Partner, Real Estate Department
Member, Environmental Practice Group
Practice Focus
Ms. Waeger's practice encompasses the purchase, sale and leasing of industrial and commercial real estate, the formation of business entities and the financing of industrial and commercial real property and business assets. Her clients include leading real estate developers, property and business owners, landlords, tenants, manufacturers and REITS.
Ms. Waeger joined the firm in January 2012, and was previously a partner in the Real Estate & Redevelopment practice group at Farer Fersko. She has a special focus on the oversight and negotiation of environmental insurance claims and the review, analysis, and negotiation of the new environmental insurance policies, and has played a prominent role in the negotiation and settlement of numerous insurance claims involving cost-recovery for investigative and remedial activities. She has successfully negotiated environmental insurance policies for use by clients, both in connection with the sale and redevelopment of contaminated properties and brownfields, and in connection with overall risk management programs. She also counsels clients on the use of environmental and property insurance policies as a risk management component of "green" real estate deals.
A strong advocate for the advancement of women in the commercial real estate sector, Ms. Waeger is an active member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network and the ICREW-NJ Chapter.
Professional Activities / Honors
· Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL); member of Program Committee; member of Member Development Committee.
· CREW Network: member since 1997; Board of Directors (2010-2011, 2012); Chair of Chapter Communications Task Force (2012); Board Liaison to Industry Research Committee (2011); past Chair of Member Education Committee (2010).
· ICREW-NJ: member since 1997; Past President (2006); Past Director (2002-2010); co-Chair 25th Anniversary Committee; past member By-Laws, Membership, Programs Committees.
· Member of the American Bar Association.
· New Jersey State Bar Association: Business Law Section; Director and past Chair.
· New York State Bar Association: member of Environmental Law Section; member of Environmental Insurance Committee.
· Member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
· Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent.
· Selected for inclusion in Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the Real Estate and Environmental Law practice areas.
· Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Real Estate Law and Environmental Law, since 2008.
· Listed in Super Lawyers - New Jersey Edition in the Real Estate practice area, since 2005; as one of New Jersey's Top 50 Women Lawyers (2010, 2011, 2012) and as one of New Jersey's Top 100 Lawyers (2010, 2012).
· Listed as one of Real Estate New Jersey 's "Women of Influence" (2007, 2008, 2009).
· Recipient of NJBiz "New Jersey's Best 50 Women in Business" Award (2007).
Publications / Articles / Presentations
· Planning Chair and Faculty Member, "Environmental Insurance: Market Update and the Latest on Negotiation and Claim Strategies," ALI-ABA Video Webcast, May 2011.
· Author, "Current Insurance Policies for Insuring Against Environmental Risks," ALI-ABA Course of Studies Materials, 2011 - note: first published in 2000.
· Presenter, "Environmental Insurance Nuts & Bolts: Keys to Managing Environmental Liability in Real Estate," National Constitution Center Webinar, May 2011.
· Author, "Covering Your Company's Environmental Risks: An Environmental Insurance Primer," Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal, April 2011.
· Presenter, "Environmental Insurance: Market Update, Policy Overview and Strategic Insights," The Bureau of National Affairs EHS Webinar, January 2011.
· Interviewed for "An Insider's Perspective on Environmental Insurance," Environmental Due Diligence Guide, The Bureau of National Affairs, January 2011.
· Contributing Author, "Environmental Aspects of Real Estate & Commercial Transactions: From Brownfields to Green Buildings" - Chapter: "Current Insurance Policies for Insuring Against Environmental Risks," American Bar Association, 4th Edition 2011.
· Faculty, "Environmental Law Update: Hot Topics for In-House Counsel," New Jersey Law Journal In-House Counsel CLE Seminar, November 2010.
· Faculty Member, "Emerging Issues in Environmental Insurance," New York State Bar Association, October 2010.
· Faculty, "The Impact of Environmental Law on Real Estate and Business Transactions: Brownfields and Beyond," ALI-ABA Seminar, October 2010 - note: on faculty of this national course of study since 1995.
· Contributing Author, "Brownfields - A Comprehensive Guide to Redeveloping Contaminated Property" - Chapter 15: "Environmental Insurance in Brownfield Transactions: Issues and Answers," American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, 3rd Edition 2010.
· Contributing Author, "Commercial Real Estate Transactions in New Jersey: Volume I and II - Chapter 6; Environmental Issues," New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 3rd Edition 2010.
· Author, "Women in Real Estate: What's the Issue?" GlobeSt.com Commercial Real Estate News and Property Resource, November 2008.
· Faculty, "Environmental Insurance: Emerging Issues and Latest Developments on the New Coverage and Insurance Cost Recovery," ALI-ABA, May 2008 - note: on faculty of this national course of study since its inception in 2000.
· Author, "Selected Case Law with Respect to the Owned Property Exclusion," ALI-ABA Course of Study Materials 2008.
· Presenter, "Brownfields Redevelopment: Up Close and Personal," ICREW-NJ Member Education Program, May 2008.
· Presenter, "I Spy: Spotting Non-Traditional Retail Polluters - Keeping Your Tenants Green and Clean," International Council of Shopping Centers ReCon Annual Convention, May 2008.
· Author, "Tips for Landlords and Tenants of Shopping Centers Concerning Potential Environmental Risks," ICSC Seminar materials, May 2008.
· Presenter, "An Ounce of Prevention: Evaluating and Managing Environmental Risks in Today's Marketplace," International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference, October 2007.
· Faculty, "Emerging Issues in Environmental Insurance," New York State Bar Association, November 2006.
· Workshop Facilitator, "The Critical Need to Coordinate Indemnity and Insurance Provisions in Agreements," International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference, October 2006.
· Presenter, "Environmental Insurance & Risk Management Tools Workshop - An Overview of Risk Management Tools for Contaminated Property Redevelopment," EPA Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, June 2006.
· Presenter, "Mold Coverage Issues: Past, Present & Future," Association of the Bar of the City of New York/NYSBA, March 2004.
· Faculty, "Commercial Real Estate Transactions: From Handshake to Closing Table," NJICLE 2003.
· Faculty, "ISRA 2003: "Environmental Issues in Transactions and Brownfield Redevelopment," NJICLE 2003.
· Faculty, "Legal and Insurance Tools: The Brownfields Redevelopment Tool Workshop," NAIOP 2003.
· Author, "Insurance Claims for Recovery of Environmental Cleanup Costs Including Case Law in New Jersey, Ohio and Michigan," ALI-ABA Course of Study Materials 2003 - note: first published in 1994.
· Co-Author, "Using Environmental Insurance in Commercial Real Estate Transactions," Probate and Property, ABA 2003.
· Faculty, "Risks and Rewards: When to Use Environmental Insurance," EPA In-House Symposium 2002.
· Co-Author, "The Emerging Role of Environmental Insurance in Commercial Real Estate Transactions: Issues and Answers," The ACREL Papers, 2000.