Robert Beckelman

Associate, Real Estate Department
Member, Environmental Practice Group
Member, Green Building Practice Group
Member, Land Use Practice Group
Member, Redevelopment Practice Group

Practice Focus

Mr. Beckelman handles land use and zoning litigation in Superior Court matters as well as appearances before local land use boards and governing bodies, with an emphasis on redevelopment projects, eminent domain, and affordable housing. He also engages in related compliance and transactional work and contract negotiations. His experience also includes civil and commercial litigation, environmental litigation and compliance, code enforcement issues, and municipal court matters.

Representative Matters

• Mr. Beckelman represents developers and property owners in connection with land use and zoning matters, as well as numerous municipalities as special redevelopment or litigation counsel.
• Mr. Beckelman appeared before the Supreme Court of New Jersey, authoring and filing an amicus brief in the matter of Gallenthin v. Paulsboro, on behalf of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Downtown New Jersey.
• Mr. Beckelman currently serves as special redevelopment and litigation counsel to the City of Long Branch and the City of North Wildwood, and has served as special litigation counsel to the City of New Brunswick and the Borough of Belmar.
• Mr. Beckelman has handled redevelopment counseling and litigation on behalf of developers, property owners or municipalities throughout the State, including, the City of Newark, the City of Trenton, the City of Asbury Park, the Township of Woodbridge, the Borough of Carteret, the Borough of Wood-Ridge, the City of Wildwood, the City of Millville, the Town of West Orange, the Borough of South Bound Brook, the Borough of Netcong, the Borough of Emerson, the Town of Maplewood, Morristown, and Stanhope.
• Mr. Beckelman has also provided counsel or litigation services to special improvement districts throughout the State, including Morristown, Red Bank, Toms River, Livingston, Seaside Heights, Atlantic City, Keyport, Bergenfield, Teaneck and East Hanover.

Professional Activities / Honors

• Member of the Middlesex County Bar Association.
• Member of the Mercer County Bar Association.
• Member of Downtown New Jersey.
• Member of the New Jersey Smart Growth Alliance.
• Mediator for Middlesex County Chancery Division.
• Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition by Super Lawyers magazine in the Land Use and Zoning category since 2008.
• Participant in legislative, lobbying, education, and business activities with the New Jersey Builders Association, the Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey, New Jersey Future, and the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce.
• Former summer intern to the Honorable John J. Hughes, U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of New Jersey.
• In law school, Mr. Beckelman was Chair of the Moot Court Board and a member of the Rutgers Law Record.

Publications / Articles / Presentations

• Co-Author, "What Will Happen to Redevelopment In New Jersey When the Economy Recovers?" Rutgers Law Record, Fall 2009. 
• Presenter, "Impact and Opportunities: The New Jersey Economic Stimulus Act of 2009," Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Webinar, June 2009.
• Author,"Is Redevelopment Alive after Gallenthin?", Exhibit A, Spring 2008: Vol 12, No. 2.
• Author, "Supreme Court Upholds Power of Eminent Domain for Economic Redevelopment Purposes," Exhibit A, Winter 2006: Vol. 10, No. 1. 
• Co-author, "New NRD Legislation Offers Protection for Developers and Redevelopers of Brownfields," Exhibit A, April 2005: Special ABC Edition.
• Co-author, "Is The Kelo Decision Really Good News For New Jersey," Dimensions, newsletter of the New Jersey Builders Association, September 2, 2005.
• Co-author, "Amendments to Brownfields and Contaminated Site Remediation Act Offers Protection," Dimensions, newsletter of the New Jersey Builders Association, December 22, 2004.
• Lectures on redevelopment, condemnation and land use issues. 
• Lecturer for Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
• Lecturer for Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy- Center for Government Services.

Bar Admissions

• New Jersey, 2000
• Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2000
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2000