Christopher D. Hopkins is a shareholder in the Real Estate and Redevelopment group at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. A former in-house counsel to a national homebuilding company, Mr. Hopkins has over 20 years of experience representing developers, owners, users and other clients in all aspects of complex real estate transactions. His practice spans a wide range of commercial, industrial, and retail transactions, with an emphasis on financing, land acquisition and disposition, development approvals, leasing, and redevelopment.
Mr. Hopkins also has significant experience in counseling clients on a variety of environmental regulatory compliance and permitting issues, including ISRA compliance, environmental due diligence, Superfund and other liability concerns, the structuring of business entities, affordable housing development, condominium association formation and returning contaminated properties to beneficial use.
Mr. Hopkins participates in a number of industry organizations, including the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the Commerce and Industry Association, the New Jersey Builders Association and the National Brownfield Association. Mr. Hopkins is active in the charitable community and has served on the board of a not-for-profit community development corporation working towards providing affordable housing for local residents.
Awards & Recognitions:
- Chambers USA, 2024 Edition, Recognized as Band 3 for New Jersey Real Estate for the second year in a row
- Corporate Partner of the Year for Affordable Housing Services, Brand New Day, Inc., a NeighborWorks America organization, 2010
- Georgetown University Law Center Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute
Chambers USA® (https://chambers.com/about-us/methodology) is published by Chambers and Partners.
A description of the selection process may be accessed via the above link. The aforementioned organization is a private peer review organization, not court-specific, public certification vehicles. No aspect of this advertisement has been submitted to or approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Results achieved in prior matters are not meant to be a guarantee of success as the facts and legal circumstances vary from matter to matter.
- Represented developer in $40 million acquisition and financing of five office flex buildings totaling 204,632 square feet.
- Represented Fortune 100 Company in $30 million purchase of hotel closing the transaction in two weeks.
- Acted as special counsel in connection with a $1,925,000,000 First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement for a Fortune 100 Company.
- Represented industrial developer in acquisition of 415 acre site and construction of $3 million square foot industrial park.
- Represented owner in anchor tenant lease transaction with large national supermarket chain.
- Represented Fortune 100 Company in the sale of its New Jersey data centers as part of a $4 billion dollar transaction.
- Represented owner in anchor tenant lease transaction with large national retailer.
- Represented Seller in $57 million transaction selling 240 affordable housing units.
- Counseled developer in connection with $30 million financing to construct an affordable housing development receiving Low Income Housing Tax Credits, bond financing from the NJHMFA and a Community Development Block Grant for Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief.
- Represented Fortune 100 company on land use and zoning matters pertaining to the development, redevelopment and repurposing of corporate campus.
- Represented Fortune 500 company in connection with the leasing of its corporate headquarters facility.
- Represented life sciences company in connection with the leasing of New York office space.
- Represented golf course in connection with the closing of a $10 million construction loan.
- Counseled developer in connection with $60 million in private lender financing and Low Income Housing Tax Credits for redevelopment of urban hospital into affordable housing apartments.
- Represented golf course in connection with NJDEP enforcement action for water treatment system permit violations.
- Represented nursing home owner negotiating and drafting various contracts for company ranging from financing, leases, construction agreements, employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting and professional services agreements. Assist in strategic corporate structure and formation for new ventures and board governance.
- Represented large commercial brokerage company in litigation over commission.
- In a litigation involving multiple tenants on large property along the Hudson River, successfully removed several tenants, and obtained judgment for back rent due while simultaneously negotiating the purchase of riparian rights from the State of New Jersey for the landlord.
- Conducted litigation against large oil company regarding environmental contamination, successfully recovering remediation monies spent by client.
- Represented a national homebuilder before state and local agencies in various construction, development, redevelopment, and land use matters.
- Litigated the municipal denial of a modification of a tax abatement agreement for a condominium high rise in Jersey City.
- Represented foreign purchaser of a landmark skyscraper in Manhattan. Conducted transactional due diligence and reviewed all retail and commercial leases; identified lease issues and obtained tenant estoppels.
- Negotiated the lease of terminal space for a five-star international airline carrier at a major New York area airport. Negotiated the termination of its existing lease and its new space permit/lease for the build-out of new terminal space. Negotiated tenant improvements and alterations and complex asset maintenance agreement for the new terminal space.
- Represented law firm in its lease of office space in New York and Newark while negotiating sublease for a portion of that space.
- Counseled redeveloper on the acquisition, remediation and redevelopment of a large chemical manufacturing facility. Negotiated purchase agreement with Seller and ACO with NJDEP, arguing successfully that seller not be allowed to terminate an existing ACO and its posted remediation funding source as part of the transaction. Subsequently obtained a reduction of remediation funding obligation for a portion of the acquired site already being addressed by another existing MOU.
- Represented automobile manufacturer in the multi-site removal and remediation of contaminated concrete including defending litigation involving a large lost economic opportunity claim brought by a developer.
- Litigation to achieve approval for the development of a 500-unit multifamily community in the New Jersey Highlands.
