By Joshua Burd
Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla has named a new shareholder and two new chairs within its team of real estate and land use attorneys.
The new shareholder, Donna A. McBarron, is a member of the Red Bank-based firm’s real estate department who concentrates on commercial leasing, according to a news release. In that role, she reviews and negotiates deals for an array of office and retail clients nationwide, from large corporations to family-owned businesses.
Previously of counsel with GHC, much of McBarron’s recent work has involved lease workouts resulting from the impact of COVID-19, the news release said. Her experience has included commercial litigation and representation of purchasers, sellers, banks and borrowers in residential and commercial real estate transactions.
She earned her J.D. in 1998 from Rutgers Law School-Newark, where she was a member of the Rutgers Law Review. She graduated in 1995 from Rutgers University.
Meantime, Giordano has named C. Justin McCarthy and John A. Sarto as respective chairs of the real property and the affordable housing practices.
McCarthy, a taxation and land use shareholder in the firm’s land use and development law practice group, represents individuals, developers, tenants and landlords in trades of commercial, mixed-use, residential and warehouse properties, the firm said. His property tax matters include residential, commercial and industrial valuation disputes, along with farmland assessment disputes, property tax exemptions, analyses and disputes and rollback tax disputes.
Before joining Giordano, McCarthy represented 25 municipalities in central and southern New Jersey in tax appeal litigation. The firm noted that the real property taxation practice is now dealing with valuation impacts on residential, retail and commercial properties in light of COVID-19 government-imposed shutdowns and operational limitations.
Sarto, a shareholder in the land use and affordable housing practice groups, counsels clients on affordable housing issues and municipal affordable housing obligations, the firm said. His work includes negotiating rezoning proposals for higher density, inclusionary, residential development and redevelopment projects.
The firm also noted Sarto’s work in litigation, including builder’s remedy lawsuits if municipal affordable housing obligations have not been met. He also provides counsel in all phases of development, including permitting, development applications before municipal planning and zoning boards and appeals of arbitrary and unfavorable decisions.
The new roles for McBarron, McCarthy and Sarto took effect on Jan. 1.
