Paralegal - Construction and Litigation

Job Description:

The Construction Law Paralegal serves as a vital anchor within the legal department. This role is designed for a highly skilled, seasoned professional who can manage complex legal processes across the full lifecycle of construction with high autonomy and minimal supervision. The ideal candidate bridges the gap between legal strategy and field operations, collaborating cross-functionally with Project Managers, Preconstruction, Risk Management, and Leadership.

In this pivotal role, you will provide comprehensive legal support to three construction attorneys and collaborate directly with operational and project teams across the country.

Key Responsibilities

- Construction Project Pipelines : Serve as primary legal support to three construction attorneys and national construction project teams, managing substantive workflows across national construction project pipelines.
- Contract Lifecycle & Project Support

- Draft & Negotiate: Draft, review, and track complex contracts, including Owner-Contractor agreements, Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) agreements, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), and architect/designer agreements.
- Subcontractor Management: Review and track subcontractor MSAs, purchase orders, and required modifications based on local market dynamics.

- Develop Contract Response Playbooks: Create, refine, and maintain institutional contracts playbooks featuring standard fallback language, risk thresholds, and pre-approved compromise positions to streamline negotiations across project teams.
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation Support

- Prelitigation Risk Mitigation : Assist attorneys in drafting formal default/demand letters to subcontractors, managing punch-list and closeout disputes, and evaluating delay-related claims or schedule-extension documentation.
- Mechanic’s Liens: Draft, track, and manage mechanic's lien notices, lien waivers, and bond claims across multiple jurisdictions to secure corporate payment rights.

- Litigation Management: Act as an internal liaison for outside counsel during pre-litigation disputes and active lawsuits.
- eDiscovery: Lead document collection, hold notices, and responses to subpoenas and formal discovery requests.
- Risk Management & Compliance

- Warranties & Claims: Monitor, track, and process incoming warranty claims; collaborate with construction and operations teams to gather evidence and draft response strategies. Assist with project close-out requirements.
- Entity Licensing: Provide back up and support for licensing compliance for general contractor, and business licensing requirements across all regional operating markets.
- Training & Mentorship

- Field Education: Conduct training sessions for Project Coordinators, Project Managers, and Superintendents on contract policies, lien law compliance, and proper project documentation.
- Team Leadership: Mentor and guide junior paralegals, legal assistants, and administrative staff within the legal department and across other parts of the organization through liaison with legal team.
- Corporate & Real Estate Development Paralegal Support (As Needed)
- Assist with entity formations, foreign qualification filings, state annual reports, board resolutions, officer certificates, and corporate organizational charts.
- Provide transactional support for real estate development transactions.

Common Challenges in This Role

- Volume & Velocity: Balancing corporate-level governance tasks while keeping pace with fast-moving, multi-state construction project schedules.
- Bridging Communication Gaps: Translating legal requirements into actionable, practical guidance for field-based construction operations teams.

Minimum Qualifications

- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, Construction Management, or a related field; ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate highly preferred.
- Experience: 5+ years of progressive paralegal experience, including real estate.
- Technical Knowledge: Understanding of construction, development, and commercial real estate legal concepts and basic contract law; ability to interpret contracts to provide legal support and mitigate risk.
- Document Review: Ability to review and respond to title and survey, settlement statements, estoppels, SNDAs, listing and confidentiality agreements, and other basic legal documents.
- Writing: Superior writing skills for correspondence, title and survey objection letters, closing documents, and other legal documentation.
- Software Skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), legal document management, e-discovery, and corporate entity management systems and databases; familiarity with construction contract management platforms (e.g., Procore) preferred.
- Legal Tech & AI Proficiency (Preferred): Experience with legal AI tools, AI-powered contract analysis platforms (e.g., Kira, Document Draft), and generative AI assistants for drafting, contract review, and legal research.
- Core Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to multi-task and work within a defined scheduled).

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The base pay range is $36.99- 46.24/per hour. The salary may vary within the anticipated range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include commission and/or an incentive program.

Eligibility:

Position requires verification of employment to work in the U.S.

Benefits:

- Competitive Salary
- Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
- Retirement and Savings Benefits
- Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Educational Assistance
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Employee Assistance and Wellness Programs
- Family Planning & Parenting Benefits
- Employee Discount Programs
- Pet insurance
- Charitable Donation Matching
- Volunteer Time Off (VTO)
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Disclaimer: Eligibility may vary based on factors such as role, hours worked, employment status, length of service, location, and other considerations. Detailed information will be shared with eligible candidates during the hiring process, and the official terms and conditions will be outlined in each individual offer document.

Ryan Companies is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Notice to Candidates:

Please be advised that initial outreach regarding employment at Ryan Companies will only occur via email from the domain @ryancompanies.com email address. If you recieve communication from someone you believe is impersonating Ryan Companies, please report it to us at [email protected]

Non-Solicitation Notice to Recruitment Agencies:

Ryan Companies kindly requests that recruitment agencies and third-party recruiters do not submit unsolicited resumes or candidate information to any Ryan Companies employee or office. Ryan Companies will not be responsible for any fees or expenses associated with unsolicited submissions. If recruitment services are required, we will reach out directly to agencies on our approved vendor list. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.