Kelly M. Carey Of Counsel

Ms. Carey specializes in land use and municipal law and litigation. She is Of Counsel at the firm and has been licensed to practice law in New Jersey, in state and federal courts, since 1996. She has practiced land use and municipal law for over 25 years and represents both municipal boards and private clients. Clients rely on her for the full range of development advise including, land use and zoning applications, presentation of applications to land use boards, preparation of expert witnesses, review of master plan amendments, zoning ordinance drafting, redevelopment designations and planning approval, condemnation, affordable housing compliance, PILOT programs and environmental permitting.

Ms. Carey has been appointed to represent municipal boards around the state for more than 15 years. That representation includes the Old Bridge Planning Board, Parsippany- Troy Hills Planning Board, Middlesex Borough Planning Board, Clark Planning Board, and Montville Zoning Board. She was conflict counsel for the South Orange Zoning and Planning Boards. She currently represents the Clark Zoning Board, and the Monroe Township Affordable Housing Board. She also assists with the firm’s representation of several other land use boards. She takes   great pride in guiding board members who volunteer their time and talents for the benefit of their communities.

Prior to joining the firm, she represented private clients and successfully secured approvals for the construction of new commercial buildings, from Newark to Egg Harbor City, redevelopment of existing facilities and conditional use approvals for businesses from Buena Borough to the City of Plainfield, and residential variance approvals for clients from Ocean County to Bergen County. She was also part of a team representing several municipalities in central New Jersey as special counsel on affordable housing matters. She finds it rewarding to witness her clients enjoying the properties that she had a part in shaping.

Ms. Carey also has considerable experience representing municipal land use boards in prerogative writ proceedings including appearances before the trial courts, Appellate Division and the New Jesey Supreme Court. Monarch Communities, LLC v. Twp. of Montville, A-0929-23, N.J. Sup. Ct. Docket # 090407. She has also represented municipal interests in the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program, and before County Tax Courts.

Prior to starting private practice, Ms. Carey served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert A. Longhi, AJSC (retired) Middlesex County Superior Court, and was a member of the Dickinson School of Law Environmental Law Journal. She has also volunteered as a member of the Zoning Board and Economic Development Board in her hometown.