Associate Counsel, Transactions - Procurement & Contracts

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is North America's largest transportation network, serving a population of 15.3 million people. The Associate Counsel, Transactions position involves providing legal representation and support on various transactions, compliance, negotiations, and risk management for the MTA and its operating agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal representation and counsel to the MTA on assigned Matters of ordinary complexity
• Work with direct supervision from the Deputy General Counsel, direct supervisor, or more senior attorneys in the division
• Responsible for a moderately busy docket of Matters of ordinary sensitivity and with modest financial and policy exposure
• Matters assigned may include providing legal support for transactions and corporate business activities, such as gathering documents and information from internal clients and stakeholders, keeping transactional issue lists and deal closing checklists, and updating contract templates, transactional checklists, and clause libraries
• Assist more senior attorneys during contract and other negotiations, including summarizing client and opposing/counterparty positions and deal terms
• Assist more senior attorneys in performing initial reviews of contracts, agreements, and documents utilizing approved transaction checklists, with a demonstrated understanding of fundamental contracting principles
• Populate approved templates for low complexity and routine contracts and agreements
• Identify and summarize applicable legal authorities relating to business objectives, maintain contract deal term summaries, issue lists and closing checklists, and assist senior attorneys with the gathering of pertinent information and materials
• Conduct legal research regarding a wide range of issues and clearly convey conclusions and recommendations
• Produce clear and organized written work product, including correspondence and memoranda to supervisors and clients, progress notes, matter files, and other legal documents, and understand fundamental contracting principles
• Assist the Deputy General Counsel or other senior attorneys in providing in-house legal counsel on non-litigation Matters, including statutory, regulatory, and internal agency policy issues
• Respond clearly, effectively, and promptly regarding requests from supervisors and clients
• Independently manage deadlines in all assigned matters
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel or direct supervisor
• [For Environmental and Condemnation Divisions Only] Concerning litigation matters, assist more senior attorneys during witness interviews, investigations, depositions, arguments, hearings, and trials
• Provide excellent legal representation and counsel to the MTA on assigned Matters of ordinary to moderate complexity
• Work effectively with regular supervision from the Deputy General Counsel, direct supervisor, or more senior attorneys in the division
• Efficiently gather information and materials from across the agencies relevant to non-litigation and (for Environmental and Condemnation Divisions) litigation and Matters
• Support negotiations by summarizing parties’ positions in negotiations and persuasively presenting arguments in favor of client positions
• Review low-risk/value contracts effectively and based on a solid understanding of business and legal objectives
• Draft simple contracts based on standard templates, and flags and identify additional issues of basic to moderate risk for senior counsel and the client
• Identify, assemble, and thoroughly review information and materials from across the MTA relevant to contracts and agreements, and environmental, condemnation, and finance and other Matters of moderate complexity for issue spotting
• Support senior attorneys in dispute resolution by generating information and summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s positions
• [For Environmental and Condemnation Divisions Only] With regular supervision, handle or work with outside counsel on assigned litigation matters of ordinary complexity, including discovery motions and motions to dismiss, defending depositions, appearing at preliminary and discovery conferences, and arguing motions
• Provide excellent legal representation and counsel to the MTA on assigned Matters of moderate complexity
• Handle a heavy or demanding docket of Matters, including matters of significant sensitivity and financial and policy exposure
• Handle Matters that include multiple counterparties, and are able to organize large volumes of factual and legal information in an organized and cohesive manner
• Produce written work product that is sophisticated, thorough, and, where appropriate, persuasive
• Handle low to moderately complex issue negotiations professionally and effectively, and identify and mitigate risks that could impact the contract, agreement, or compliance matter
• Review moderately complex contracts, agreements, and other documents with a high degree of skill reflecting the direction provided by the client and supervisor
• Draft clear and concise provisions for moderately complex contracts, agreements, and other documents with a high degree of skills reflecting the direction provided by the client and supervisor
• Organize large volumes of factual and legal information and assemble it in an organized and cohesive manner
• Participate in dispute resolution discussions with the approved authority with the ability to adeptly assess the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s position on low to moderately complex disputes
• Provide legal counsel on non-litigation Matters independently regarding routine issues and with supervision on more complex issues
• Review and advise the client regarding proposed new agency policies, rules, and procedures
• Establish strong and collaborative relationships with internal clients and successfully communicate complex legal issues
• Identify legal risks and communicate them to internal clients or the Deputy General Counsel or supervisor where appropriate
• At times, supervise the work of other attorneys on Matters staffed with multiple lawyers or on Matters assigned to less experienced attorneys
• [For Environmental and Condemnation Divisions Only] With regular supervision, handle or work with outside counsel on assigned litigation matters of ordinary to moderate complexity, including making and defending summary judgment motions and motions made on an expedited basis, and taking depositions

Skills

• JD from an accredited law school and licensed to practice law in New York. A recent law school graduate who has taken the New York Bar but not yet been admitted to practice in New York may serve in the position at Level 1 for a period not to exceed one year
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong legal research and writing ability
• Knowledge base and practice skills relating to the various practice areas and responsibilities of this position
• A minimum of 1 year of relevant law firm or in-house experience
• Public sector legal experience, particularly in New York City or New York State
• Transportation sector experience

Company Overview