Knowledge & Innovation Attorney - Real Estate

At Fried Frank, we're a community of 800 lawyers and 500 business services professionals across New York, Washington, DC, London, Frankfurt, and Brussels. We advise leading corporations, investment funds, and financial institutions on high-stakes M&A, securities, regulatory matters, real estate, and litigation. Our culture is grounded in our core values — excellence, integrity and collaboration — and is designed to foster continuous learning, meaningful mentorship, and lasting professional growth. We are firmly committed to pro bono service and social justice, building on a proud legacy in civil rights. Our inclusive talent strategy is a core part of our broader talent management efforts and we remain steadfast in fostering a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and become their best professional and personal selves. Our business services professionals are integral to the firm's success, driving innovation, operational excellence and exceptional client service across all areas of the firm. We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including comprehensive medical coverage, retirement plans and health and wellness initiatives designed to support your personal and professional wellbeing. We welcome passionate, driven individuals to join us, and be part of a team where you'll be supported, inspired and empowered to build an exceptional career.

Position Summary:

The Knowledge & Innovation Attorney ("K&I Attorney") – Real Estate  serves as the practice group's primary advisor on legal technology innovation and knowledge architecture. Working under the Director of Knowledge Innovation, and with Real Estate Practice Group Management, Research & Intelligence, and Legal Solutions & Engineering, this role drives the evaluation, piloting, procurement, and deployment of new legal technology solutions for the Real Estate practice. The K&I Attorney leads substantive training on new tools and solutions, serves as an advisor on client restrictions and data considerations, and provides guidance on which tools to use in which contexts and how to message technology adoption to clients. The K&I Attorney also serves as the knowledge architect for the Real Estate practice, designing and maintaining efficient systems for knowledge management, including standard forms, precedents, databases, and research resources, and promoting best practices to increase efficiency within the practice group through process improvement and legal technology. This role encompasses active thought leadership by monitoring market developments, supporting client alerts, and collaborating across the Firm to advance the delivery of legal services.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve as the AI and innovation advisor for Real Estate by coordinating with Practice Group Management, Real Estate attorneys and paralegals, and Legal Solutions & Engineering to evaluate, pilot, procure, and deploy modern practice solutions.
• Serve as the knowledge architect for Real Estate, providing legal, market, and practical expertise through designing and supervising the practice group's intelligence in conjunction with the Research & Intelligence team.
• Oversee the substance of trainings on new practice solutions and AI tools deployed for the Real Estate practice; monitor and keep attorneys and other relevant Real Estate team members informed about important legal, business, and technology developments through supporting the research, writing, and publication of external client alerts as well as assisting with know-how best practices and other legal services processes.
• Partner with Practice Group Management and Legal Solutions & Engineering to identify, evaluate, pilot, procure, and build practice solutions for Real Estate, including AI tools, document automation software, and client-facing applications; advise attorneys, paralegals, and other relevant Real Estate team members on client restrictions and data considerations, guidance on which tools to use in which contexts, and appropriate messaging to clients regarding technology adoption.
• Develop, implement, and maintain guidelines, best practices, and taxonomies for the Real Estate practice group that govern how documents and emails are captured, classified, stored, and retrieved within the Firm's document management system to ensure consistency, accessibility, and compliance.
• Advise clients, along with attorneys, paralegals, and other relevant Real Estate team members, on our suite of practice solutions and how we are delivering value with our innovation investments; keep client collateral up to date for ease of distribution.
• Test, evaluate, and champion AI tools and other legal technology solutions for the Real Estate practice, working closely with Legal Solutions & Engineering to assess suitability, manage pilots, support procurement decisions, and oversee deployment.
• Serve as the Real Estate practice's primary advisor on client restrictions and data considerations relating to the use of AI and technology tools, providing clear guidance to attorneys, paralegals, and other relevant Real Estate team members on permissible use, risk mitigation, and compliance with client-specific requirements.
• Track and communicate developments in the legal AI and technology landscape relevant to real estate practice, sharing insights with practice leadership and the broader knowledge and innovation community within the Firm.
• Create, develop, maintain, and promote standard forms, precedents, checklists, data systems, procedures/guidelines, and other substantive content in partnership with the Research & Intelligence team for Real Estate, ensuring such content is continuously up-to-date and accurately recorded.
• Work with associates and Research & Intelligence to establish processes to capture matter descriptions and categorizations in the matter profiling system and ensure full matter profiles are updated to reflect the work conducted.
• Assist with valuable precedent information; periodically review transaction information, highlight trends, and make recommendations for template form changes, refined due diligence focal points, and negotiating positions.
• Participate in Knowledge & Innovation department meetings to facilitate the sharing of best practices and knowledge, and perform such other duties as requested by the Director of Knowledge Innovation.
• Coordinate with other support groups and departments of the Firm, i.e., Business Development and others, to improve content, procedures, and communications to streamline processes and satisfy various departmental needs, including trainings.

Qualifications:

• J.D.-qualified and at least 5 years of commercial real estate legal experience. Prior experience in legal technology evaluation, AI tool deployment, knowledge management, or process innovation is highly preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of commercial real estate legal practices and documents.
• Demonstrated ability to advise on client restrictions, data considerations, and AI/technology use policies, including the capacity to translate complex technical and risk considerations into clear, practical guidance for attorneys and clients.
• Prior involvement in developing policies, procedures, or training materials related to document management, records management, or information governance is strongly preferred.
• Outstanding communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong legal research and drafting skills, including high proficiency in legal research techniques, knowledge of online research tools and industry resources, and familiarity with AI-powered legal tools and their practical application in a law firm context.
• Strong leadership skills, excellent project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Well-developed and professional interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with people at all organizational levels of the Firm.
• Proficiency in document management search functionality and systems.
• Proficiency in designing and delivering substantive trainings on new legal technology and AI solutions, including the ability to translate complex tool functionality into practical guidance for attorneys.