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In what was a banner-year for the transactional team at Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW), the firm helped clients close over $1,500,000,000 in commercial real estate transactions throughout the country. Providing a full suite of legal services to the commercial real estate industry, the firm regularly represents a wide range of clients, including institutional funds, lenders, developers, family offices and private investors in connection with the most complex transactional matters.

In 2022, the firm represented the following:

• National bank in connection with a $125,000,000 revolving credit facility to a company in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Seller in connection with $110,000,000 sale of industrial building in Warren County, NJ.
• Borrower in connection with closing a $106,000,000 term loan for corporate working capital, secured by business assets and real estate in three states.
• Borrower in connection with $90,000,000 mortgage and mezzanine construction financing for the first phase of a major redevelopment project in Morris County, NJ.
• Private equity firm in connection with loan modification and extension of $87,892,275 loan secured by office complex in San Francisco, CA.
• Borrower in connection with $78,000,000 refinancing of multifamily apartment complex in Hackensack, NJ.
• Private equity fund in connection with $73,500,000 sale of 282,869 SF industrial warehouse in Jamaica (Queens), NY.
• Seller in connection with $58,125,000 sale of 164,000 SF office complex in Burlington, MA.
• National lender in connection with $50,000,000 in term debt secured by a portfolio of Class A multifamily and office assets in Mercer and Hunterdon County, NJ.
• International bank in connection with a $31,000,000 A Note/B Note structured mortgage loan for an apartment building in Hudson County, NJ.
• International bank in connection with a $29,000,000 mortgage loan for an industrial property in Hudson County, NJ.

About MSW
Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP is a boutique law firm specializing in commercial real estate, with robust transactional, corporate, finance, and land use expertise.

The firm’s attorneys regularly represent businesses, investors, and lenders in complex real estate and commercial transactions, and banking and financing matters. The firm’s attorneys also routinely represent clients in connection with the procurement of planning, zoning, and other development approvals, and help clients identify, negotiate, and secure real estate and economic development incentives, such as tax credits, tax abatements and exemptions, and other forms of non-dilutive financing.

With offices in Newark and New York City, MSW was founded to provide effective, efficient, practical and creative legal and advisory services to meet the distinctive needs of our clients. Our attorneys have broad private and public sector experience, coming from top national law firms and high-level governmental positions. Through the development of individualized, client-focused strategies, our team works tirelessly to create a blueprint for success and advance our clients’ interests in every matter.

For more information concerning our transactional real estate practice groups, please contact: CHRIS J. MURPHY, ESQ.
Partner
(973) 705-7421
cmurphy@murphyllp.com

Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) is pleased to announce that Chris Murphy and Matthew Schiller have been named to ROI-NJ’s 2022 Influencers – Real Estate List. The list contains influential “power players” helping to shape New Jersey’s real estate industry. In recognizing the firm, ROI-NJ stated the following: “Partners in the boutique firm (along with Kellen Murphy and Charles Wilkes), they regularly work with clients to coordinate government relations efforts at the state, county and local levels. They all have substantial experience guiding clients through complicated transactions, including some of the largest leasing and transactional matters..”

The full list can be found here: https://www.roi-nj.com/2022/12/05/roi-influencers/real-estate/2022-real-estate/roi-influencers-real-estate-2022-service-providers/

While the third quarter of 2022 was filled with uncertainty caused by rising interest rates, the Murphy Schiller & Wilkes (MSW) transactional team remained incredibly busy, helping our clients close significant deals, both locally and nationally.

In Q3 2022, the firm represented the following:

• National bank in connection with a $125,000,000 revolving credit facility to a company in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• National lender in connection with $50,000,000 in term debt secured by a portfolio of Class A multifamily and office assets in Mercer and Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
• International bank in connection with a $31,000,000 A Note/B Note structured mortgage loan for an apartment building in Hudson County, New Jersey.
• Seller in connection with $24,850,000 sale of hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Developer in connection with a $21,000,000 purchase of development site in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
• New Jersey bank in connection with an $11,215,000 commercial mortgage loan refinance for 5 multifamily properties in Hudson County, New Jersey.
• Purchaser in connection with $6,900,000 acquisition of 85,350 SF mixed use building in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
• Negotiated sale-lease back transactions for real estate management firm for properties in Sarasota, FL, Rockledge, FL, Medley, FL, Tampa, FL, Tupelo, MS, and Columbia, SC.

Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) recently represented Birdsmouth Beer in connection with a 12,080 square foot lease at Fort Monmouth. The new space will be used as a beer production facility and tasting room. Real Estate NJ’s article on the deal can be found here: https://re-nj.com/craft-brewery-tasting-room-set-to-open-new-12000-sq-ft-location-at-fort-monmouth/

On Thursday, September 29th, MSW Commercial Real Estate and Environmental Teams closed JD Group’s purchase of the bankrupt Farmland Dairies site located on Morris Avenue in Newark’s Central Ward.

The client plans to redevelop the property into a 6-story, 178-unit multi-family development, replacing the dilapidated structures and blight with new housing and retail amenities. The firm’s real estate team, led by Pamela Hoff, secured support from the City of Newark to address a long history of land use violations that plagued the site and worked through bankruptcy challenges to get to a quick closing.

Susan Karp, who leads the firm’s Environmental practice group, led JD Group’s assumption of a complex multi-phased environmental cleanup under a guaranteed fixed-price cleanup contract funded by Farmland.

Due diligence assistance was provided by James Moran of Terraphase Engineering.

On Friday, September 9th, MSW attorneys Matthew Schiller and Susan Karp will present as part of an all-day NJICLE seminar titled “Commercial Real Estate Transactions – From Fist Bump to Closing.” This is a “must attend” program if you handle commercial real estate matters. It will be of special interest to attorneys who represent sellers, buyers, commercial real estate owners, developers, contractors, financial institutions, title search companies, insurance companies, and others seeking to hone their skills in this area. For more information, or to register, please click here.

Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) is pleased to announce that Lisa Lomelo and Holly Burke have joined the firm.

Lisa Lomelo has joined the firm as Counsel and will focus her practice on real estate development matters. In this role, she will support the firm’s statewide land use, zoning, and redevelopment practice, assisting clients in seeking municipal land use approvals, redevelopment designations, and other necessary approvals and permits. Prior to joining the firm, Lisa spent time at two prominent New Jersey law firms, honing her skills in the areas of land use and real estate matters. In 2008, Lisa was the first female attorney in the State of New Jersey to become LEED Accredited Professional. In 2018, she was named to the “New Leaders of the Bar” list (formerly 40 Under 40) by the New Jersey Law Journal and was named to the Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list from 2010-2018. She received her Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University in Biochemical Engineering and her Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University. She served as a law clerk to The Honorable Camille M. Kenny, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division. Lisa is admitted to the bars of the State of New Jersey, the State of New York, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Holly Burke has joined the firm as an Associate and will focus her practice on commercial real estate and financing matters. In this role, Holly will support the firm’s transactional real estate practices, and will represent clients in the acquisition, disposition, and leasing of a variety of real estate assets, including industrial, office, retail, medical, and multi-family properties. In addition, she will represent lenders and borrowers in connection with the negotiation of commercial mortgage and construction loans. Prior to joining the firm, Holly was a senior paralegal at an AM50 law firm, where she handled a variety of complex commercial real estate transactions throughout the country. Holly received her law degree from Rutgers Law School – Newark, where she was the recipient of the Kenneth G. Wolfson Land Use Prize. She obtained her M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In 2006, Holly was awarded a partial scholarship to the Kislak Real Estate Institute at Monmouth University, where she earned a Certificate in Real Estate. She received her undergraduate degree from Bloomfield College, where she graduated summa cum laude. Holly is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

“We are incredibly excited to have Lisa and Holly join our growing team. Our ability to continue to attract top-level talent is a testament to our vision of building a first-rate boutique law firm focused solely on commercial real estate and development,” says Kellen F. Murphy, the firm’s managing partner.

On Monday, August 15th, the Newark Central Planning Board granted preliminary and final site plan approval, along with certain variance and waiver relief, to allow for the renovation of a 3-story building into a 6-story mixed-use building with ground floor commercial space and 36 residential units in the Broad Street Station Redevelopment Plan Area.

Roosevelt J. Donat, Esq. led the firm’s successful efforts on behalf of the development team, which included architect Patrick Lesbirel of Brick City Reconstruction, engineer Josh Kline of Stonefield Engineering, and planner Matt Flynn.

Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) is pleased to announce that firm partner Kellen Murphy has been named to the ROI-NJ Influencers – Law list, which includes the top attorneys in New Jersey’s legal profession.

The full list can be found here: https://www.roi-nj.com/2022/07/27/roi-influencers/law-roi-influencers/2022-law-roi-influencers/the-inaugural-roi-influencers-law-list/