Commercial Counsel
New York, NY
Chestnut Carbon – Legal /
Full Time - Exempt /
On-site
As the first dedicated Commercial Counsel at a nature-based solutions company committed to developing high-quality voluntary carbon credit projects, this highly skilled and experienced person will have substantial contract experience, a desire to work on a broad range of commercial legal matters, and an interest in advancing climate solutions through innovative business models.
This position will report to the General Counsel. The person will primarily be responsible for serving internal clients that are tasked with enrolling landowners in our Improved Forest Management project and selling carbon credits to corporate buyers.
Chestnut was founded and backed by Kimmeridge, a US-based private equity firm with offices in New York and Denver. The role is based in Chestnut’s headquarters in New York, NY. The role is expected to be based on-site in the NYC office, but there may be flexibility for the perfect candidate who lives withing 100 miles of NYC and is willing to be in office 3 days a week or more.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage, review, draft, and negotiate a high volume of commercial agreements, including long-term carbon lease agreements, NDAs, carbon purchase and sale agreements, and a wide variety of other contracts.
- Provide business-oriented product counseling to commercial teams while addressing contract issues and risks. You will need to be or become familiar with the key protocols of the relevant carbon credit registries, and how they interact with legal matters.
- Act as a thought partner and implementer as we scope and explore new business models for our existing Improved Forest Management business, as well as our burgeoning Afforestation-as-a-Service, and technology licensing product lines.
- Advise on structuring and implementation of novel agreements and business arrangements in these areas.
- Provide legal coverage for a range of ad hoc matters as they arise, demonstrating strong problem-solving and multitasking abilities.
- Depending on interest, manage the Company’s intellectual property legal matters (primarily trademarks and occasionally licensing).
- Partner closely with the General Counsel and other senior leadership to deliver timely, practical, high-quality legal support on miscellaneous other matters – you will be the second legal hire and so will occasionally be called on to assist as needed on areas outside your expertise and day to day obligations.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders across teams to support business objectives and ensure legal compliance.
Contract Review & Management
General Legal Support
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and JD or LLM from an accredited U.S. law school.
- Admitted to the bar in New York, or some other U.S. jurisdiction and willing to sit for the New York bar within a year of start date.
- 4–6 years of relevant legal experience, ideally with a mix of law firm and in-house roles.
- Prior experience in carbon, sustainability, clean energy, or broader environmental sectors highly preferred.
- Significant experience drafting and negotiating a broad array of commercial contracts.
- Product counseling experience in a commercial context.
- Demonstrated ability to "churn" through high volumes of agreements efficiently and accurately, while providing practical advice.
- Strong judgment, organizational skills, and general legal acumen the ability to quickly analyze and address unfamiliar legal issues.
- Basic exposure to real estate matters such as lease agreements, title matters, and concepts that “run with the land”, but not seeking a pure real estate attorney.
- We are a finance-oriented organization and make decisions based on risk-adjusted returns. Intermediate level understanding of basic financial concepts is strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with regulatory and licensing issues related to carbon removal or environmental commodities.
- Candidates residing in the NYC metro area highly preferred.
$175,000 - $200,000 a year
The base salary range for this position is expected to be between $175,000 - $200,000 annually, subject to the candidate’s experience, skills, certifications and qualifications.
All employees are eligible to participate in health insurance, and 401K plan benefits on their first day of employment. Chestnut Carbon pays 100% of the cost of the employees’ health/dental/vision insurance. During each fiscal year of employment, employees will be eligible to earn a discretionary annual incentive bonus, based on company and individual performance targets. The position is eligible to participate in the Company’s equity incentive program.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to everything we do. Chestnut Carbon thrives on and celebrates different views, beliefs, and values. We are committed to our talented team and partners, regardless of background or affiliation, and to actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our business. We strive to be a place where you can be you and bring yourself to work.
Chestnut Carbon is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to affirmative action planning and encourages diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran, or marital status.
