Bisola A. Taiwo concentrates her practice in the area of Real Property. Ms. Taiwo most recently served as Assistant Director/Chief of Staff for the City of Newark, Department of Economic and Housing Development. As Assistant Director/Chief of Staff, she led more than 70 employees across five multidisciplinary divisions, managed a high volume of complex redevelopment projects from concept to completion, and oversaw day-to-day operations on key initiatives and municipal capital improvement projects. She also directed teams of outside counsel on negotiations with private developers in connection with routine to non-routine real estate transactions and large-scale development projects, and she structured and monitored the orderly disposition and development of the City’s real estate portfolio in accordance with its redevelopment plans. In the planning and execution of all these projects, Ms. Taiwo reported directly with the Mayor and Business Administrator on key economic development metrics.
Some of Ms. Taiwo’s high-profile achievements while working for the City include structuring the deal terms for billions of dollars of new redevelopment projects; managing the pre-development activities and day-to-day aspects of the Riverfront Park expansion project; planning and executing the end-to-end revitalization of 45 undeveloped or underdeveloped parcels in the West Ward, creating more than 200 affordable rental units and 24 three-family homes for sale; and designing the process allocating $20 million in gap financing to subsidize the construction of new, state-of-the-art affordable housing.
Credentials
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D.)
- Seton Hall Legislative Journal, Member
Colgate University (B.A.)
- Phi Theta Alpha
Professional Admissions
State of New Jersey
State of New York
Professional Activities
New Jersey State Bar Association
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
Essex County Bar Association
Judicial Clerkship(s)
Judicial clerk to the Honorable Susan D. Wigenton, U.S.D.J., United States District for the District of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, 2013 – 2015
Judicial clerk to the Honorable Paulette M. Sapp-Peterson, P.J.A.D, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, Trenton, NJ, 2012 – 2013
Judicial clerk to the Honorable Lisa P. Thornton, A.J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Freehold, NJ, 2011 – 2012
Civic/Charitable Activities
Colgate University Alumni Council
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Legal Employment
City of Newark, Department of Economic and Housing Development
- Assistant Director/Chief of Staff, 2020-2022
- Legislative Director, 2018-2019
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC
- Associate – Commercial Real Estate, Development Land Use, 2015-2018