proactive coordination of internal teams, outside counsel, consultants, and community stakeholders.

This role involves managing a high volume of work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and tight deadlines. A successful candidate will have strong project-management capabilities and experience prioritizing competing deadlines while maintaining accuracy. The role requires effective collaboration with, and management of, support staff and other business partners to support the Company’s real estate developers in connection with various real estate legal issues related to acquiring land and development rights for prospective renewable energy projects.

Position requires (a) close alignment and cooperation with the Company’s Legal Department’s teams in Austin, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois (which may include travel 5% of the time), (b) close alignment with the business partners the Legal Department supports, and (c) demonstrated ability to apply a practical, rather than theoretical, focus to legal issues with a view to viable business solutions.

• General
  • Paramount is the ability to see the big picture as to how real estate and permitting risks fit into the overall project lifecycle and risk review; develop an understanding of interconnection, energy marketing, environmental, regulatory, and procurement topics
  • Serve as regional or department legal lead for certain projects to support development and construction
  • Collaborate with, delegate to, and provide mentorship to junior attorneys and other legal staff in the real estate and permitting department to ensure efficient, cost-effective workflow and task distribution
  • Proactively resolve real estate and permitting challenges by identifying practical, risk-mitigating solutions rather than merely escalating issues
  • Coordinate with engineering, development, procurement, and transmission teams to align project milestones, attending regular project meetings and providing updates on real estate and permitting risks
  • Support development team in negotiation of various real estate documents (including site control agreements, permit documents, and title curative instruments), analyzing counter parties’ positions, and developing pragmatic resolutions balancing business needs with risk management
• Site Control Efforts
  • Prepare forms of various real estate documents (including leases, purchase agreements, easements and crossing agreements) and oversee a high volume of draft production
  • Facilitate the purchase of property for renewable project assets like substations, BESS sites, and O&M buildings
• Manage relationships with title companies and surveyors to secure pro forma title commitments and…