Matthew J. Schiller, a partner in the firm’s Real Estate and Redevelopment & Land Use Departments, is a program coordinator for, and will moderate and lecture at the seminar “Commercial Real Estate Transactions: From Handshake to Closing,” to be presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education on Friday, June 21, 2019 from 9:00am – 4:00pm.  Charles J. Wilkes, a Real Estate Department partner, and William D. Grand, Of Counsel in the firm’s Litigation Department, will participate as panelists for the program, which will be held at the New Jersey Law Center.

To effectively handle commercial real estate transactions in New Jersey, attorneys must be aware of a wide range of complex issues including environmental, financing, leasing, insurance, title, and land use due diligence, all of which will impact the outcome of a deal. Complex deals also require the ability to recognize when there is need to bring other professional specialists onto the team, such as corporate attorneys when structuring the entities of a transaction, and CPAs when dealing with analysis and structure of tax issues. Knowledge of these areas and the ability to anticipate problems and pitfalls are essential tools for transactional attorneys.

This definitive course on commercial real estate transactions in New Jersey will provide attendees with insight into the crafting and negotiation of contracts and leases that protect clients against untoward or excessive risk. The program will address the problems arising from title, environmental, and financing issues, and how to focus preparation in order to draft and review all the necessary documents for a successful commercial closing.

In addition, the program will feature a special luncheon presentation featuring Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer at EDA, along with an ethics component which will alert attendees to situations that create and raise legal ethical issues in this line of practice.

Program topics will include:

• PSA Negotiation

    - Diligence provisions

    - Contract contingencies

• Land Use/Redevelopment

    - Initial diligence on what is needed

    - Structuring the strategy for obtaining required approvals

    - Executing the strategy

• Environmental
• Title Insurance and Survey Issues
• EDA/PILOTs/Grow NJ/OZs
• Financing- negotiating loan documents
• Corporate/Joint ventures
• Ethical issues

Mr. Schiller concentrates his practice in commercial real estate law.  His work encompasses a wide array of commercial real estate transactional, zoning, redevelopment, taxation and litigation matters throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. 

Mr. Wilkes concentrates his practice on commercial real estate and financing transactions. He has worked on a variety of sophisticated matters, including the acquisition, disposition, financing and leasing of commercial real estate and major redevelopment projects.

Mr. Grand's experience encompasses legal malpractice defense, suits alleging the theft of trade secrets and violations of non-competition clauses, eminent domain proceedings, and cases involving environmental contamination and the breach of real estate and other contracts.

Additional program information and registration details at: Commercial Real Estate Transactions: From Handshake to Closing