Legal Counsel, Real Estate Leasing & Transactions

Job description

Crusoe is on a mission *to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence*. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster. We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI. We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services. If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe. **About This Role** The Legal Counsel, Real Estate Leasing & Transactions will play a key role in supporting the company's large-scale real estate leasing and development programs. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, Real Estate, you will lead contract drafting, negotiation, and execution for hyperscaler and colocation leasing agreements, ground lease agreements, and complex data center occupancy agreements. In this high-impact position, you will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely and strategic legal support across all of Crusoe's data center leasing and development projects. This role is ideal for a candidate who can navigate the technicalities of a complex ground lease as easily as the operational needs of a data center occupancy agreement. This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires being in-office 5 days/week. (#INDCORP) **What You'll Be Working On** - **Leasing Transactions:** Own the full lifecycle of leasing transactions — from initial Letters of Intent (LOIs) through negotiation, execution, and post-closing administration — across ground leases, build-to-suit leases, colocation agreements, and data center occupancy agreements. - **Customer & Tenant Agreements:** Draft, negotiate, and execute customer leases, tenant agreements, and specialized data center service agreements tailored to Crusoe's operational and commercial requirements. - **Real Estate Transactions:** Support the review, negotiation, and execution of real estate agreements including site selection, Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs), options, and easements in support of Crusoe's expanding footprint. - **Lease Due Diligence:** Conduct and coordinate legal due diligence on leasehold interests, title matters, and landlord/tenant obligations across Crusoe's portfolio of data center sites. - **Structured Leasing:** Advise on and support complex lease structures including synthetic leases, sale-leaseback transactions, and ground lease financings in coordination with the finance and tax teams. - **Portfolio Management:** Develop and maintain a suite of standardized lease templates, forms, and playbooks to streamline negotiations and ensure consistency across Crusoe's growing real estate portfolio. - **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Partner with Power Engineering, Construction, Finance, and Tax to align leasing strategy with site development timelines, power procurement needs, and financial objectives. - **Stakeholder Advisory:** Present complex leasing and real estate concepts clearly and effectively to non-legal stakeholders during meetings and in written reports. **What You'll Bring to the Team** - **Education:** Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school. - **Licensure:** Active bar admission in any state. - **Experience:** 5–7 years of experience focused on commercial real estate leasing, with meaningful exposure to ground leases, build-to-suit transactions, and complex occupancy agreements. Experience in data centers or large-scale industrial development is strongly preferred. - **Leasing Expertise:** Deep knowledge of landlord/tenant law, leasehold financing, and the negotiation of complex lease terms including rent structures, tenant improvement allowances, assignment and subletting provisions, and termination rights. - **Technical Skills:** Excellent negotiation and drafting skills with a proven ability to manage high-volume, high-stakes leasing environments. - **Problem Solving:** Strong judgment and analytical abilities with a "self-starter" mentality and the ability to manage multiple active transactions simultaneously. - **Sector Expertise:** Experience with data center leasing, colocation agreements, or large-scale industrial or technology-driven real estate is strongly preferred. **Bonus Points** - Experience with synthetic lease structures, sale-leaseback transactions, or ground lease financings. - Previous experience at a law firm or in-house team specializing in commercial real estate leasing or data center transactions. - Familiarity with the legal nuances of digital infrastructure, hyperscale development, or AI cloud scaling. **Benefits:** - Competitive compensation and equity packages - Restricted Stock Units - Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs - Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance - Employer contributions to HSA account - Paid parental leave - Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability - Professional development & tuition reimbursement - Mental health & wellness support - Commuter benefits (parking & transit) - Cell phone stipend - 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary - Volunteer time off - Global travel insurance & emergency assistance - Daily meals allowance - Additional perks & programs specific to location **Compensation Range** Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $280,000 -$320,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. (#INDCORP) Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.