Murphy Schiller & Wilkes is deepening one of its top practice areas land use — zoning and redevelopment — with two new hires who’ve spent their careers on opposite sides of the same table, one representing municipalities, the other representing the developers who come before them.
Jeffrey Lehrer joins the Newark-based firm’s land use, zoning and redevelopment group as of counsel, bringing more than three decades of experience representing private developers, property owners and business interests on residential, commercial, mixed-use and redevelopment projects across New Jersey.
Aileen Brennan joins as counsel, focused on redevelopment, land use, zoning, eminent domain and related litigation and transactional work. She represents developers, property owners and investors from project planning and entitlement approvals through implementation and litigation, and has extensive experience negotiating redevelopment agreements, PILOT agreements, redevelopment plans and ordinances.
“Jeffrey and Aileen are highly respected practitioners whose experience, reputation and deep understanding of New Jersey’s land use and redevelopment landscape make them tremendous additions to our firm,” Partner Chris Murphy said. “Their combined experience advising developers, property owners, investors, municipalities and other stakeholders on transformative development projects will further strengthen our ability to provide sophisticated, practical counsel to clients navigating increasingly complex development and redevelopment opportunities.”
Lehrer has spent time on the public side of the table — as township attorney for several New Jersey municipalities, as director of law in Edison, and as attorney to planning and zoning boards throughout the state. In 2011, the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys gave him its William M. Cox Award, recognizing excellence in land use law and service to local government.
Brennan’s case history includes negotiating the rehabilitation of a historic landmark into affordable housing, handling condemnation proceedings tied to major Newark development projects, and securing and defending approvals for solar energy facilities. She’s also defended zoning ordinances backing redevelopment initiatives and negotiated redevelopment and PILOT agreements along New Jersey’s waterfront communities.
