Associate Counsel – Real Estate, Corporate & Development

The Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to join PopStroke's legal team as our Associate Counsel – Real Estate, Corporate & Development, partnering directly with our General Counsel and executive leadership team.

This role is primarily focused on supporting the company's aggressive expansion strategy through sophisticated commercial real estate transactions, ground leasing, acquisitions, development, and construction matters. In addition to real estate work, you'll provide practical legal guidance across a variety of corporate legal and operational matters that arise in a fast-growing hospitality company.

We're looking for someone who enjoys solving business problems, negotiating complex transactions, and working alongside leaders who move quickly and think entrepreneurially.

If you're looking to leave the billable hour behind while still working on sophisticated, high-value transactions, we'd love to meet you.

Location: Plano (Dallas), Texas Work

Arrangement: Full-Time | In Office

Reports To: General Counsel

What You'll Do

Real Estate & Development

Lead legal support for new venue development from Letter of Intent through post construction operations.

Draft, review and negotiate:

Letters of Intent

Ground leases

Purchase and sale agreements

Easements

Development agreements

Work letters

Amendments

Estoppel certificates

Closing documents

Vendor and construction agreements

Conduct legal due diligence including review of:

Title commitments

Surveys

Environmental reports

Zoning and entitlement matters

Recorded encumbrances

Partner closely with Development, Construction, Facilities and Finance throughout every phase of a project.

Coordinate with outside counsel on specialized matters while serving as the primary internal legal advisor.

Support the company's growing real estate portfolio, including lease administration, renewals, amendments and operational matters.

Operations, Risk & Incident Management

In addition to supporting the company's growth and development efforts, this role will serve as a trusted legal partner to the business by providing practical guidance on operational legal matters that arise across PopStroke's venues.

Responsibilities include:

Review and provide legal guidance on significant guest and team member incidents.

Partner with Operations, Human Resources and Risk Management to assess potential legal exposure and recommend appropriate next steps.

Support investigations involving guest claims, team member matters and operational incidents

Assist in responding to demand letters, pre-litigation matters and other legal claims.

Help develop policies, procedures and best practices that reduce organizational risk while supporting an exceptional guest and team member experience.

Advise business leaders on legal issues impacting daily venue operations, contracts and company policies.

Coordinate with outside counsel on litigation and specialty legal matters when appropriate.

Provide practical, business-focused legal advice that balances risk mitigation with operational needs.

Corporate & Business Legal Support

Provide practical legal advice to business leaders across multiple departments.

Draft, review and negotiate a variety of commercial agreements.

Support corporate governance and general corporate legal matters.

Advise on legal issues related to venue operations, risk management and contract interpretation.

Partner with Human Resources, Operations, Marketing, Finance and executive leadership on legal questions that arise throughout the business.

Assist with claims, disputes and other legal matters as needed.

Identify legal risks while developing practical, business-focused solutions.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Work directly with senior leadership on strategic initiatives supporting PopStroke's continued national expansion.

Help improve legal processes, templates and internal efficiencies.

Develop standard legal forms and playbooks to streamline transactions.

Draft and develop materials and programs for business teams on the company's real estate strategy, operations, risk management and legal processes.

Build strong relationships across the organization as a trusted business advisor and problem solver rather than simply a legal reviewer and issue spotter.

Support special projects and other responsibilities as assigned.

What We're Looking For

Active member of the Texas Bar in good standing.

Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.

Approximately 5–7 years of relevant legal experience.

Strong experience with commercial real estate transactions and ground leasing.

Experience negotiating sophisticated commercial agreements.

Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills.

Exceptional attention to detail with strong business judgment.

Ability to independently manage multiple complex transactions simultaneously.

Highly organized with outstanding project management skills.

Collaborative, approachable and comfortable working with executives across the organization.

Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where priorities evolve quickly.

Comfortable working with technological systems and standard business applications (e.g., MS Office).

Preferred Experience

We're especially interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

Commercial real estate development

Retail, hospitality or entertainment real estate

Ground leasing

Mixed-use developments

Multi-site businesses

In-house legal experience supporting a growing company

Large law firm or sophisticated boutique real estate practice 

Why Join PopStroke?

This is more than a legal role.

You'll have a front-row seat to the continued growth of one of the most exciting brands in hospitality and entertainment.

You'll work directly with executive leadership, help shape the future of our expansion strategy, and have the opportunity to influence decisions that impact the business every day.

At PopStroke, we value ownership, collaboration, innovation and people who enjoy rolling up their sleeves to help build something special.

If you're energized by growth, enjoy solving complex business challenges, and want to be part of a company that's changing the game, we'd love to hear from you.

PopStroke is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.