Jennifer M. Porter

Jennifer M. Porter's practice focuses on development, zoning, land use, planning and related permitting issues. She has represented major developers and commercial and residential property owners on site plan, subdivision, special permit, use and area variance applications and zoning interpretations before planning, zoning and legislative boards in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. She has experience drafting all types of documents associated with such applications, including planning and zoning application forms, permitting documents, resolutions, easements and SEQRA forms and determinations. In addition, Ms. Porter has been involved in all aspects of zoning and land use litigation matters, including legal research and drafting of complaints, answers, motion papers, and briefs.

Before joining Gibbons, Ms. Porter was an associate at Keane & Beane, P.C. in White Plains, New York where her duties included serving as legal counsel to the Village of Rye Brook Planning Board, serving as Town Prosecutor for zoning violations for the Town of Bedford and serving as special counsel on land use/environmental matters to the Town of Red Hook. She was also responsible for drafting local laws for municipal clients on numerous land use and zoning topics including open space preservation and funding sources, historic preservation, the site plan and subdivision review process, affordable housing, special permits, home occupations, planning and zoning board powers, nonconforming uses and overlay districts.

Her past experience also includes serving as the Managing Director and as a Research Fellow for the Pace Land Use Law Center.

Pace University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2001)
Law Trustee Merit Scholarship
Federal Judicial Externship Honors Program
Casenote & Comment Editor, Pace University Law Review

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (M.A., Criminology, 1997)

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (B.A., cum laude, 1996)
Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society
Alpha Phi Omega National Service Organization

State of New Jersey

State of New York

State of Connecticut

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Member, New York State Bar Association; Municipal Law and Real Property Law Sections

Member, New Jersey Bar Association; Land Use Law Section

Member, Connecticut Bar Association; Planning and Zoning Section

Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association; Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section

"New York Land Use Litigants Beware Injunctive Relief Must Be Sought to Preserve the Status Quo While an Appeal is Pending," RPE Law Alert, July 30, 2010

"Remote Control: Navigating Land Use for Remote Drive-Through Facilities," New York Real Estate Journal, June 17, 2008 and MidAtlantic Real Estate Journal, June 17, 2008 (Jennifer M. Porter, Jennifer P. Smith)

"Critical info SEQRA negative declarations should contain," New York Real Estate Journal, April 29, 2008 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"Defining, Regulating and Understanding Accessory Uses," New York Real Estate Journal, February 19, 2008 and MidAtlantic Real Estate Journal, February 22, 2008 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"Filing of a Land Use Decision with the Municipal Clerk's Office Beyond the 5-day Timeframe is a Loss for the Applicant and a Win for a Potential Challenger," New York Real Estate Journal, October 16, 2007 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"Timing is not the only issue of concern for challenges to the issuances of a certificate of occupancy," New York Real Estate Journal, September 18, 2007 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"The Pitfalls of Incorporating Compliance with Consultant Comments as a Condition of Approval," NJPA Real Estate Journal, May 25 - June 7, 2007 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"The Pitfalls of Incorporating Compliance with Consultant Comments as a Condition of Approval," New York Real Estate Journal, May 15, 2007 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"Appeals Court Strikes Down Third Round COAH Rules; Corzine Administration Given Six Months to Develop New Affordable Housing Plan," In-Sites Special Alert, January 29, 2007 (Douglas J. Janacek, Jennifer M. Porter)

"2006 Amendments to The Freedom of Information Law," New York Real Estate Journal, September 19, 2006 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"What Every Retail Property Owner and Tenant Should Know About Zoning Violations in New York (Part 4)," New York Real Estate Journal, August 15, 2006 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"What Every Retail Property Owner and Tenant Should Know About Zoning Violations in New York (Part 3)," New York Real Estate Journal, July 18, 2006 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"What Every Retail Property Owner and Tenant Should Know About Zoning Violations in New York (Part 2)," New York Real Estate Journal, June 20, 2006 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

"What Every Retail Property Owner and Tenant Should Know About Zoning Violations in New York (Part 1)," New York Real Estate Journal, May 23, 2006 (Howard D. Geneslaw, Jennifer M. Porter)

Speaker, Lorman Education Services, "SEQRA Compliance in the Development Approval Process," Garden City, NY. July 15, 2008

Speaker, Ethics for Real Estate Lawyers, 2005

Speaker, Clustering and the Transfer of Development Rights, 2002

Speaker, Land Use Ethics, 2001

Listed as Super Lawyers Rising Star, Land Use/Zoning, 2010

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