Best Lawyers in New Jersey, United States for Land Use and Zoning Law
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Lisa John-Basta is Chair of the firm’s Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning Group. Lisa has close to 20 years of experience representing both municipalities and private developers throughout the local and outside agency land use and redevelopment entitlement process. Lisa regularly appears before governing bodies, planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment across the State on behalf of developers in connection with applications for site plan, subdivision, variances and zoning inter...
Area of Emphasis: Redevelopment: Redevelopment plans, zoning ordinances and designation of renewal areas; Property acquisition including development of appraisals in anticipation of condemnation, negotiation of acquisitions, and condemnation; Contracts between public entity responsible for implementation of redevelopment and private redevelopers (including responses to requests for proposal); Loan and grant applications and agreements in connection with governmental assistance for redevelopme...
Ted Zangari is Chair of the Sills Cummis & Gross Real Estate Department and Chair of the Redevelopment Law Practice Group. His law practice is multipronged. As Chair the Sills Cummis cross-disciplinary Redevelopment Law Practice Group, he captains a team of the Firm’s attorneys on brownfield, transit-oriented, central business district, and waterfront redevelopment projects, as well as adaptive reuse projects at obsolete or vacant corporate campuses and shopping centers. In addition...
Paul H. Schneider is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Construction, Litigation - Environmental, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning and Litigation - Real Estate. Paul H., who practices law in Red Bank, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Paul H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic an...
Donald PEPE is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Donald, who practices law in Red Bank, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donald is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Meryl A.G. Gonchar is Leader of the Sills Cummis & Gross Redevelopment and Land Use Law Practice Groups. Her practice encompasses all aspects of land use, redevelopment, zoning and related litigation. She represents property owners and developers in appearances before planning and zoning boards throughout the state, in connection with obtaining land use approvals for residential, retail, office, industrial, hospitality and mixed-use projects. She represents clients in the negotiation of r...
Donna M. Jennings is a shareholder in the Land Use and Environmental groups and a member of the Management Committee at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. Ms. Jennings has successfully handled litigation related to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) on behalf of individuals and institutions who were discriminated against by unfair zoning codes and landmarking laws. With regard to her affordable housing practice, both public and private entities benefit from Ms...
Douglas J. Janacek Co-Chairs the Real Property and Environmental Department and is a member of the firm's Executive Committee. His areas of concentration are real estate development, planning, permitting and redevelopment matters with emphasis on commercial, office and industrial developments. He has appeared before planning and zoning boards and governing bodies of many municipalities throughout the state, and also before the NJDEP, NJDOT and other state and county agencies, in connection wi...
Benjamin L. Lindeman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Litigation - Environmental. Benjamin L., who practices law in Newark, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Benjamin L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Erica Antonya Parlavecchio is an associate in the firm’s Real Estate and Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning Groups. Before joining CSG Law, Erica was an associate at a law firm in northern New Jersey. She also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Stuart A. Minkowitz, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris-Sussex Vicinages. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude , from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. Sh...
Matthew E. Gilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Matthew E., who practices law in Newark, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Corey Klein is Of Counsel to the Sills Cummis & Gross Real Estate Department. He focuses his practice on land use, redevelopment, zoning, and related litigation. He provides counsel to real estate developers regarding development proposals and handles all aspects of applications to municipal land use boards from application preparation to resolution compliance. In addition to his land use and redevelopment practice, he also handles municipal property tax appeals for commercial property ow...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.