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Jennifer Phillips Smith
Partner
Red Bank, NJ
Newark, NJ
New York, NY
Partner
Red Bank, NJ
Newark, NJ
New York, NY
Jen counsels clients on complex redevelopment, land use, and regulatory matters. She represents clients seeking site plan approval and variances from numerous planning and zoning boards in connection with mixed use, multi-family residential, restaurant, retail, office, financial, medical, and educational projects. She also represents clients in redevelopment areas and has experience drafting and reviewing redevelopment documents, including redevelopment agreements, redevelopment plans, financial agreements (PILOTs), and special assessment agreements. Jen has extensive experience in land use litigation, including challenges involving municipal land use approvals and affordable housing matters. She has also appeared before the Office of Administrative Law concerning challenges to state agency decisions. Jen represents liquor licensees and has counseled clients on a wide variety of issues, including required corporate disclosures for complex corporate structures, disclosure of past misconduct, and local ordinance restrictions on hours of operation and locations of licensed establishments. She also represents hotels and clubs seeking the issuance of new plenary retail consumption licenses. In addition, Jen provides counsel on regulatory compliance, enforcement actions, minor employment permits, special event permits, BYOB, and concessionaire permits.
Applications for Development
Represented a property owner in securing planning board approvals for nearly 1,000 residential units in a redevelopment area
Represented an international manufacturer in connection with its expansion of industrial facilities in New Jersey
Represented an international restaurant chain in connection with various applications for zoning and development approvals at multiple locations in New Jersey
Represented various retailers, financial institutions, and lenders in performing zoning reviews and prosecuting numerous applications for zoning and development approvals at numerous locations in New Jersey and New York
Redevelopment
Represents redevelopers involved in complex, transformational redevelopment projects in Sayreville, Asbury Park, Newark, Atlantic City, and communities throughout New Jersey.
Represented various retail and residential developer clients in negotiating and drafting redevelopment agreements and financial agreements
Represented clients seeking designation of property as an “area in need of redevelopment” or an “area in need of rehabilitation”
Represented clients seeking the adoption or amendment of redevelopment plans
Litigation
Represented a property owner in connection with litigation concerning the applicability and enforceability of an outdated affordable housing ordinance
Represented a property owner in connection with a challenge to the rezoning of nearby property
Represented a developer in connection with a challenge to the rezoning of its property
Represented interested parties in connection with challenges to redevelopment plans, redevelopment designations, and zoning and planning approvals
Defended a property owner against a challenge to the development approvals granted to the property owner
Represented interested parties in connection with claims involving violations of the Open Public Meetings Act and the Open Public Records Act
Liquor Licensing and Alcoholic Beverage Control
Represented retail licensees in New Jersey in securing annual license renewals and place-to-place and person-to-person transfers, obtaining off-premises records storage permits and minor employment permits, and seeking waivers from certain disclosure requirements
Represented a franchisee of a well-known casual dining restaurant in connection with the purchase and transfer of a plenary retail consumption license
Represented a hotel in connection with the issuance of a new plenary retail consumption license
Represented various clients in connection with enforcement proceedings involving the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Sought advisory opinions on behalf of clients from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Represented a client in challenging the person-to-person and place-to-place transfers of a plenary retail consumption license to a neighboring business
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, B.S., cum laude
Law clerk to the Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia, New Jersey Supreme Court, 2006-2007
State of New Jersey, State of New York, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Included on the BINJE “Best Commercial Real Estate Leaders” list, 2025
Included on the NJBIZ “Law Power” list, 2025
Included on the NJBIZ “Leaders in Real Estate, Construction and Design” list, 2025
Included on the ROI-NJ “Influencers: Women in Business” list, 2025
Received “Enterprising Women in Commerce” Platinum Award from the Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey
Included on the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business list, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
Included on the New Jersey Super Lawyers list, Land Use/Zoning
Included on the ROI-NJ “Influencers: Women in Business” list, 2023
Included on the NJBIZ “Best 50 Women in Business” list, 2022
Included on the Profiles in Diversity Journal “Women Worth Watching” list, 2021
Included on the NJBIZ “100 Most Powerful People in New Jersey Business” list, 2020
Included on the New Jersey Law Journal “New Leaders of the Bar” list, 2018
Included on the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, Land Use/Zoning, 2012-2016