James L. Lott, Jr.

James L. Lott, Jr. is a Partner in the Firm’s Government Affairs Group. His practice encompasses all aspects of land development regulation as well as redevelopment, municipal and transportation law. Jim has significant experience in handling complex and controversial development projects and has appeared before more than 100 municipal, county and regional land use and transportation agencies. Jim has litigated development approval rights in the Superior Court of New Jersey and represented clients in contested administrative agency actions and permitting matters before the New Jersey Departments of Transportation, Community Affairs, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture, the Board of Public Utilities, as well as before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. Jim has considerable experience and expertise in land development and transportation matters arising under Municipal Land Use Law, Local Redevelopment and Housing Law as well as the State Highway Access Management Act.

Jim has also counseled public and private clients in matters involving compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, Open Public Records Act, HUD and NJDCA affordable housing and community development programs, and the Local Government Ethics Law; the drafting and enactment of local government legislation; public contracting procedures; the sale and lease of public property under the Local Lands and Buildings Law as well as provided advise in connection with local finance, taxation and budgetary matters.

Jim served as Special Counsel to Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills since 2022 and as Township Attorney from 2018 – 2021. He served as municipal attorney for the Borough of Chatham from 2011 to 2020, and as special counsel for 2021. He previously represented the Township of West Caldwell as Township Attorney from 2010-2013. Jim was special condemnation counsel to New Jersey Transit in the ARC-THE Tunnel project and is continues to represent New Jersey Transit in the successor the trans-Hudson Gateway Tunnel project. He also served as legal counsel to the Township of West Caldwell Zoning Board of Adjustment from 2002 to 2009 and previously served as an alternate member to the board. Jim frequently represents municipal, county and other local government agencies as special counsel in a variety of matters involving public contracting, governance, municipal utility and land use regulation.

Prior to joining the firm, he served as a Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator in the New York/New Jersey Regional Office of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, he served at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs as the Commissioner’s Executive Assistant for housing, development and urban policy initiatives.