By Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.
Justin Xenitelis clearly loves his job, his law school and his involvement in the community.
A 2006 graduate of New York Law School and now associate counsel at Thor Equities, LLC in New York City, Xenitelis works in-house as part of a three-attorney corporate law department.
On a typical day, one of his primary responsibilities is to draft and negotiate legal documents, such as commercial leases with new tenants at the many retail, office and hotel properties that Thor Equities owns and manages.
“I have a very unique job,” Xenitelis said. “I represent one client and I work for that client.”
As in-house counsel, he responds to general legal matters affecting the company. Because the job requires a lot of contact with various departments, Xenitelis said communication skills are essential to his position. In addition to working with employees at his company, Xenitelis works closely with lending institutions on major deals where the lenders need to approve a lease.
Since some work is outsourced — like litigation and collections — he still maintains contact and interacts with outside lawyers on those cases. He even fields calls from management at the malls and other properties that his employer owns and manages. Having a client and employer in the same building requires him to address legal issues and questions quickly and efficiently.
Xenitelis said he enjoys working on real estate deals from beginning to end and helping the business team with decision-making and being involved with the bigger business picture.
“It’s a great experience working for a growing company,” Xenitelis said. “You get to grow with the company and you get to help form the company.”
His interest in business and real estate started in college as a pre-law and business administration double major. As a law student, Xenitelis chose to take several drafting classes, which are relevant to his real estate work every day, particularly a contract drafting course and a course on commercial leasing.
In addition, he worked for a sole practitioner while in law school, assisting with real estate transactions and leases.
“I had to do some of the basic things that I require my interns to do now,” he said. “I was always interested in the business side, and that helped guide my interest towards real estate and commercial leasing.”
Xenitelis’s new boss, who served as a part-time general counsel to a company, quickly became a mentor who introduced him to the world of in-house work.
For students who are interested in real estate law, Xenitelis said practical skills and experience — whether through an externship, transactional clinic or work — can help land the job. In fact, he said his employers were very interested in his relevant experience during the interview process, as well as in his relevant drafting coursework at NYLS.
“Think ahead,” Xenitelis said. “Gain practical skills before you practice.”
In-house work is fast-paced, sometimes with little formal training.
“I remember my first day,” he said. “I was given a file and told to abstract a lease. The fact that I abstracted leases while in school really helped a great deal.”
But the fast-paced corporate world doesn’t stop him from doing his part in the community and networking in the profession.
He’s active in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee of the New York City Bar, and a member of New York Law School’s recent graduate committee for alumni affairs.
As a law student, Xenitelis was also involved on his campus. He said staying busy and active made for a gratifying law school experience. He organized his school’s AIDS fundraiser three years in a row, and he founded the Stonewall Law Students Association, which focuses on LGBT rights.
“I think it’s important not only to attend classes, but to be involved on campus,” he said, adding that staying active teaches important practical skills, such as learning how to work with students, faculty and others in small groups.
Today, Xenitelis also oversees his employer’s legal internship program, having volunteered to supervise student interns from his alma mater.
“I think it’s important to give back, and it’s sometimes very difficult as a young attorney to devote the time outside of work to give back,” Xenitelis said. “This way, I’m able to have a good balance.”
Published in the March 2009 National Jurist and Spring 2009 preLaw magazines
