JD North America - Corporate Counsel, Real Estate​/Property Leases

Job Overview

JD Group North America is looking for an experienced real estate attorney to join our fast‑paced legal team and play a critical role in supporting our sports fashion retail brands, including JD Finish Line, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana;
Hibbett, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama; DTLR, headquartered in Hanover, Maryland; and Shoe Palace, headquartered in Morgan Hill, California.

Our North American brands operate over 2,500 stores and employ more than 40,000 employees across the United States, its territories, and Canada. This role will primarily be responsible for drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial leases, on both tenant and landlord forms, and related real‑estate agreements, including amendments; estoppels; and subordination, non‑disturbance and attornment agreements (SNDAs), for retail locations throughout the United States and Canada.

The attorney will also provide strategic legal advice on a wide range of real‑estate matters, including lease interpretation, compliance, and risk mitigation. The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of North American real‑estate laws and leasing practices, particularly in the retail sector, and will work closely with internal teams—including real estate, construction, and finance—to manage a high volume of lease transactions in a fast‑paced, growth‑oriented environment.

• Draft leases on the organization’s lease forms to comply with the approved letter of intent and negotiate with the landlord’s representative to finalize new store leases.
• Review and edit leases that are on the landlord’s form; negotiate with the landlord’s representative to finalize a lease that complies with the approved letter of intent for new and existing stores.
• Draft and negotiate amendments on company lease form or landlord’s form that have been requested and approved by the real estate/property teams.
• Draft SNDAs and estoppels on tenant’s form, as requested and required to meet the terms of the lease, as needed. Review and edit SNDAs and estoppels on lender or landlord’s form to protect the company’s rights under the terms of the lease.
• Prioritize the needs of multiple business units and manage workload accordingly.
• Work with the organizational lease administration, property management, construction, and real‑estate departments as needed to interpret lease language, provide advice and counsel, resolve issues with landlords and property management companies, and adhere to company real‑estate schedules and plans.
• Stay continuously informed of industry trends, regulatory changes, market conditions and best practices within the commercial leasing sector, and interpret how industry evolutions impact company strategy.
• Communicate relevant changes to internal stakeholders and incorporate learnings into day‑to‑day decision‑making to ensure the company remains properly positioned.
• Work with all members of the legal department on special projects as needed.
• Draft letters and correspondence as needed to communicate with landlords when lease‑related issues arise, including defaults, co‑tenancy failures and exclusive violations.
• Protect the company’s assets and financial information by ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of internal control procedures and informing management and or appropriate officials of potential fraud risk.

• Law degree from an accredited law school. Licensed to practice law in the United States and in good standing.
• 2–4+ years of related experience.
• Strong negotiation skills and attention to detail.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Negotiation, quality orientation (attention to detail), and decision quality skills needed.

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

• Ability to add,…