Overview

The Sr. Legal Counsel will report to the Director - Global Real Estate Counsel and work closely with Wendy’s Real Estate team including other Legal Counsel and Paralegals and will work cross functionally with the entire legal department. They will serve and support intracompany clients, including Real Estate Directors, Construction and Portfolio Management, Lease Accounting and Tax and will interact with our franchise community. The Sr. Legal counsel is the process owner and provides the finished product of a deal up to the Director.

Sr. Legal Counsel - Real Estate (New Development) will provide legal advice to key Company partners and negotiate a wide variety of real estate lease and purchase agreements and assist in the servicing of a large portfolio of real estate assets for The Wendy’s Company. Focusing primarily on new development of Wendy’s US restaurants, the Sr. Legal Counsel will support the development of new restaurant properties under Wendy’s franchise development programs, including a new build-to-suit program sponsored by the Company.

Sr. Legal Counsel’s responsibilities will include the negotiation and transactional support of ground leases and space leases in shopping centers, standalone properties and unique locations in non-traditional venues. They will oversee the negotiation and execution of agreements, due diligence reviews, consult and advise the construction team and the complete opening documentation.

They will also provide transactional support for the Real Estate, Asset Management and Portfolio Management groups throughout the life cycle of occupancy or ownership of the Company’s real estate. They will advise the Company and draft easements, lease amendments, purchase and sale agreements, and construction agreements. Sr. Legal Counsel will assist with managing condemnation/eminent domain matters, real estate litigation, acquisition/disposition activity and environmental claims, and will participate and assist with international real estate matters.

Specific Responsibilities Include

• Take direct responsibility for the majority of the U.S. new development portfolio, including drafting and negotiating new leases and purchase agreements, subleases, and related new development real estate documents. Work closely with internal real estate directors, construction managers, and lease accounting to ensure objectives and timelines are fully documented and modified as needed. Self-manage and/or work closely with outside legal counsel to assign projects based upon complexity or geography of the new development project. Perform and oversee due diligence and contingency tasks (title, survey, environmental, permitting) and manage other transactional contingencies/requirements pertaining to new development of Company and Franchise restaurants
• Take primary responsibility for the lease amendment and renewal processes, U.S. real estate litigation matters, condemnations/eminent domain, environmental and construction matters in the U.S. Take primary responsibility for all easement agreements, estoppels and subordination agreements and manage paralegals and portfolio management team in documentation processes.
• Assist System Optimization Team with portfolio transactions involving the disposition or acquisition of real property assets, including lease and document review, estoppels and consents and preparation of closing documents.
  
  

Wendy’s is the world's second largest quick-service hamburger company and was built on the premise, "Quality is our Recipe®," which remains the guidepost of the Wendy's system. Today, Wendy's and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 6,700 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand.

Education / Experience

• J.D degree from top tiered law school
• Top 20% of Law School class
• Admitted, in good standing, to the Ohio Bar (or other state bar)
• 7 years working as commercial real estate attorney with at least some law firm experience
• Customer-oriented, collaborative, and able to make independent decisions and use own judgment within company guidelines
• Demonstrated skill in disciplined execution. Able to achieve goals among competing priorities and deadlines with high attention to detail
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite of products, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Excellent written and oral communication, including persuasive and constructive feedback skills.
  
  

Wendy's is an equal employment opportunity employer who may provide reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Please note that the Wendy’s Company does not accept unsolicited résumés from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Master Service Agreement, and specific approval to submit résumés to an approved requisition, the Wendy’s company will not consider or approve payment regarding recruiter fees or referral compensations.

Wendy's is an equal employment opportunity employer who may provide reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

About The Wendy's Company

Wendy's® was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, “Quality is our Recipe®,” which remains the guidepost of the Wendy’s system. Wendy’s is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly-prepared salads, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The Wendy’s Company (Nasdaq: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company’s support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, which seeks to find every child in the North American foster care system a loving, forever home. Today, Wendy’s and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 6,700 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world’s most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising. Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys. *Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada.

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