June 1, 2023

Jennifer L. Cordes, Esquire Joins Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP

Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP is excited to announce that Jennifer L. Cordes has joined the firm as a partner, continuing her concentration in environmental, real estate, and corporate law. Jennifer represents homeowners, business owners, developers and nonprofit organizations, advising them on state and federal regulatory compliance issues and assisting with due diligence in various types of transactions. She has extensive experience in cost recovery matters under CERCLA, RCRA, and the Spill Act, as well as helping clients who own or operate industrial properties navigate their obligations under ISRA.

Skilled in handling the purchase, sale and financing of real estate and business assets, including the acquisition and transfer of liquor licenses, Jennifer also advises community associations on the interpretation and amendment of governing documents and on the creation and enforcement of rules and regulations. Jennifer has also authored numerous appellate briefs, having appeared before the New Jersey Appellate Division, and has petitioned for certification before the New Jersey Supreme Court.

“We are elated to have Jennifer join our firm. She is a perfect fit on so many levels – practice areas, experience, quality of lawyering, ability to mentor and professionalism”, said Managing Partner, Benjamin Levin.

Before joining Hyland Levin Shapiro, Jennifer was a partner at a mid-sized, regional Law firm and is a former Deputy Attorney General with the State of New Jersey in the Division of Law in the Cost Recovery/Natural Resource Damages section. She served as judicial law clerk for the Honorable Joseph P. Testa, J.S.C. She is a graduate of Rutgers School of Law (J.D 1997), and Elmira College (B.A, cum laude, 1994). She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and is a member of the Delaware Valley Environmental American Inn of Court.

Jennifer volunteers with Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue.

Jennifer may be reached at cordes@hylandlevin.com or 856.355.2920.

Related Attorneys

April 5, 2021

Florida Real Estate Deal Lawyer, Krista D. DeCastro Esquire Joins Hyland Levin Shapiro

Krista DeCastro has joined Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP, where she will continue to represent real estate developers and investors in the acquisition, disposition, financing and leasing of commercial real estate.

Krista will practice in Key Biscayne, Florida, just outside of Miami, as Counsel with the firm. Krista has spent the last sixteen years practicing at some of the top South Florida firms for commercial real estate.

“We are thrilled to be moving into Florida with Krista’s deep experience and excellent training. Our clients have been doing deals in Florida for about 10 years now and with each year, the need for more Florida support has grown. That trend appears to be continuing. It was simply time to add a Florida-based attorney to help with the Florida transactions. After an extensive search, Krista was far and away the most qualified candidate. Her breadth and depth of experience match-up well with our existing and anticipated needs in retail, multi-family and office. As our clients continue to migrate down to Florida, both physically and through investments, we’ll be ready to assist.” said Mark Shapiro, partner who heads the firm’s real estate group and is also a licensed Florida attorney.

We continue to grow our firm based on the needs of our clients. Florida is a natural fit for us as so many of our clients have migrated to Florida to focus their real estate and business interests in the state”, added Managing Partner, Ben Levin.

Krista is a member of the Key Biscayne Bar Association. She is a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois, and a 2001 graduate of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia where she obtained a BBA with Distinction in Consulting and Business Management. She has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2005.

Krista may be reached at decastro@hylandlevin.com or 786.562.7233.

November 17, 2020

Restaurant Owners: How to Succeed During the Next Set of COVID-19 Restrictions

Governor Murphy has once again limited restaurant hours and bar service, while the city officials in Philadelphia have eliminated indoor dining and limited outdoor seating. Be proactive to function within these restrictions during the next wave of COVID-19 restrictions.

What you need to know.

The New Jersey set of mandates includes prohibiting seating at bars at all times. An attempted offset to this restriction, restaurants may place tables closer than six feet apart if separated by Plexiglass barrier to accommodate additional patrons. Restaurants can continue to construct heated tents – so called igloos/bubbles – around outdoor tables if limited to one group of diners and thoroughly cleaned between each seating. Another mandate requires restaurants to close between the hours of 10pm – 5am, which may affect your current business operations.

In Philadelphia all indoor dining will be eliminated and outdoor seating will be limited to four people who reside in the same household. These restrictions are intended to last for the next six weeks, but could extend longer.

Why you need to know this.

The Governor has made it the duty of every person and entity doing business in New Jersey, every member of the governing body and officials, employees, or agents of every political subdivision, and every member of all other governmental bodies, agencies, and authorities in any nature whatsoever, to cooperate fully with the new restrictions.
While failing to conform to the new guidelines puts customers and employees at risk of exposure and continued spread of the virus. Failing to conform to the new mandates can result in restrictions on permits, forced closures, and fines/penalties for business owners or even individuals.

What you need to do now.

It is important for restaurant operators to step back and take a hard look at their finances and where they want to be in 5, 10 or 15 years. While you may not be able to make the profit your business typically generates during this time, you can control your investments. Making an investment in your team will pay off when the restrictions are lifted and restaurants are able to reopen in a normal environment.

Evaluate your existing financial and contractual relationships, including your leases and loans.

Do you need out of your current lease because a new location will provide the outdoor or updated space you need to succeed? Are there other benefits, including reserved parking spaces you should be discussing? Has your current landlord helped you navigate the challenges of the pandemic or have they hindered your ability to adapt to the new regulations?
What is your relationship with your lenders? Did they help you get the loans you needed or did they put other clients before you? Have you considered moving your financial accounts to a different financial institution to get a better interest rate, loan terms, or assistance with any new SBA or PPP loans that may become available?

Evaluating your business relationships and making smart business decisions on investments, lenders and leases could mean the difference between having to close or continuing to operate the restaurant that you have worked so hard to establish.

We are here to guide you through the next partial/complete shutdown. The time to act is now, before it is too late.

If you have questions about this about this article, please contact Angela L. Mastrangelo at 856.355.2989 or by email at mastrangelo@hylandlevin.com.

Category: Finance and Restructuring