Description
We’re looking for a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative mid-level associate attorney to join our transactional practices. This role is for a lawyer who enjoys sophisticated deal work and wants to apply transactional skills across a broad range of projects involving airports, real estate and mixed-use development, transportation systems, infrastructure, construction, energy, rail and transit, public finance, public procurement and project delivery, and land development. The ideal candidate brings strong commercial instincts, excellent judgment, and a desire to take ownership of complex matters. The work is sophisticated, varied, collaborative, and rarely routine.
The position is designed for a true general transactional associate who will initially develop a strong foundation across the Firm’s deal-oriented practices rather than being confined to a single narrow lane. Depending on expertise, this mid-level associate would be placed in our Real Estate, Projects, or Airports Practice Area and would be based in Denver. The associate will have the opportunity to work on a range of project development, real estate, infrastructure, procurement, construction, financing, and commercial matters, gaining exposure to different client types, transaction structures, regulatory issues, and industry contexts. Over time, and in collaboration with Firm leadership, the associate will be expected to transition toward a more defined industry or practice-area focus based on demonstrated strengths, client needs, and professional interests.
Why consider us?
Operating outside the “Big Law” model, our collegial and collaborative firm gives associates the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility early, build strong client relationships, and grow professionally through work that is both challenging and impactful.
We are a fast-growing national specialized law firm devoted exclusively to helping clients solve problems involving the nation’s most complex and high-profile projects in airports, real estate, land use, infrastructure, project financing, rail, transit, renewable energy, environmental, conservation, and tribal law. While the Firm is loosely organized into primary practices areas, we pride ourselves on complex, collaborative work that engages us beyond the boundaries of traditional legal disciplines, and associates will regularly work with colleagues across all our practice areas.
Founded in 2003 to provide an alternative to the “business of law as usual,” we are proud to be recognized both for the quality of our work and for the opportunities we provide associates to learn, develop meaningful expertise, and build long-term careers. Our associates receive substantial responsibility, direct client contact, and a clear path toward partnership.
In this role, you will:
Serve as a key member of our transactional team supporting projects involving airports, infrastructure, transportation, real estate development, public-private partnerships, and project delivery.
Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of agreements, including development agreements, acquisition and disposition documents, easements, leases, construction and procurement contracts, design-build agreements, and related project documentation.
Advise public and private clients regarding project development, infrastructure delivery, real estate transactions, funding structures, procurement strategies, and construction matters.
Build broad transactional experience across the Firm’s practices while developing the judgment, client skills, and subject-matter fluency needed to grow into a more specialized role in a particular industry or practice area.
Requirements
You will excel in this role by:
Having approximately 3 to 5 years of transactional legal experience; candidates with more extensive experience are also encouraged to apply.
Demonstrating exceptional drafting, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Showing intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, and a demonstrated interest in learning how public sector, commercial, and infrastructure issues intersect in complex client matters.
Adapting quickly in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment to successfully multi-task and manage deadlines and proactively address client matters.
Demonstrating an ability to think through complex legal and business issues and work collaboratively to advise our clients on creative means of achieving their objectives.
Having a high comfort level in working both independently and in a team environment.
Taking initiative by being action-oriented, immediately responsible for and responsive to your client, delegating intelligently, and seeking opportunities for personal improvement.
You will stand out from other candidates if you have one or more of the following:
Have experience with complex commercial or real estate transactions involving multiple stakeholders and regulatory frameworks, ideally in infrastructure, airport, transportation, or redevelopment projects.
Have experience drafting or working with construction contracting and project delivery methods, including design-build and progressive design-build.
Have an entrepreneurial mindset with a collegial, team-focused approach to legal practice.
Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and attentively listen, actively engage, and effectively communicate complex matters.
Are excited by the prospect of a highly creative practice of law, where developing solutions to client matters is difficult, nuanced, and rarely routine.
All candidates must have achieved a law degree from an accredited law school and be admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction (CO, NY, or CA, preferred).
Position details:
This is a full-time position to be located in Denver, CO. We have an annual expectation of 1,600 billable hours for our associates, and we have incorporated our values into this target by including an unlimited amount of approved pro bono hours when meeting this target. This position requires periodic travel for client meetings, industry conferences, and opportunities to visit with colleagues in other Firm offices. The salary range is $172,000 - $190,000 commensurate with experience. We offer medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, STD, LTD, group term life insurance, 401(k), flexible PTO, and parental leave. The Firm will also cover some public transportation costs. We are currently working in a hybrid environment, which may allow for remote work as business needs allow.
The Firm is actively committed to fostering the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, disability, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.
If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing
HR@kaplankirsch.com