Partner, Litigation Department
Member, Environmental Practice Group
Practice Focus
Mr. Reilly concentrates his practice in condemnation, eminent domain, redevelopment, local property tax appeals and environmental and real estate related litigation. He has counseled and represented clients in numerous jury and non-jury trials, administrative hearings, and appeals. Other areas of litigation in which Mr. Reilly has been involved include land use, quiet title, construction, commercial landlord-tenant, consumer fraud and insurance coverage matters.
Representative Matters
· Settled, at time of trial, the issue of just compensation on behalf of a property owner for $10 million, inclusive of interest and as if environmentally remediated, when the government's value position at trial would have been $5.1 million.
· Successfully tried to conclusion before jury a consumer fraud act claim resulting in treble damages and attorney fees.
· Tried to conclusion a successful challenge to a municipal redevelopment area designation and redevelopment plan in Edison, NJ.
· Successfully challenged governmental taking for failure to conduct bona fide negotiations with recovery of attorney fees in Rahway, NJ.
· Has briefed and argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court and the state's Appellate Division, and has briefed before the United States Supreme Court on condemnation issues.
· Reported cases include: State, by Com'r of Transp. v. Siris, 191 N.J. Super. 261, 466 A.2d 96 (Law Div. 1983); State v. Hess Realty Corp., 226 N.J. Super. 256, 543 A.2d 1050 (App. Div. 1998), certif. den. 113 N.J. 383, 550 A.2d 484 (1988), affirmed, 115 N.J. 229, 557 A.2d 1372 (1989), cert. den. 493 U.S. 964, 110 S.Ct. 406, 107 L.Ed.2d 371 (1989); Housing Auth. v. Suydam Investors, 355 N.J. Super. 530, 810 A.2d 1137 (App. Div. 202); (aff'd in part and rev'd in part, 177 N.J. 2, 826 A.2d 673 (2003)).
Professional Activities / Honors
· Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney.
· Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent.
· Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Eminent Domain and Condemnation, since 2009.
· Listed in Super Lawyers - New Jersey Edition in the Eminent Domain practice area, since 2010.
Publications / Articles / Presentations
· Co-Author, "2012 Commercial Property Tax Appeals," Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Client Alert, February 2012.
· Contributing Author, Commercial Real Estate Transactions Handbook, Chapter 19: "Eminent Domain and Its Impact on Contemporary Real Estate Transactions," Aspen Publishers, 4th Edition 2009.
· Lecturer, "Presenting Your Case," CLE International 4th Annual Eminent Domain Seminar, April 2009.
· Guest Speaker, "Redevelopment and Condemnation Update," Central New Jersey Chapter, The Appraisal Institute, November 2007.
· Moderator, "Urban Core III - Eminent Domain Session," sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, September 2007.
· Lecturer, "Post-Kelo: Emerging Impacts and Issues in Eminent Domain," International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference, 2006.
· Lecturer, "Eminent Domain after Kelo," ICREW-NJ Members Education Event, June 2006.
· Author, "The Role of Cost of Cure and Duty to Mitigate Damages in Partial Takings," CLE International Eminent Domain Seminar, 2006.
· Workshop Participant, "New Challenges for Urban Development - The Changing Landscape of Condemnation & Redevelopment," ACREL Annual Meeting, 2005.
· Co-Author, "Condemnation: The Impact of Environmental Contamination on Property Valuation," American College of Real Estate Lawyers Program Materials, 2005.
· Author, "Kelo: What Is It All About and What Impact Will It Have In New Jersey?" 2005.
Other
· Prior to joining the firm in January 2012, Mr. Reilly was chair of the Litigation & Condemnation practice group at Farer Fersko. He was counsel with Gibbons, PC for ten years, and served for sixteen years as a New Jersey Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety.
· In December of 2006, on behalf of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Mr. Reilly testified before the environmental committees of both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature concerning important legislation affecting condemned property undergoing environmental remediation.
· Mr. Reilly serves as Corporate Secretary of The Frances Foundation for Kids Fighting Cancer Inc., a non-profit organization.