Practice Group: Community Association

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis is a pioneer and modern day leader in community association law.  The Community Association Practice Group was established by senior partner, Wendell Smith, to form a dedicated group practice for association clients throughout New Jersey.  Smith, known by many as the “father of New Jersey Condominium law” was the founding President of the CAI- NJ chapter, serves as its General Counsel and also holds the National CAI’s prestigious Byron Hanke Award for his outstanding contribution to the quality of community association governance and leadership.  Three partners at GRS&D hold membership in the elite College of Community Association Lawyers as well as author the treatise entitled, New Jersey Condominium & Community Association Law, published by Gann Law Books as well as a daily resource for practitioners throughout the state. Numerous attorneys of the Group serve in leadership capacities on either governmental task forces or industry committees, regularly speaking and publishing on any number of issues affecting today’s common interest communities.
   
Unique among even those firms with a practice devoted to community association law, GRS&D employs a team approach to this specialized area of law. The Group works with the boards’ managers, accountants, engineers and insurance agents to help clients develop policies and procedures tailored to each community’s particular needs.  The firm routinely provides legal advice beyond a static interpretation of the governing documents to address all facets of community living from development and transition to daily consultation on matters of conflict resolution and collection procedures.  The Group taps its in-house expertise for questions relating to redevelopment, bankruptcy, environmental and other legal issues. 

When litigation is necessary to resolve issues, the Group is served by one of the most comprehensive litigation teams in the state, with over half of the firm’s 100+ lawyers being active litigators. For example, in 2007, the firm's litigation team successfully argued the Twin Rivers case before the Supreme Court of New Jersey.  Our attorneys are also at the forefront of reforming laws that affect community associations.  Even where the firm’s attorneys have not been directly involved in compelling the adoption of state or federal association law, clients can be sure that with our tenured relationships both nationally and in the state, we will be among the first to know when an initiative affecting community associations becomes law.
   
Community association law today is complex and ever evolving. Associations should seek attorneys who possess knowledge of the unique body of law governing common interest communities and have the resources to address the multitude of issues that affect each association differently. Our clients are varied and include condominiums, co-ops and homeowner associations, ranging in size from two-unit condominiums to properties with thousands of units.  The firm has extensive experience with urban and waterfront developments, high-rises, and age-restricted properties, as well as resort and golf communities.  Most of all, GRS&D attorneys are hands on.  The Group’s success stems from developing relationships with clients through daily interaction and personal contact.  At our firm, client relationships remain the cornerstone to the effective representation of community associations.