Month: July 2026

MSW Secures 25-Year PILOT for Multifamily Project in Newark’s North Ward

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The MSW Tax Credits & Incentives team recently secured a 25-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for the development of a new five-story, 65-unit residential building in Newark’s North Ward. The project will include 52 market-rate residential units and 13 affordable housing units, helping to expand housing opportunities within the community. Residents will also enjoy a variety of amenities, including a fitness center and resident lounge.

MSW attorney Benjamin Lindeman led the project team, working alongside Brendan Pytka, MSW’s Director of Tax Credits & Incentives, and paralegal Julie Prelich.

Congratulations to our team and all project stakeholders on reaching this important milestone. We are proud to support a development that will contribute to the continued growth and revitalization of Newark’s North Ward.

MSW Partners Kellen Murphy, Chris Murphy, and Matthew Schiller Named to NJBIZ 2026 Law Power List

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MSW is proud to announce that partners Kellen Murphy, Chris Murphy, and Matthew Schiller have been recognized in the 2026 NJBIZ Law Power List, an annual distinction honoring attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, professional achievement, and meaningful contributions to New Jersey’s legal and business communities.

Compiled by the editorial staff of NJBIZ, the Law Power List recognizes legal professionals who have earned public attention and respect through their professional accomplishments, public service, and impact on the state. According to NJBIZ, honorees are selected based on reporting throughout the year, input from industry experts, and recommendations from readers. The list highlights individuals whose efforts help make New Jersey a better place to live, work, and do business.

The recognition comes at a time when the legal profession continues to navigate unprecedented change. In announcing the 2026 Law Power List, NJBIZ noted the growing challenges facing attorneys across the profession, including evolving client expectations, alternative fee arrangements, talent recruitment and retention, advances in artificial intelligence, and an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

“To have three of our partners recognized by NJBIZ is an incredible honor and a testament to the talent, dedication, and leadership that Kellen, Chris, and Matthew bring to our clients and our firm every day,” said Charles Wilkes, Co-Founding Partner and Executive Committee Member. “Their inclusion on this year’s Law Power List reflects not only their professional excellence, but also their longstanding commitment to serving our clients, strengthening our communities, and advancing the legal profession in New Jersey.”

Throughout their careers, all three have built reputations for delivering strategic counsel, achieving successful outcomes for clients, and providing leadership both within the legal community and beyond. Their recognition underscores MSW’s continued commitment to excellence, innovation, and client service.

“We are honored by this recognition from NJBIZ,” said Chris Murphy. “The legal profession is evolving rapidly, and we are fortunate to work alongside outstanding colleagues and clients who challenge us to provide thoughtful, practical solutions every day. This recognition belongs to the entire MSW team.”

The 2026 NJBIZ Law Power List highlights attorneys who have successfully adapted to a legal landscape marked by increasing complexity and change while continuing to provide exceptional counsel and leadership. MSW congratulates Kellen Murphy, Chris Murphy, and Matthew Schiller on this well-deserved recognition.

For more information, please click here: 2026 NJBIZ Law Power List

MSW Helps Client Secure Land Use Approvals for Multifamily Project in Passaic

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Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP(MSW) is proud of have helped our client, 54 Holdsworth LLC, secure site plan approval and bulk variance relief for the development of a 9-unit mixed market and affordable residential project in the City of Passaic. This thoughtful and well-designed project will bring much needed updated housing stock to the area. The project team was led by MSW attorneys Matthew Gilson and Benjamin Lindeman, and included Kiersten Osterkorn of Omland & Osterkorn, Inc., Tom Rybak and Greg Hasaj of T.M. Rybak and Associates, traffic engineers Conor Hughes and Corey Chase from Dynamic Traffic, and planner Gabriel Bailer from Harbor Consultants. MSW paralegal Jahynis Cabral contributed significantly to the application process. This project represents MSW’s second approval for St. Nicholas Catholic Church as they look to convert surplus church property into much needed housing for the city.

MSW – Q2 2026 Transaction Highlights

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The second quarter of 2026 was incredibly busy for the attorneys at Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW). The firm acted as lead counsel in connection with the acquisition and sale of properties in all asset classes, helped our clients negotiate significant lease transactions, represented both lenders and borrowers in connection with financing CRE deals, both locally and nationally, and secured noteworthy approvals for major industrial, multi-family, and retail projects throughout New Jersey.

In Q2 2026, the firm represented the following:

  • Borrower in connection with $104,980,000 Freddie Mac loan refinancing multifamily apartment complex located in Doral, Florida.
  • National bank in closing $95,000,000 in revolving and term debt facilities for New Jersey manufacturer, secured by business and real estate assets.
  • Borrower in connection with modification of $76,260,000 loan secured by portfolio of 5 industrial properties in Tucson, Arizona.
  • National bank in closing $45,000,000 refinance of net leased retail properties in Bergen County, New Jersey.
  • Seller in connection with the $35,000,000 sale of a hotel in Weston, Florida.
  • New Jersey bank in connection with the $32,000,000 CMBS defeasance refinance of a Middlesex County, New Jersey industrial building.
  • New Jersey bank in connection with a $17,000,000 construction loan for a Hudson County, New Jersey multifamily project.
  • National bank in closing $10,000,000 asset-based line of credit to major supermarket operator.
  • Developer in connection with $10,000,000 construction loan for Morris County self-storage facility.
  • Private mortgage lender in connection with $10,000,000 master loan repurchase facility.
  • New Jersey bank in connection with a $3,000,000 loan under the NJEDA’s New Jersey Clean Energy Loan Program for an industrial roof-top solar project.
  • Land Use Approvals for Industrial Warehouse Development in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
  • Land Use Approvals for State-of-the-Art Industrial Facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
  • Land Use Approvals for 7-story, 150-unit mixed-use building in Newark New Jersey.
  • Negotiated multiple substantial office leases on behalf of major landlord client in Northern New Jersey.

MSW Secures Unanimous Approval for New Multifamily Development in Newark

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Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) is proud to announce that Roosevelt J. Donat, Special Counsel at MSW, secured unanimous preliminary and final site plan approval, including 14 C variances and two related waivers, for a new residential infill development at 53 and 55-57 North 5th Street in Newark’s Fairmount neighborhood.

The approval permits construction of a new three-family dwelling on Lot 31 and a new four-family dwelling on Lot 32, adding seven dwelling units—including studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes—to an underutilized, fenced-in property in the West Ward. The site is located in Newark’s R-3 Residential 1-4 Family/Townhouse Zone, where three- and four-family residential uses are permitted.

The approved relief addresses dimensional, site-design, landscaping, lighting, entrance-orientation, parking, and driveway standards for the two-lot development. Project features include ADA-accessible units on Lot 32, rear-yard parking with an ADA parking space, HVAC equipment, screened trash enclosures, and in-unit laundry closets.

Attorney Donat worked closely with a talented applicant-side project team, including STNG 1 as applicant/owner; Patrick M. Lesbirel, A.I.A of Brick City Reconstruction as architect; Dr. Bahman Izadmehr, Ph.D., P.E. of Development Engineering, LLC as civil engineer; Michael Pronesti of Pronesti Surveying, Inc. as surveyor; and John McDonough of John McDonough Associates. MSW also recognizes the dedicated support of Stephanie McLeish and Mia Lobozzo, whose contributions were essential to the project’s success.

MSW is proud to help advance thoughtful housing opportunities that return underutilized urban properties to productive neighborhood use and support continued investment in Newark’s residential communities.