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I’ve loved practicing law for the past 40 years. That devotion has been enhanced by the endearing relationship I shared with my partner and friend Arthur Greenbaum. His father, who founded our firm 100 years ago, told Arthur to ‘master what you do’ and Arthur, in both word and deed, passed that on to me as part of his enduring legacy to our firm.

Mr. Goldsmith's practice focuses on redevelopment, downtown and urban revitalization, transit-oriented development, project financing and incentives, sustainable building initiatives and public-private partnerships. His experience encompasses counseling clients on the specialized issues in redevelopment related to parking demand, design and construction. Mr. Goldsmith also has broad experience in complex commercial litigation, construction litigation and appellate work. 

Honors & Awards

  • Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use practice area (2006 – present)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Real Estate Law and Land Use and Zoning Law practice areas (2007 – present)
  • Selected by Best Lawyers® (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) as 2019 Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Land Use and Zoning Law
  • Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Real Estate: Business, Zoning/Land Use and Eminent Domain practice areas (2010 – present)
  • Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (2001 – present)
  • Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers: Real Estate 2023
  • Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers: Real Estate 2022
  • Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers: Real Estate 2021
  • Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of 2020 ROI Influencers: Real Estate
  • Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers Real Estate 2019: Power Players 
  • Recipient of the Associate of the Year Award from the New Jersey Builders Association (2019)
  • Recipient of the Committee Chair Award as Mixed Use Developers Affiliate from the New Jersey Builders Association (2017)
  • Recipient of the Chairman's Award from the New Jersey Builders Association for his exemplary service on the NJBA's Land Use & Redevelopment Committee (2016)
  • Recipient of a New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award (2009)
  • Recipient of the President's Award for Distinguished Leadership in Planning from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (2007)

Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Representative Matters

  • New Jersey Supreme Court Cases:
    - Gallenthin Realty Development, Inc. v. Borough of Paulsboro, 191 N.J. 344 (N.J. 2007)
    2nd Roc-Jersey Associates v. Town of Morristown, 158 N.J. 581 (N.J. 1999)
  • Mr. Goldsmith was a member of the firm's team that advised an international Fortune 500 retailer with regard to millions of square feet of development in various locales, including redevelopment areas, tax abatement (PILOT) agreements, environmental remediation, redevelopment plans, state, regional, county and local approvals, zoning permits and certifications, miscellaneous agreements, construction permitting, and assisted in drafting leasing provisions.
  • Counseled a joint venture between developer Jonathan Rose Companies and JP Morgan Chase on title and construction loan closings for a mixed use redevelopment project in South Orange, NJ. The project will consist of a 215 unit LEED certified apartment building, retail space and a 500+ space parking facility, a portion of which will be available for public use. The firm advised on the transfer of property to our client pursuant to a Redevelopment Agreement previously negotiated by our team, and also negotiated a $38,500,000 construction mortgage loan for the project. The deal represents a major milestone for the project and a significant step forward for South Orange’s downtown redevelopment.
  • Mr. Goldsmith has served as Counsel to the Morristown Parking Authority since 1983, leading to broad-based involvement in numerous downtown redevelopment projects in the Town of Morristown. That representation has included involvement in three structured parking facilities creating more than 2,000 parking spaces and leveraging more than $500,000,000 in private sector investment.
  • Involved in the development of the “Epstein’s project” in Morristown from 2002 to the present. The project now includes the properties known as 40 Park, the Metropolitan, the 14 Maple Avenue Office Building, Metropolitan Lofts and the DeHart Street Garage, with an approximate value in excess of $300,000,000. Mr. Goldsmith’s services included declaration of the Area in Need of Rehabilitation, creation of the Redevelopment Plan, negotiation of tenant leases, negotiation of complex agreements for parking, access, development and allocation of costs between the Morristown Parking Authority and the private redeveloper, negotiation of contracts for the construction of the DeHart Street Garage and 14 Maple Avenue office building, and the Gold LEED certification for those properties.
  • Serves as counsel to Morristown Partnership, a Special Improvement District established in Morristown in 1994.
  • From 1978 – 1990, served as special counsel for the Headquarters Plaza Project, a then $100,000,000 redevelopment venture in Morristown, handling all aspects of the negotiations, contracts and litigation relating to the project. 
  • Served as special counsel to the City of Long Branch with respect to the oceanfront developments of Pier Village and Beachfront North.
  • Served as counsel to Matzel and Mumford on the redevelopment project in South Bound Brook, now known as Canal Crossing, consisting of 152 townhomes on the former GAF manufacturing site.
  • Represented Thorlabs, Inc. in negotiating the terms for the Redevelopment Agreement, Financial Agreement and financing for the redevelopment of a brownfield site in Newton for its $25,000,000 corporate headquarters and production facility.
  • Represented Somerset Development and Avalon Bay in negotiation of complex Financial Agreements for payments in lieu of taxes for residential developments in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey.
  • Represented Landmark Properties in the development of the Landmark at Rahway redevelopment project which was sold to Roseland Mack Cali.
  • Represented KHovnanian in the redevelopment project of the villages at Delaware Run in Trenton, New Jersey.
  • Represented KHovnanian in the redevelopment of the site of the former Essex County Psychiatric Hospital in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
  • Represented Somerset Development in successful negotiation of reduction of sewer and water connection fees at former Anchor-Hocking glass manufacturing site in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey, based on former sewer and water usage on site.
  • Represented the City of Millville, New Jersey in the creation of the first and only Revenue Allocation District in the State of New Jersey, the precursor to tax increment financing or what is now an ERG Grant.
  • Provided pro bono counsel to the Discovery School, a charter school in Newark, in relation to its lease and occupancy in Teachers Village, a dynamic redevelopment project in the heart of downtown Newark. Mr. Goldsmith has been proud to represent this school, which changes the lives of inner city children.
  • Served as special counsel for redevelopment to the municipalities of Morristown, Woodbridge, Princeton, Westfield, Millville, Netcong, North Wildwood, Park Ridge, Robbinsville, Chatham Borough, Belmar, and Harding.
  • Provided counsel with respect to redevelopment projects in Woodbridge, Rahway, South Amboy, Jersey City, Morristown, South Bound Brook, Matawan, Dover, Wildwood, Stanhope, Linden, Netcong, Phillipsburg, Trenton, Aberdeen, East Brunswick, West Orange, Bloomfield, Hoboken, Newark, Pompton Lakes, South Orange, Linden and Cranford.
  • Guided Newark in the creation of the Newark Downtown District SID, the Bergen Lyons and Clinton SID and the SID funding mechanism for the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau.
  • Provided counsel to Special Improvement Districts in Newark (both Downtown District and Ironbound), Atlantic City, Westfield, Keyport, Collingswood, Jersey City (both Central Avenue and McGinley Square), Haddon Township, Bergenfield, Gloucester City, Teaneck, the Highlands, West Orange, Red Bank, Bound Brook, Seaside Heights, Ocean City, Summit, Rahway, Montclair, Bunker Hill, Hackensack, Freehold, Spring Lake, Boonton, Toms River, Washington, Pompton Lakes, Newton, Cranford, North Wildwood, Wildwood, Millburn, Gloucester City, Hackettstown, Livingston and Springfield, among others.

Uniquely NJ

  • Downtown New Jersey; Board of Directors; Past President
  • New Jersey Future Board of Trustees
  • Regional Plan Association; New Jersey Committee 
  • Urban Land Institute Northern New Jersey Chapter
  • The Counselors of Real Estate New Jersey Chapter
  • NAIOP New Jersey; Legislative Committee (past co-Chair)
  • New Jersey Builders Association; Mixed-Use Developers
  • New Jersey State Bar Association
  • Main Street New Jersey Board of Advisors (Former Member)
  • Alzheimer's New Jersey, Inc. Board of Directors
  • Rutgers School of Law-Newark Alumni Association (Past President)
  • New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; Ad Hoc committee focused on Special Improvement Districts (Former Member)
  • New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice and Procedure (Former Member)
  • New Jersey Lawyer; Editorial Board (Former Member)
View Expanded Bio

More Activities & Experience

  • The American Downtown Revitalization Review Advisory/Editorial Board
  • Interviewed by NJTOD on the issue of home rule in the state and how it affects the implementation of Transit Oriented Development on August 19, 2019.

Academic Appointments

  • Developed and taught a redevelopment law course at Rutgers University School of Law, Newark
  • Taught redevelopment law course at the Kislak Real Estate Institute at Monmouth University
  • Served as an adjunct professor of environmental law in the Graduate Department of Urban Planning and Policy Development at Rutgers University 
  • Taught environmental law in the Master’s degree program for environmental engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology

Presentations & Speaking Engagements

Publications & Alerts

View Abbreviated Bio

Education

Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, J.D., 1977

New York University, B.A., with honors, 1973

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 1977
  • New York, 1989
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1994

Clerkships

  • Former law clerk to The Honorable Milton B. Conford, presiding judge of the Appellate Division (1977-78); former law clerk to the Superior Court, Appellate Division and Supreme Court of New Jersey


- Chambers USA 2023 -
(a publication of Chambers and Partners)

Editorial Excerpt: "Assists clients with an array of matters relating to development and redevelopment projects. He has expertise in permitting and design issues as well as wider contentious matters."


Robert S. Goldsmith New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award Recipient 2009

Goldsmith, Robert S
Robert S. Goldsmith Listed in Best Lawyers

Robert S. Goldsmith Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2019

Robert S. Goldsmith
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.