Experience

• Serves as Municipal Attorney in Hainesport Township, and has previously served as Township Attorney to five other municipalities in Burlington County.
• Successfully argued cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Appellate Division, and Trial Courts; the Third Circuit United States Court of Appeals, and Federal District Courts of New Jersey.
• Successfully argued for the dismissal of a wrongful death/excessive force claim against a local municipality and five (5) police officers in Federal Court, which was upheld by the Third Circuit United States Court of Appeals.
• Represented a potential class of ninety-nine (99) municipalities in the State of New Jersey in successfully convincing the Federal District Court to dismiss a Civil Rights lawsuit arising from municipal ordinances regulating public intoxication, which decision was affirmed in a published decision by the Third Circuit United States Courts of Appeals, McMullen v. Maple Shade Twp., 643 F.3d 96, 98 (3d Cir. 2011).
• Secured land use approvals, tax advantages, and other entitlements for national clients building millions of square feet of warehouse, commercial, and office space in New Jersey.
• Handled over one thousand (1,000) tax appeals at both the county tax board and tax court levels, in a wide range of areas, including but not limited to residential properties, shopping centers, industrial furnace facilities, golf courses, banks, warehouses and numerous other commercial, office and industrial properties. 

Case Studies

News & Speaking Engagements

Publications

"The Professional and Ethical Obligations of Municipal Attorneys," July-August 2019 Municipal Lawyer

“Local Government Attorney Continues Consideration of Ethics," May 2019 New Jersey Municipalities Magazine 

"Time to Get Our Act Together: The Need for Civility in Local Government Dialogue," April 2019 New Jersey League of Municipalities Magazine

Opinions and Decisions

A. Federal Court Decisions:

    Third Circuit United States Court of Appeals:

1. Affinity Healthcare Group Voorhees, LLC; Dr. Kenneth Brown v. Township of Voorhees, et al, , No. 22-2769 (3d Cir. 2024)

      2.El Mujaddid v. Andrew Brewer, et al, 808 App'x 73 (3d Cir. 2020)

      3.Township of Bordentown, New Jersey, Township of Chesterfield, et al v. Federal Energy 

          Regulatory Commission, 903 3d 234 (3d Cir. 2018; Precedential)

      4. Patterson v. Strippoli/Borough of Lindenwold, 639 App’x. 137 (3d Cir. 2016)

      5. Gunter v. Lumberton Township, et al, 2013 U.S. APP. LEXIS 15735 (3d Cir.); 

          Civil Action No. 07-cv-4839-NLH/KMW

      6. McMullen v. Maple Shade Twp., 643 3d 96, 98 (3d Cir. 2011; Precedential)

   Second Circuit United States Court of Appeals:

1. In Re: World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 6222 (U.S. Court of Appeals – Second Circuit: Amicus Curiae Brief on behalf of the International Municipal Lawyers Association in support of the positions of the City of New York)

   Federal District Court of New Jersey:

      1. Affinity Healthcare Group Voorhees, LLC, et al v. The Township of Voorhees, et al, Civil Action No. 21-cv-00800-RMB-AMD, 2022 U.S. 
          Dist. LEXIS 155967 (D.N.J. Aug. 30, 2022)

      2. Patterson v. Strippoli/Borough of Lindenwold, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153120 Civil Action No. 12-cv-04688-RBK/KMW

      3. D.O. ex rel. C.O. v. Borden, Civil Action No. 10-cv-2339-NLH/AMD, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35443 (D.N.J. March 31, 2011)

      4. McMullen v. Maple Shade Twp., Civil No. 08-2902-RBK/JS, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100191 (D.N.J. Oct. 28, 2009)

      5. 832 Corp., Inc., et al v. Gloucester Twp., 404 Supp. 2d 614 (U.S. D.N.J., 2006)

      6. Sinclair v. Maple Shade Twp., 950 Supp. 208 (D.C.N.J. 1995)

B. State Court Decisions:

    New Jersey Supreme Court:

1. Winberry Realty Partners v. Borough of Rutherford, et al, 247 N.J. 165 (2021)
2. Kean Federation of Teachers, James Castiglione and Valera Hascup v. Ada Morell, Board of Trustees of Kean University and Kean University, a body corporate and politic, 233 N.J. 566 (2018) (Amicus Brief on behalf of New Jersey State League of Municipalities and New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys)
3. In The Matter of The New Jersey State Firemen’s Association Obligation to Provide Relief Application Under The Open Public Records Act (Jeff Carter), 230 N.J. 258 (2017)
4. City of Atlantic City v. Zacharias Trupos, et al, 201 N.J. 447 (Amicus Brief on behalf of New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys)
5. Madden v. Delran Township, 126 N.J. 591 (1992)

    Appellate Division:

1. Save Old York v. Township of Chesterfield, No. A-3167-22 (App. Div. 2024)

2. Arsenis v. Borough of Bernardsville, 476 NJ Super 195 (App. Div. 2023) 

3. Brigantine Marine Superstore v. Brigantine City, 2023 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 638 (App. Div. 2023)
4. Branin v. Collingswood Borough Custodian, 2015 WL 11348182 (App. Div. 2016)
5. In The Matter of The New Jersey State Firemen’s Association Obligation to Provide Relief Application Under The Open Public Records Act (Jeff Carter), 443 N.J. Super. 238 (App. Div. 2015)
6. John Paff v. New Jersey State Firemen’s Association, 431 N.J. Super. 278 (App. Div. 2013)
7. Berardi v. Pemberton Township, 2013 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1869 (App. Div. 2013)
8. Cinnaminson Township v. Bertino & Fantasy Gifts, et al, 405 N.J. Super. 521 (App. Div. 2008)
9. Newberry v. Township of Pemberton, 319 N.J. Super. 671 (App. Div. 1999)
10. K.D. v. Bozarth, 313 N.J. Super. 561, 568 (App. Div. 1998), cert. denied 156 N.J. 425 (1998)
11. Estate of Richard I. Wood, III Township of Florence, et al., 302 N.J. Super. 371 (App. Div. 1997)
12. Brinkley v. Western World, et al., 292 N.J. Super. 134 (App. Div. 1996) (brief submitted on behalf of New Jersey State League of Municipalities as amicus curiae)
13. Keuerleber v. Township of Pemberton, 260 N.J. Super. 544 (App. Div. 1992)

    Trial Court:

1. Obchinetz v. Township of Maple Shade, et al, 2015 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1524
2. Fay v. Township of Medford, et al, 423 N.J. Super. 81 (Law Div. 2011)
3. Centex Homes, LLC v. Township Committee of the Township of Mansfield, 372 N.J. Super. 186 (Law Div. 2004)
4. State v. Owczarski, 236 N.J. Super. 52 (Law Div. 1989)
5. Cinnaminson Motel Owner’s Association v. Township of Cinnaminson, 231 N.J. Super. 163 (Law Div. 1987)