General Counsel

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General Counsel
Duties: Provides expert legal and strategic advice to the Organization’s Board of Commissioners, Executive Director, management, and staff on a diverse and wide range of the Organization projects, programs, initiatives, financial investments, organizational concerns, and litigation. Provides legal support regarding a wide range of real estate development transactions (acquisitions and dispositions, long-term leases, property redevelopment, construction contracts, and development agreements), and commercial finance transactions (secured loans, grants, and tax credit financing). Provides advice to senior management on the legal risks to be assumed by the Organization in connection with proposed decisions or actions. Serves as a member of the Organization’s Finance and Investment Committee, which reviews proposed real estate and financial commitments for risk and financial soundness. Leads, manages, empowers, and mentors the Legal Department; supports staff development. Provides legal advice relating to the formation, amendment, and dissolution of urban renewal areas and urban renewal plans. Advises the Organization’s commissioners and staff regarding a variety of public agency, state and federal constitutional and municipal law matters, including public contracting laws, public records law, public meetings law, government ethics, laws governing urban renewal agencies, and tax increment financing (ORS 457 and Portland City Charter Chapter 15), and state/federal constitutional limits on public agency actions and authority. Provides legal services and advice for all other legal matters affecting the agency, including legal matters related to employment, public/government law, business formation and finance, environmental law, etc. Develops, implements, and monitors work plans with legal staff; plans, organizes, oversees, assigns, and evaluates the work to achieve the organization and the department’s mission, goals, and performance measures. Assists the Board and Executive Director in policy development and program implementation. Leads the Legal Department in coordinating the legal work of the Agency. Coordinates a large volume of widely varied projects with a high level of technical complexity; hires and manages outside counsel. Responsible for ensuring the Organization employees comply with all ethics and conflict of interest laws and policies. Executive sponsor for the Operations Steering Committee. Oversees and manages the Legal Department budget. Responsible for the management of all litigation matters. Performs all other relevant duties as assigned. Provides leadership and overall direction to the Legal Department in alignment with the Organization’s values. Serves as a member of the executive team supporting, developing, and achieving practices and policies that advance equity and inclusion. Responsible for managing and motivating the legal staff, creating, and maintaining an inclusive and positive work environment, and supporting staff development. Accountable for the Legal Department’s performance in all areas including service delivery, compliance with internal policies and procedures, and ethical and legal conduct of staff. Works independently, applying personal knowledge of legal principles involved in making determinations. Carries out daily operations, involving moderate to high-level of complexity, with initiative and creativity; exercises sound professional judgment, excellent problem-solving skills, and exemplary interpersonal tact. Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the underlying business of the organization and of its funding sources; provides legal and strategic advice regarding agency’s Strategic Plan and Financial Sustainability Plan. Regularly represents and speaks for the agency in official capacities, such as at commission meetings. Handles and treats all legal and business matters with the highest level of discretion and confidentiality.

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