Thomas Jay Hall is Senior Counsel to the Firm's Real Estate Department and focuses his practice on Land Use and Development Law. He counsels clients on a variety of land use and environmental issues, including representing them before planning boards and boards of adjustment seeking approval of planned unit developments, subdivisions, site plans and variances; and for applications for permits before the Department of Environmental Protection. Mr. Hall has also appeared in administrative, trial and appellate courts. Prior to entering the practice of law in 1983, Mr. Hall enjoyed a long career in public service positions related to regional planning and land use for the State of New Jersey. These included serving as Policy and Planning Specialist in the Office of the Governor, Project Manager for the Farmland Preservation Demonstration Program, and as Supervisor for the Statewide Planning Section of the Division of State and Regional Planning. Mr. Hall has been selected for inclusion in the 2006-2011 editions of Chambers USA®* published by Chambers & Partners under New Jersey Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, the 2007-2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®* published by Woodard/White under Real Estate Law and the 2009-2011 editions of New Jersey Super Lawyers®* published by Thompson Reuters under Land Use/Zoning. *For ranking methodologies, please see www.chambersandpartners.com, www.bestlawyers.com and www.superlawyers.com. Affiliations Member, Land Use Law Section, New Jersey State Bar Association Member, Board of Directors (1989-1995), Land Use Law Section, New Jersey State Bar Association Chair, (1994-1995), Land Use Law Section, New Jersey State Bar Association Member, Environmental Law Section, New Jersey State Bar Association Member, Environmental Law Section, American Bar Association Adjunct Faculty Member, Government Services Training Program, Rutgers University Member, Plainsboro Township Planning Board (1993-2008) Member, Township Committee (1993 -1998), Plainsboro Township Member, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), (Retired) Representative on behalf of the National Association of Industrial Office Parks (NAIOP) on the Great Swamp Watershed Advisory Board Committee Former Chair, Permit Reform Task Force, NAIOP (1995-1996) Authored Articles 1/28/2008, Thomas Jay Hall - Will COAH's New Rules Work? 10/22/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - Good Intentions, Bad Planning 6/25/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - Emphasizing the Action, Not the Plan 4/2/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - Land Use Decisions: Fortune Favors the Prepared! 3/26/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - Smart Bargaining or Illegal Exactions? 12/18/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Return of the New Jersey State Plan: Does Anybody Care? 10/23/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Commercial Development and COAH: A Bad Mix? 6/12/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Land Use Policy Scrutinized 3/27/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Good Planning and Land Use 9/26/2005, Thomas Jay Hall - Twenty Years of State Planning: Where Are We Going? 6/20/2005, Thomas J. Hall - Landowner Equity is Missing in the Highlands 3/7/2005, Thomas Jay Hall - Land Use Law in 2005: The View From Here 3/1/2005, Thomas Jay Hall, Kevin J. Moore and Ted Zangari - Opinion: Some Good News for Developers 2/28/2005, Thomas Jay Hall, Kevin J. Moore and Ted Zangari - A Modest Prescription for Land Use Reform 3/29/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - Storm-Water Regs Target Land Use 3/8/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - COAH Publishes Proposed New Regulations On Affordable Housing Policy: Now What? 9/29/2003, Thomas Jay Hall - 'Growth Share' Approach to Affordable Housing Paves Way for Less Growth 6/16/2003, Thomas Jay Hall - The Supreme Court Shortens the Lives of Approved Projects 3/17/2003, Thomas Jay Hall - There's a New Map in Town 9/30/2002, Thomas Jay Hall - 'Mount Laurel' Litigation: The Next Chapter 6/18/2002, Thomas Jay Hall - And Not a Drop to Drink - The drought has brought utility infrastructure to the fore in the land development process 3/18/2002, Thomas Jay Hall - "Smart Growth" - The Next Big Thing? 10/1/2001, Thomas Jay Hall - The Death of Comprehensive Planning 9/1/2001, Thomas Jay Hall - Back To The Cities: A Room For A Million 3/13/2000, Thomas Jay Hall - Suburban Sprawl's New Flow Regulators Related Press Releases 6/10/2011, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Continues to Maintain High Rankings in the 2011 Edition of Chambers USA Guide to Leading Business Lawyers 3/21/2011, Sills Cummis & Gross Announces Its 2011 New Jersey Super Lawyers 8/9/2010, Sills Cummis & Gross Attorneys Continue to be Honored in The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 3/22/2010, Sills Cummis & Gross Announces Its 2010 New Jersey Super Lawyers 8/5/2009, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Retains Prestige in 2010 Best Lawyers ® 6/18/2009, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Holds High Standing in Chambers USA Guide to Leading Business Lawyers 3/26/2009, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Announces Its 2009 New Jersey Super Lawyers 10/28/2008, Highest Accolades from Best Lawyers ® for Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. 7/1/2008, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Maintains Merit in Annual Chambers USA Guide to Leading Business Lawyers 4/17/2008, Sills Cummis & Gross Attorneys Author New Jersey Land Use Treatise 11/1/2006, 26 Sills Cummis Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2007 11/16/2005, Precedent-Setting Meadowlands Land Use Victory Relevant News 10/18/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Tomu Lawyer Speaks Out 10/18/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - All Growth Has Ties To COAH 5/29/2006, Tom Hall - Zap - Your Zoning Powers Have Disappeared 4/17/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Air Traffic Control 1/1/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - Court Tosses Out Land Use Regs in Favor of Developer 11/21/2005, Thomas Jay Hall - Housing Obligations 11/17/2005, Thomas Jay Hall - Court Tosses Out Communities' Land Use Regs in Favor of Developer 10/1/2004, RealShare EXCLUSIVE: Development Plan, Home Rule, Corruption, Remain Challenges Relevant Events 5/12/2008, Thomas Jay Hall - 2008 Land Use Institute 5/2/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - 2007 Land Use Institute 4/18/2007, Thomas Jay Hall - 58th Annual Atlantic Builders Convention 6/13/2006, Thomas Jay Hall - COAH and the State Plan 9/30/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - RealShare NEW JERSEY 9/29/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - The New Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act - ICLE 8/18/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - The New Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act - ICLE 5/14/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - 2004 Land Use Institute 4/22/2004, Thomas J. Hall/Ted Zangari - International Council of Shopping Centers' New Jersey Alliance Program 3/11/2004, Thomas Jay Hall - How the New Stormwater Regulations will Affect Developers, Municipalities & Public Entities: A Nuts and Bolts Guide 4/30/2003, Thomas Jay Hall, Chair, Land Use Institute |