About the Role
Chelsea Piers is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as its primary in-house legal resource and strategic legal partner to senior leadership. This is a hands-on role requiring a pragmatic, business-oriented attorney who is comfortable operating as a generalist, managing relationships with outside counsel, and advising senior leadership on legal risk and strategy. The role suits an experienced attorney looking for an in-house position with a positive work-life balance.
Responsibilities
- Review, draft, and negotiate customer and client agreements for events, facilities, memberships, and programming.
- Review and negotiate commercial leases, license agreements, and real estate-related documents.
- Review and negotiate construction contracts, contractor agreements, vendor agreements, and service contracts.
- Develop and maintain a library of standard form agreements and contract templates.
- Advise on contract risk, indemnification, liability, and insurance requirements.
- Draft and review legal notices, demand letters, cure notices, and formal correspondence.
- Respond to or coordinate responses to legal inquiries from counterparties, landlords, and tenants.
- Manage notice and deadline tracking for material contracts and leases.
- Manage Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) communications and lease compliance.
- Coordinate general liability response for slip-and-trip and similar claims.
- Advise senior leadership on legal risk across business decisions, transactions, and operations.
- Identify and flag legal exposure proactively; recommend risk mitigation strategies.
- Support HR on employment-related matters including offer letters, separations, policies, and disputes.
- Oversee and manage outside counsel relationships, including matter assignment, budget oversight, and quality control.
- Assist with regulatory compliance, permits, licensing, and government filings as needed.
- Organize and maintain the legal file system.
- Serve as a thought partner to senior leadership on legal structure, risk tolerance, and organizational priorities.
- Develop and maintain a legal framework for the organization's operations, including policies, procedures, and governance.
- Evaluate when outside counsel is necessary versus when matters can be handled in-house.
- Track legal and regulatory developments relevant to the sports, fitness, hospitality, and real estate sectors.
Requirements
- J.D. from an accredited law school; admission to the New York State Bar (or eligible for in-house counsel registration).
- Minimum 8 years of legal experience, including meaningful exposure to commercial transactions and general corporate matters.
- Demonstrated experience with commercial real estate, leasing, and/or construction contracts.
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills across a broad range of agreement types.
- Comfortable advising senior business leaders and operating without close supervision.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent matters in a fast-moving operational environment.
- Familiarity with the NYC commercial real estate market and local regulatory environment.
- Employment law experience sufficient to support HR on routine matters.
- Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.
- In-house experience, ideally in sports, hospitality, entertainment, fitness, or consumer-facing industries.
- Practical thinker with strong problem-solving skills.
Skills
- Commercial transactions
- General corporate matters
- Commercial real estate
- Leasing
- Construction contracts
- Contract drafting
- Contract negotiation
- Legal risk assessment
- Legal strategy
- Employment law
- Outside counsel management
- Problem-solving
Location
- New York, NY
Work Type
- Full-time
- Part-time
Experience Level
- Minimum 8 years of legal experience
Education Level
- J.D. from an accredited law school
- Admission to the New York State Bar
Salary/Compensations
- $200,000.00 - $250,000.00 Salary/year
About the Company
- Chelsea Piers is one of New York City's premier sports, fitness, and event destinations, spanning more than 28 acres on the Hudson River waterfront.
- The organization operates a diverse portfolio of businesses including sports training and athletic programs, fitness clubs, event and production facilities, and youth development programs across multiple locations.
