Roseland, New Jersey - May 17, 2016 - Connell Foley LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has bolstered its highly regarded real estate practice with the addition of three new attorneys. Joining the firm are partner George L. Garcia, of counsel Jennifer M. Carrillo-Perez and associate Thomas P. Leane. All three attorneys will practice in Connell Foley’s Real Estate & Land Use Group and will be based in the firm’s Jersey City office.
“We are thrilled to welcome George, Jennifer and Tom to the firm,” said Connell Foley managing partner Philip F. McGovern Jr. “Connell Foley has one of the most successful and active real estate practices in New Jersey and we are proud to add to our already deep bench of talented real estate attorneys. With significant ties to Jersey City and Newark, George, Jennifer and Tom will fit seamlessly within our practice and likewise offer our clients the exceptional service for which the firm is known.”
Speaking on behalf of the trio, partner George Garcia said “Connell Foley has an exceptional reputation throughout New Jersey’s real estate community. I have had the pleasure of knowing many of the firm’s attorneys for over a decade and have always had the utmost respect for the firm and quality of legal counsel they provide. It is an honor to be part of the Connell Foley team.”
Mr. Garcia has a diverse background in municipal land use and redevelopment matters, including the negotiation and drafting of redeveloper agreements and the creation of redevelopment areas and plans. He has been involved with many of New Jersey’s most significant development projects, including the current development of the tallest building in the state, which is located on the Jersey City waterfront and at 78 stories will contain 781 condominiums. Mr. Garcia also has significant experience preparing, negotiating and presenting long-term tax abatement applications to city councils and appears regularly before planning, zoning, redevelopment and historical boards. Mr. Garcia received his J.D. cum laude from New York Law School. He is licensed to practice in New Jersey and New York.
Jennifer Carrillo-Perez concentrates her practice in the areas of land use and zoning, redevelopment, municipal law and affordable housing development. She also assists developers and clients in legislative and regulatory matters, and works with governmental entities to identify and secure public financing incentives. Ms. Carrillo-Perez was recently selected for membership in the Emerging Leaders Council of the Rutgers Center for Real Estate. She received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and served as law clerk for the Honorable Claude M. Colemen, Judge of the Superior Court, Essex County, Civil Division. She is licensed to practice in New Jersey and United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Thomas P. Leane assists clients across a broad range of real estate, redevelopment, environmental and litigation issues, including the drafting and filing of major site plan and tax abatement applications for residential and commercial redevelopment projects. He also litigates building and fire code municipal violations, and was part of the litigation team assigned to handle and disseminate discovery related to one of the largest environmental cases in United States history. Mr. Leane received his J.D. from Seton Hall Law School and clerked for the Honorable Judge Lisa Rose, J.S.C. He also served as Law Clerk for the Office of County Counsel, Hudson County. Mr. Leane is licensed to practice in New Jersey and New York.
Pictured from left to right: Thomas P. Leane, Jennifer M. Carrillo-Perez and George L. Garcia