Joseph J. Jankowski is Of Counsel at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. and a member of the Banking & Financial Services group. For over 40 years, commercial real estate clients have depended on Mr. Jankowski to advise them and guide them on all aspects of commercial lending and real estate finance law. He brings to the table a comprehensive understanding of real world issues that reach beyond commercial lending transactions and includes both commercial and residential development, land use issues and mortgage banking law. Mr. Jankowski delivers to commercial banks, developers, real estate investors and individuals an entire career of business-infused legal knowledge, insight and experience.
Mr. Jankowski regularly quarterbacks multi-million, multifaceted loan transactions from negotiation to closing with an eye to ensuring that all aspects of the deal and participants involved will serve his clients’ best interests. 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. An unceasing advocate of transparency, Mr. Jankowski operates as a collaborator with his clients reporting results, trends, and historical data enabling them greater opportunity to make sound strategic decisions about their transactions and overall business goals.
Mr. Jankowski’s legal experience is wide-ranging and deep. Following law school, he was commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and was honored as a Commandant’s List graduate of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School at the University of Virginia. He was assigned to the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia, where he was a recipient of the Quartermaster School’s Distinguished Instructor Award.
Immediately after his service, Mr. Jankowski spent thirteen years at a boutique real estate law firm where he amassed a background in all types of real estate transactions at all developmental stages, including residential and commercial real estate contract creation and review, land use regulation, acquisitions, sales, commercial lending and foreclosures. He also obtained broad-based experience in specific related areas such as interest rate swaps, loan participations, syndications, and combined mortgage-backed securities. As his client base expanded and diversified from local lenders to also include national banks, so too did Mr. Jankowski’s ability to assist his clients in their strategic growth, both in the short and long term. His foundational understanding of all aspects of real estate law enables him to bring a comprehensive awareness to the representation of his commercial clients, while maintaining a consistent devotion to each individual real estate client. In addition, Mr. Jankowski has served as outside general counsel to multiple real estate development associations as well as several local school districts.
In 1991, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of Raritan Bay Medical Center, having served as Chairman for six years. In that role, he spearheaded a number of successful initiatives at Raritan Bay, notably, the integration of new diagnostic services and labs; the establishment of several new facilities including the construction of a new 90,000 square foot facility at the hospital’s Old Bridge Campus; and the merger of Raritan Bay Medical Center with the Meridian Health System. For his continued efforts, in 2013 Mr. Jankowski received the “Raritan Bay Healthcare Foundation’s Humanitarian Award” and was named “2016 Hospital Trustee of the Year” by the New Jersey Hospital Association. He was a Trustee of the Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Corporation. He has also been the recipient of the “New Jersey Builders Association Iron Man Award” for his dedicated service to the homebuilding industry.
Both Mr. Jankowski and his wife, Lorraine, are Middlesex County natives.
