Senior Counsel

Company Profile

At CAVA we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity, and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

We Foster a Culture Built On Five Core Values

• Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in service of others
• Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious
• Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt
• Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility
• Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose
  
  

Director, Senior Corporate Counsel (Real Estate Focus)

The Director, Senior Corporate Counsel will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and collegial environment with business partners across the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant CAVA, with ambitions to share its unique offering throughout the U.S. While you will report to the VP & Senior Associate Chief Legal Officer, you will serve a critical role for CAVA as a strategic real estate legal partner and have deep exposure with the Real Estate, Construction, and Development departments, helping to make CAVA’s mission to bring heart, health, and humanity to food into a reality, supporting CAVA’s fast growth across the country. You will also have the opportunity to lead the implementation of technological solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, and speed to market.

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of the position, and such duties and responsibilities may change without notice.

What You’ll Do

• Strategize and collaborate with business partners throughout Real Estate, Construction, Development, and the enterprise on projects aimed at expanding the restaurant footprint of CAVA.
• Draft, negotiate, and finalize leases for new restaurant openings, construction agreements, architectural services agreements, estoppels, SNDAs, and other real estate agreements, with an emphasis on mitigating risk, reducing time to market for openings, providing flexibility for the Construction Team and operators, and preserving opportunities in light of future development plans.
• Leverage, promote, and develop standardized processes to drive efficiency and results, including by developing real estate legal templates, processes, and playbooks.
• Strategize and advise on CAVA’s potential entry into new markets.
• Manage and resolve day-to-day property management issues as they may arise.
• Advocate for and advise real estate teams and create dynamic partnerships with landlord counterparts.
• Participate in acquisition or disposition activity from time to time.
• Educate business partners throughout the organization on real estate and development considerations that might inform their work.
• Research legal requirements that affect real estate, development, zoning, and construction.
• Serve other business partners where their areas may intersect with new restaurant openings and other real estate opportunities.
• Operate with strategic thinking and technical ability to incorporate AI and other tools to improve accuracy, efficiency, and speed to market for real estate leases and new restaurant openings.
  
  

The Qualifications

Education & Experience

• J.D. and active license to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction.
• 5+ years of law firm and/or company legal department experience. Some law firm experience is preferred.
• Experience with real estate negotiations, with excellent drafting abilities, an attention to detail, the ability to reconcile provisions that may potentially conflict with each other, and an appreciation of business considerations.
• Experience with a wide variety of venue types, such as streets, malls, airports, and shopping centers.
• Familiarity with the areas of real estate, construction, development, and commercial transactions.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills and the ability to constructively, efficiently, and collegially collaborate with business partners.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment, be responsive, pro-active, and a self-starter capable taking projects to completion and problem-solving along the way.
• Willing to work flexibly (including, if required, at night and on weekends) and to travel, though minimal travel is expected.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to maintain stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details
• For certain positions, must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds
• Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively
• Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner
  
  

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, plus bonus and long-term incentives*
• Early Wage Access!
• Unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, plus paid opportunities to give back to the community
• Health, Dental, Vision, Telemedicine, Pet Insurance plus more!
• 401k enrollment with CAVA contribution
• Company-paid STD, LTD, Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*
• Free CAVA food
• Casual work environment
  
  

The opportunity to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing brand

• Indicates qualifying eligible positions only
  
  

CAVA – Joining “A culture, not a concept”

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of the position and such duties and responsibilities may change without notice. As an equal opportunity employer, CAVA considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or any other characteristic or protected classes as defined by federal, state, or local law.

Skills

Microsoft Office