Legal Counsel, Real Estate Financing & Joint Ventures
Crusoe
Location
San Francisco, CA - US
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Legal
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 Financing & Joint Ventures will play a key role in supporting the company’s large-scale real estate developments and project financings. Reporting directly to the Assistant General Counsel, Real Estate, you will lead contract drafting, negotiation, and execution for real estate acquisitions, joint ventures, and complex project finance transactions.
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 development projects. This role is ideal for a candidate who can navigate the technicalities of a synthetic lease as easily as the operational needs of a joint venture. This role is based in San Francisco, CA, and requires being in-office 5 days/week.
What You’ll Be Working On:
Real Estate Transactions: Review, negotiate, and execute agreements from inception to closing, including site selection, Letters of Intent (LOIs), Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs), options, easements, and ground leases.
Financing & Debt: Support the Assistant General Counsel in financing, debt raises, and large-scale recapitalizations.
Joint Ventures & Diligence: Conduct and coordinate legal due diligence specifically for construction loans and complex joint venture structures.
Customer Agreements: Draft, negotiate, and execute customer leases and specialized data center service agreements.
Structured Transactions: Support the legal execution of recapitalizations and other highly structured financial transactions.
Legal Operations: Develop and maintain a suite of standardized legal documents, templates, and clauses to streamline negotiations and ensure portfolio-wide consistency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Power Engineering, Construction, Finance, and Tax to support business objectives and continuously improve contracting processes.
Stakeholder Advisory: Present complex legal 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 real estate acquisitions, project finance, or power procurement.
Financial Literacy: Strong knowledge of construction financing and loan due diligence processes.
Technical Skills: Excellent negotiation and drafting skills with a proven ability to manage high-stakes business environments.
Problem Solving: Strong judgment and analytical abilities with a "self-starter" mentality.
Sector Expertise: Experience with data centers or large-scale industrial development projects is strongly preferred.
Bonus Points:
Experience with complex synthetic lease structures or tax-equity financing.
Previous experience at a law firm specializing in project finance or commercial real estate.
Familiarity with the legal nuances of digital infrastructure and 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 $218,000 -$273,000 + 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.
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.