VP, Real Estate Attorney

Company Profile

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.

The lawyers and other professionals within the Legal & Compliance Division (Legal) provide a wide range of services to our business units. They preserve the firm’s invaluable reputation for integrity and protect the firm with policies and procedures that meet regulatory requirements around the world.

We are hiring a lawyer to provide internal client coverage of the Corporate Real Estate group within the Corporate Services business unit at Morgan Stanley, focusing on all legal matters (primarily leasing and leasing‑related transactions) in connection with the Firm’s 600+ office and data center locations in the United States.

• Provide transactional and advisory legal support in connection with the Firm’s owned/operated/leased real estate portfolio in the United States
• Assist the Corporate Real Estate business team with the structuring, negotiation and documentation of real estate leasing transactions in the United States
• Draft, negotiate, review, and close legal documents for real estate transactions (including new leases, lease amendments, subleases, commencement agreements, license agreements, letters of intent, work letters, NDAs, estoppels, and SNDAs)
• Assist with the real estate components of firm corporate transactions (e.g., spinoffs, company acquisitions, resolution planning, tenant legal entity issues)
• Advise the Corporate Real Estate business team with respect to regulatory issues and firm policies which impact the U.S. real estate portfolio
• Instruct external counsel in connection with material real estate transactions

• 4-8 years of relevant experience in transactional real estate (including tenant or landlord side commercial leasing experience)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• First‑rate legal drafting and negotiation skills
• Proven client‑service skills
• Pragmatic and commercial‑minded with keen analytical skills and the ability to identify and resolve issues in a fast‑paced environment
• Flexible, organized, detail‑orientated, with an ability to handle pressure and tight deadlines
• Proactive self‑starter that confidently assesses and advises on legal risks with limited supervision
• Collaborative and personable, and can deftly build positive client relationships

We are committed to maintaining the first‑class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 89 years. Our values – putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back – aren’t just beliefs; they guide the decisions we make every day to do what’s best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries.

Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $95,000 and $165,000 per year at the commencement of employment. Base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long‑term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley‑sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer. We work to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where all individuals can maximize their full potential. Our skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the global communities in which we operate and who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work‑life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).