Christopher Costa Email & Phone Number

Chris is Co-Chair of the Stevens & Lee Real Estate Department. He represents clients in all aspects of commercial real estate law, including land use, transactions, commercial banking, condominium conversions, leasing and landlord-tenant law. In 2024, Chris was recognized by the New Jersey Law Journal as a nominee in the Dealmakers category at the publication's annual awards and by NJBIZ as one of the Leaders in Real Estate, Construction and Design. Chris focuses a substantial portion of his practice on pharmaceutical companies, higher education institutions and other advanced technology companies. This work includes obtaining land use approvals and the sale and leasing of research and development facilities and corporate campuses.In the area of industrial use and logistics, Chris represents clients in the purchase of industrial sites and has obtained multiple variance approvals for warehouses. He is also experienced in the conversion of sites zoned for retail and other uses into industrial sites through New Jersey’s Local Redevelopment and Housing Law. He also works with clients in other areas of industrial transportation and logistics, including industrial ground leasing and vehicle fleet sales.Chris also represents lenders and borrowers in the negotiation and closing of commercial loans in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, with a particular focus on the unique challenges of construction loans for multifamily residential or mixed-use projects in New York City and industrial projects in New Jersey.In addition to his transactional and other land use work, Chris has successfully defended the rights of religious and educational organizations designated as “inherently beneficial uses” before municipal boards, state courts and federal courts. For many of his religious institution clients, he has successful pursued actions in Federal Court under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLIUPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Chris is a trustee of the board of Princeton Community Housing and the Princeton Bar Association. He is Associate Counsel of the New Jersey Planning Officials and a frequent presenter at the annual meeting of New Jersey League of Municipalities for that organization. He has also presented to the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Princeton and State Bar Associations and other organizations on topics ranging from critical real estate law issues, land use and leasing to discrimination in land policy.

Listed skills include Real Estate, Real Estate Transactions, Land Use, Commercial Real Estate, and 17 others.