SDG&E seeks an outstanding transactional real estate attorney with deep subject matter expertise to join the Environmental & Real Estate Law Department in the General Counsel’s Office at SDG&E’s headquarters in San Diego. This attorney will be responsible for a portfolio of complex and time-sensitive legal matters, with a focus on electric and gas utility easements, rights-of-way, franchise agreements, municipal permitting, and Tribal land rights. Internal client groups include the land services; right-of-way; corporate real estate; municipal permitting; Tribal lands; and legislative, public, and regulatory affairs teams. Internal client groups also include the project management teams for advanced clean technology, electric, and natural gas projects.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Providing comprehensive legal counseling on time-sensitive land and real estate matters to SDG&E business personnel at all levels, including land management representatives; right-of-way agents; lease administrators; real estate advisors; municipality advisors; legislative, public, and regulatory affairs managers; project managers; and upper management and executive teams.
• Negotiating, drafting, and reviewing documentation relating to SDG&E’s land and real estate transactions, including easements, leases, subleases, licenses, rights of entry, encroachment agreements, and purchase and sale agreements. These matters include addressing third-party use within utility easements and utility relocations to accommodate commercial, residential, and other development projects with an understanding of land use and real property permitting and development.
• Serving as SDG&E’s legal representative in matters relating to franchise agreements and municipal permitting. These matters include implementing franchise agreements, relocating utility facilities to accommodate municipal projects, and navigating municipal permitting requirements to allow utility work in the public right-of-way.
• Communicating with external stakeholders regarding SDG&E’s real property rights, franchise agreement and municipal permitting responsibilities, and unique compliance obligations as a regulated California utility. These external stakeholders include leadership and staff for more than 17 Tribal Nations, multiple federal and state agencies, and the 29 local governments in SDG&E’s service territory.
• Assisting client groups to resolve pre-litigation disputes and develop and implement strategic initiatives for land and real estate matters. Responsibilities include identifying legal and factual issues, drafting and reviewing external communications, responding promptly to client requests, and researching and preparing legal analysis.
• Collaborating with company lawyers in other practice groups to solve complex legal problems and to provide real estate subject matter expertise.
• Managing outside counsel as needed.
• Performing other duties as assigned.
Hybrid Schedule:
Although the schedule may vary, typically this will allow the employee to work onsite three days per week and remotely on the remaining workdays.
Must reside in Southern California or be willing to relocate upon hire.
Required Qualifications:
Requires a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from an accredited law school.
Requires the ability to lead and manage complex legal matters independently.
Requires 8 or more years of relevant experience, including experience leading complex legal matters.
Requires one of the following: (1) admission to the State Bar of California and status as a member in good standing or (2) eligibility to practice as California registered in-house counsel under Rule 9.46 of the California Rules of Court.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with the utility and energy industries, Tribal government law, and municipal law is desirable.
In-house or government experience is also desirable.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.
SDG&E is not just an energy company, we are the architects of a brighter, cleaner future. Our employees power everyday life for 3.7 million people – bringing the energy to support their passions, ambitions, and the heartbeat of our community.
We call Southern California our home. It’s where we chase our dreams and raise our families. That’s why the people who live here deserve an energy company unlike any other, and that’s why every day, SDG&E employees strive to be at the forefront of innovations to reduce emissions, modernize the electric grid, and enable our customers to make the transition to clean technologies. We’re redefining sustainability, advancing zero-emissions solutions, and driving the electric vehicle revolution.
It takes the best to build the best – join us!