Commercial Litigation Community Association Law Construction Law Litigation - Construction Litigation - Municipal Litigation - Real Estate Municipal Law
Dennis A. Estis
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2005 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Mr. Estis concentrates his practices on complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on construction law, condominium and community association law, public entity law and alternative dispute resolution. His practice also encompasses real estate and business disputes and general equity matters. He serves as counsel to numerous developers, condominiums and cooperatives, New Jersey municipalities, and one of the major sewerage authorities in the state. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for numerous private and public entities, and has participated as both an advocate and as a neutral in hundreds of mediation proceedings. He is an American Arbitration Association trained mediator and arbitrator and sits on the AAA’s national panel.
Mr. Estis has played a prominent role in a number of high-visibility cases. He was lead public entity counsel in one of the largest landfill cases ever conducted in New Jersey. He served as lead counsel in New Jersey for more than 100 developers involved in numerous law suits in connection with defects related to fire retardant treated (FRT) plywood, helping draft New Jersey’s FRT Plywood regulations after spearheading successful efforts to overturn the then existing FRT regulations in order to obtain greater funding for the replacement of FRT plywood.
Mr. Estis has presented and moderated programs on a broad range of topics, including alternate dispute resolution, trial practice, training and handling of experts, condominium and community association law, construction law, and real estate law. He has addressed various groups including the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Litigation Counsel of America and the Community Associations Institute.
Overview
- New York University, J.D., graduated 1972
- Johns Hopkins University, B.A., graduated 1969
- New Jersey, NJ - 1972
- New York, 1983
- Construction Lawyers Society of America - Charter Fellow
- Alternate Dispute Institute - Co-Founder
- American Bar Association - Member, ABA Forum on the Construction Industry
- American Bar Association - Member, Ethical Standards for Mediation Task Force of the Section of Litigation
- American Bar Association - Past Co-Chair, Construction Litigation Committee of the Sections of Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- American Bar Foundation - Fellow
- College of Community Association Lawyers - Fellow
- Community Associations Institute - Member
- Diversity Law Institute and Institute of Trial Presentation - Member
- Litigation Council of America - Charter Fellow
- Middlesex County (NJ) Bar Association - Former President
- National Conference of Bar Presidents - Fellow
- New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys - Senior Trustee
- New Jersey State Bar Association - Construction Law Section; Dispute Resolution Section (former Board of Directors): Nominating Committee (past Member); Equity Jurisprudence Committee (past Chair)
- New Jersey, NJ - 1972
- New York, 1983
- Construction Lawyers Society of America - Charter Fellow
- Alternate Dispute Institute - Co-Founder
- American Bar Association - Member, ABA Forum on the Construction Industry
- American Bar Association - Member, Ethical Standards for Mediation Task Force of the Section of Litigation
- American Bar Association - Past Co-Chair, Construction Litigation Committee of the Sections of Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- American Bar Foundation - Fellow
- College of Community Association Lawyers - Fellow
- Community Associations Institute - Member
- Diversity Law Institute and Institute of Trial Presentation - Member
- Litigation Council of America - Charter Fellow
- Middlesex County (NJ) Bar Association - Former President
- National Conference of Bar Presidents - Fellow
- New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys - Senior Trustee
- New Jersey State Bar Association - Construction Law Section; Dispute Resolution Section (former Board of Directors): Nominating Committee (past Member); Equity Jurisprudence Committee (past Chair)
- New York University, J.D., graduated 1972
- Johns Hopkins University, B.A., graduated 1969
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Construction Law, Woodbridge (2024)
- Litigation - Real Estate, Woodbridge (2019)
- Construction Law, Woodbridge (2018)
- Construction Law, Woodbridge (2016)
- Litigation - Construction, Woodbridge (2014)
- Construction Law, Woodbridge (2013)
- Construction Law, Newark (2010)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Commercial Litigation
- Community Association Law
- Construction Law
- Litigation - Construction
- Litigation - Municipal
- Litigation - Real Estate
- Municipal Law
Awards:
- Recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association Arthur H. Miller Lawyer Achievement Award (2013)
- Recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association David Pavlovsky Service to the Bar Award (2009)
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Tung v. Briant Park Homes, Inc., 287 N.J. Super. 232 (App. Div. 1996)
Case clarified when and under what circumstances a purchaser of the condominium unit could assert a claim for breach of the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act, N.J.S.A. 45:22A-21 et seq.
- In re Request for Solid Waste Utility Customer Lists, 106 N.J. 508 (1987)
Case clarified when a customer list may or may not be protected given the public interest considerations.
- Lamb v. Global Landfill, 111 N.J. 134 (1988)
Case clarified under what circumstances an injured party was able to extend the time for filing a Notice of Tort Claim
- Horosz v. Alps Estates, 132 N.J. 134 (1994)
Case clarified when Statute of Repose might restart running
- Nobrega v. Edison Glen Associates, 167 N.J. 520 (2001)
Case clarified when newly adopted statute undercut vesting rights of individuals
- First National State Bank v. Commonwealth Savings & Loan, 610 F.2d 164 (3rd 1980)
Case holds that specific performance is a proper remedy against the permanent lender in order for the lender to be certain and honor its standby loan commitment.
- Carlyle Towers Condo Association v. CrossLand Savings, 944 F. Supp. 341 (D.N.J. 1996)
Case clarifies the standards for by which a law firm was not required to withdraw from representation where the firm had previously represented a subsidiary of bank which was the primary defendant in an action.
- Cardell Inc. v. Piscatelli, 277 N.J. Super. 149 (App. Div. 1994)
Case clarifies when a court is determined to have abused its discretion in not permitting the filing of an amended counter- claim.
- Appeal of Adoption of N.J.A.C. 5:25A-1.1, 266 N.J. Super. 625 (App. Div. 1993)
Case limited the ability of an administrative department to adopt regulations when they were contrary to the legislative intent behind the subject statute.
- Jersey City v. Roosevelt Stadium Arena, 210 N.J. Super. 315 (App. Div. 1986), certif. den., 110 N.J. 152 (1988)
Case held that formal governmental action was required in order to approve a settlement where a municipality is a party to the action.
- Vines v. Orange Memorial Hospital, 192 N.J. Super. 496 (App. Div. 1984)
Case established that failure to issue summons for a lengthy period of time still did not justify dismissal of the action unless prejudice can be shown.
- Fidelity Land Development v. Reider & Sons Building & Development Co., 151 N.J. Super. 502 (App. Div. 1977)
Case provided that mere paper transfer of title by mortgagor to its principal stockholder did not cause the note to accelerate.
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