Overview

Jennifer L. Cordes concentrates her practice in the areas of environmental counseling and litigation, real estate, and corporate law. She regularly assists business owners, home owners, developers, and nonprofit organizations, advising them on regulatory compliance issues and negotiating with state and federal agencies. Jennifer is skilled at representing clients involved in permit or enforcement actions, navigating Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) obligations, and in cost recovery matters under CERCLA, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Spill Act.

In addition, Jennifer devotes significant time to negotiating and drafting agreements of sale, leases, easements, and similar documents, having been involved in numerous multi-million dollar real estate transactions and asset purchases. She frequently works with clients throughout the property acquisition process to ensure they are meeting due diligence deadlines and working with consultants to review data.

Other aspects of Jennifer’s practice include handling tax appeals on behalf of municipalities and taxpayers, obtaining land use and related permits and approvals for developers and property owners, including site plan and subdivision approvals and use variance relief, and advising community associations on the interpretation and amendment of governing documents and the creation and enforcement of rules and regulations. 

Jennifer is a former Deputy Attorney General with the State of New Jersey, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Law, in the Cost Recovery/Natural Resource Damages section. She was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Joseph P. Testa, J.S.C. She also has an extensive appellate practice, authoring numerous briefs and having appeared before the New Jersey Appellate Division, and has petitioned for certification before the New Jersey Supreme Court. 

Representative Experience

  • Assists clients with formation of limited liability companies, corporations, partnerships, including drafting of organizational documents, and in transfers/redemptions of stock.
  • Represented real estate developer in refinances and defeasance of existing multimillion-dollar loans.
  • Represented applicant in prerogative writ action challenging municipality’s issuance of parking variance and related approvals.
  • Defended a former landfill owner in a cost recovery action, in which the client owner was required to contribute less than 1% toward the overall settlement amount.
  • Obtained a favorable defense verdict in a breach of contract action seeking specific performance and damages in excess of $5.78 million against a developer.
  • Negotiated and drafted documents required to effectuate the sale of assets, involving the transfer of a used automobile dealer’s license, the sale of a landscaping business, the purchase of software and related equipment, and an automobile repair business.
  • Assisted manufacturing client with environmental and zoning issues in potential sale of real estate worth in excess of $10 million.
  • Defense of residential homeowner in contribution/subrogation action where insured alleged contamination of his real estate from client’s property on which an underground storage tank used to exist.
  • Represented sellers of farm, equipment, and inventory; large apartment complexes; and of real estate formerly used as industrial establishment in compliance with ISRA.
  • Defended small quantity generator of RCRA-empty drums in the settlement of a potential cost recovery action by the USDOJ.
  • Drafted loan documents on behalf of lenders issuing loan to real estate developer and for marine vessel docking costs.

Professional & Community Activities

  • New Jersey State Bar Association
  • Delaware Valley Environmental American Inn of Court, Alumni Member
  • Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue, Volunteer

Speeches & Presentations

  • “CERCLA Only Preempts State Statutes of Limitations on State-Law Cases,” co-authored with David Katzenstein, Esq., New Jersey Law Journal, November 2014.
  • Panel Member – Legal Trends II: Environmental Law, Atlantic Builders Convention, 2011, 2015, 2016.

Representative Experience

  • Assists clients with formation of limited liability companies, corporations, partnerships, including drafting of organizational documents, and in transfers/redemptions of stock.
  • Represented real estate developer in refinances and defeasance of existing multimillion-dollar loans.
  • Represented applicant in prerogative writ action challenging municipality’s issuance of parking variance and related approvals.
  • Defended a former landfill owner in a cost recovery action, in which the client owner was required to contribute less than 1% toward the overall settlement amount.
  • Obtained a favorable defense verdict in a breach of contract action seeking specific performance and damages in excess of $5.78 million against a developer.
  • Negotiated and drafted documents required to effectuate the sale of assets, involving the transfer of a used automobile dealer’s license, the sale of a landscaping business, the purchase of software and related equipment, and an automobile repair business.
  • Assisted manufacturing client with environmental and zoning issues in potential sale of real estate worth in excess of $10 million.
  • Defense of residential homeowner in contribution/subrogation action where insured alleged contamination of his real estate from client’s property on which an underground storage tank used to exist.
  • Represented sellers of farm, equipment, and inventory; large apartment complexes; and of real estate formerly used as industrial establishment in compliance with ISRA.
  • Defended small quantity generator of RCRA-empty drums in the settlement of a potential cost recovery action by the USDOJ.
  • Drafted loan documents on behalf of lenders issuing loan to real estate developer and for marine vessel docking costs.

Insights