In 1977, I handled my first complex condominium construction case on behalf of an association and had the opportunity to develop my skills in the areas of condominium law and construction law. After taking every deposition personally and spending nine months on trial, my client recovered more than $3 million. From that point forward, I felt confident in my ability to handle any matter of this nature.
Mr. Estis concentrates his practices on condominium and community association law and complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on construction law, public entity law and alternative dispute resolution. His practice also encompasses real estate and business disputes and general equity matters. He has served as counsel to numerous condominiums and cooperatives, developers, New Jersey municipalities, and one of the major sewerage authorities in the state. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for numerous private and public entities, and has participated as both an advocate and as a neutral in hundreds of mediation proceedings. He is an American Arbitration Association trained mediator and arbitrator and sits on the AAA’s national panel.
Mr. Estis has played a prominent role in a number of high-visibility cases. He was lead public entity counsel in one of the largest landfill cases ever conducted in New Jersey. He served as lead counsel in New Jersey for more than 100 associations and developers involved in numerous law suits in connection with defects related to fire retardant treated (FRT) plywood, helping draft New Jersey’s FRT Plywood regulations after spearheading successful efforts to overturn the then existing FRT regulations in order to obtain greater funding for the replacement of FRT plywood.
Mr. Estis has presented and moderated programs on a broad range of topics, including alternate dispute resolution, trial practice, training and handling of experts, condominium and community association law, construction law, and real estate law. He has addressed various groups including the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Litigation Counsel of America and the Community Associations Institute.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Honors & Awards
- Inducted as a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals New Jersey Chapter (2017)
- Litigation Counsel of America Senior Charter Fellow
- American Bar Foundation Fellow
- College of Community Association Lawyers Fellow
- National Conference of Bar Presidents Fellow
- Construction Lawyers Society of America Fellow
- Recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association Arthur H. Miller Lawyer Achievement Award (2013)
- Recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association Robert J. Cirafesi Chancery Practice Award (2012)
- Recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association David Pavlovsky Service to the Bar Award (2009)
- Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Construction practice area (2020 – present)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Construction Law, Municipal Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Municipal, Litigation - Construction, and Community Association Law practice areas (2005 – present)
- Selected by Best Lawyers® (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) as 2024 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Construction Law; as 2019 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Litigation-Real Estate; as 2018 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Construction Law; as 2016 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Construction Law; as 2014 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Litigation-Construction; as 2013 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Construction Law; as 2010 Newark "Lawyer of the Year" in Construction Law
- Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (1984 – present)
- Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Construction Litigation: Business, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Environmental and Business Litigation practice areas (2005 – present); listed by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New Jersey (2011, 2016)
- Listed in Who’s Who Legal (a publication of Law Business Research Ltd.) in the Construction Law practice area (2012 – present)
- Listed in the Who’s Who Legal 2015 - Compendium Edition (a publication of Law Business Research Ltd.)
Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Representative Matters
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
- Nobrega v. Edison Glen Associates, 167 N.J. 520 (2001) — Case clarified when newly adopted statute undercut vesting rights of individuals
- Horosz v. Alps Estates, 132 N.J. 134 (1994) — Case clarified when Statute of Repose might restart running
- Lamb v. Global Landfill, 111 N.J. 134 (1988) — Case clarified under what circumstances an injured party was able to extend the time for filing a Notice of Tort Claim
- In re Request for Solid Waste Utility Customer Lists, 106 N.J. 508 (1987) — Case clarified when a customer list may or may not be protected given the public interest considerations
- Tung v. Briant Park Homes, Inc., 287 N.J. Super. 232 (App. Div. 1996) — Case clarified when and under what circumstances a purchaser of the condominium unit could assert a claim for breach of the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act, N.J.S.A. 45:22A-21 et seq.
- First National State Bank v. Commonwealth Savings & Loan, 610 F.2d 164 (3rd 1980) - Case holds that specific performance is a proper remedy against the permanent lender in order for the lender to be certain and honor its standby loan commitment
- Carlyle Towers Condo Association v. CrossLand Savings, 944 F. Supp. 341 (D.N.J. 1996) – Case clarifies the standards by which a law firm was not required to withdraw from representation where the firm had previously represented a subsidiary of the bank, which was the primary defendant in an action
- Cardell Inc. v. Piscatelli, 277 N.J. Super. 149 (App. Div. 1994) – Case clarifies when a court is determined to have abused its discretion in not permitting the filing of an amended counter- claim
- Appeal of Adoption of N.J.A.C. 5:25A-1.1, 266 N.J. Super. 625 (App. Div. 1993) – Case limited the ability of an administrative department to adopt regulations when they were contrary to the legislative intent behind the subject statute
- Jersey City v. Roosevelt Stadium Arena, 210 N.J. Super. 315 (App. Div. 1986), certif. den., 110 N.J. 152 (1988) – Case held that formal governmental action was required in order to approve a settlement where a municipality is a party to the action
- Vines v. Orange Memorial Hospital, 192 N.J. Super. 496 (App. Div. 1984) – Case established that failure to issue summons for a lengthy period of time still did not justify dismissal of the action unless prejudice can be shown
- Fidelity Land Development v. Reider & Sons Building & Development Co., 151 N.J. Super. 502 (App. Div. 1977) – Case provided that mere paper transfer of title by mortgagor to its principal stockholder did not cause the note to accelerate
Uniquely NJ
- Superior Court of New Jersey List of Civil Mediators (1998 – present)
- New Jersey State Bar Association: Construction Law Section; Dispute Resolution Section (former Board of Directors); Nominating Committee (past Member); Equity Jurisprudence Committee (past Chair)
- Middlesex County Bar Association: President (2003-2004)
- Middlesex County Bar Foundation: Board of Trustees (past Member)
- New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys: Senior Trustee
- New Jersey Builders Association
- Community Associations Institute
- Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey: Board of Directors (past Member)
- New Jersey Chapter of the NYU Law School Alumni Association (past President)
- New Jersey Alumni Chapter of the Johns Hopkins University (past Co-Chair)
- Democratic Party of Union County, New Jersey (past Chair)
- The Discovery Orchestra Board of Trustees (past President)
More Activities & Experience
- American Bar Association: Construction Litigation Committee of the Sections of Litigation and Dispute Resolution (past Co-Chair); Ethical Standards for Mediation Task Force of the Section of Litigation; ABA Forum on Construction Law
- American Arbitration Association (AAA)
- Diversity Law Institute
- Trial Law Institute
- Alternate Dispute Institute Co-Founder
- Editorial Board of the Journal of Community Association Law (past Member)
- Board of Directors of the NYU Law School Alumni Association (past Member)
Presentations & Speaking Engagements
- Sponsor: Middlesex County Bar Association, July 20, 2021
- Sponsor: NJ Institute for Continuing Legal Education, NJ State Bar Association Construction Law and Insurance Law Sections, June 6, 2019
- Chair and Moderator, New Jersey Construction Claims: Mediation & ArbitrationSponsor: HB Litigation Conferences, September 12, 2016
- Chair, Civil Rights SymposiumSponsor: Middlesex County Bar Association, February 20, 2013
- Moderator, Delay Damages - What's Hot, What's Not?Sponsor: ABA Forum on the Construction Industry Mid-Winter Meeting, January 31, 2013
- Speaker, Panel Discussion, The Ins and Outs of Arbitration: Getting it RightSponsor: Litigation Counsel of America 2010 Fall Conference & Induction of Fellows, October 2010
- Sponsor: Litigation Counsel of America, October 30-31, 2008
Publications & Alerts
- Co-Author, NJ Appellate Division Reverses Certain Radburn Regulations Impacting Community AssociationsGreenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Client Alert, February 29, 2024
- Co-Author, New Jersey Condominium and Community Association Law(Smith, Estis & Li, Gann Law Books, 2024)
- Co-Editor, New Jersey ChapterCPI Lien Law Online (Construction Publications, Inc., 2018)
- Co-Author, Construction Laws and Customs: New JerseyPractical Law (Thomson Reuters, 2018)
- New Jersey Lawyer, December 2017
- Co-Author, Construction Laws and Customs: New JerseyPractical Law (Thomson Reuters, 2017)
- Quoted, Building a Better New Jersey: From Infrastructure to Housing to Commercial Real Estate PropertiesCommerce Magazine, January 2017
- Commerce Magazine, January 2016
- Co-Author, An Overview of the Power of Eminent DomainAuthority View, Fall 2015
- Co-Author, Defending the DeveloperChapter 8 of Condominium and Homeowner Litigation (John Wiley & Sons)
- Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP, January 2011
- Author, Resolving Problems and Creating Solutions: Successful Construction LitigationWinning Legal Strategies for Construction Law (Inside the Minds), (Aspatore 2006)
News
- August 15, 2024
- June 6, 2024
- March 26, 2024
- November 29, 2023
- September 19, 2023
- August 17, 2023
- June 9, 2023
- September 9, 2022
- August 18, 2022
Departments
Practice Groups
Education
New York University School of Law, J.D., 1972
Johns Hopkins University, B.A., 1969
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1972
- New York, 1983
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1972
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1981
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1982
Clerkships
- Former law clerk to The Honorable Samuel Allcorn, Judge of the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court
- Chambers USA 2024 -
(a publication of Chambers and Partners)
Editorial Excerpt: "Regularly called upon for his advice in litigation and arbitration. Recognized for his expertise in condominium work."
![Fellow - Construction Lawyers Society of America](assets/htmlimages/CLSA-Fellow_thumb.jpg)
![Litigation Cousel of America Fellow](assets/htmlimages/LCA_badge_blue.jpg)
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Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.