Lawrence Cutalo is a seasoned real estate development attorney with broad experience in complex litigation. He works closely with clients to craft thoughtful solutions and achieve successful outcomes in a variety of settings. He has extensive experience in business litigation, zoning and redevelopment, healthcare, and cannabis.

Mr. Cutalo routinely represents developers before local planning and zoning boards to obtain site plan, subdivision, variance, and other land use approvals. He assists clients in redevelopment designations, preparing redevelopment plans, and negotiating redevelopment agreements. He leverages his extensive courtroom experience when land use matters call for litigation. 

Mr. Cutalo has successfully represented clients before state and federal courts, and state administrative agencies, in complex commercial and professional liability matters, among others. He is an experienced appellate practitioner, having obtained several reported appellate decisions.

Mr. Cutalo is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Land Use Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is the Second Vice President of the Morris County Bar Association and a former Co-Chair of the Land Use Committee.

Before joining O’Toole Scrivo, LLC, Mr. Cutalo was Of Counsel at an Am Law 200 firm.

Matters

  • Represented national developer to obtain land use approvals to convert an office complex into two warehouses totaling ± 200,000 s.f. in suburban Essex County, New Jersey.
  • Represented developer to obtain land use approvals for a ±500-unit residential community comprised of luxury apartment buildings, townhouse buildings, and affordable housing on a ±75-acre site in Morris County, New Jersey.
  • Represented national cannabis company in obtaining site plan approvals for dispensary in Bergen County, New Jersey.
  • Represented developer to obtain redeveloper designation and land use approvals for a 114-unit residential development as part of a Redevelopment Area in suburban Essex County, New Jersey. 
  • Represented developer to obtain land use approvals to repurpose a four-story office building into an ± 95,000 s.f. healthcare facility in Morris County, New Jersey.
  • Represented developer to obtain land use approvals for a mixed retail and residential development, including fifty-six units as part of a Transit Village in Passaic County, New Jersey.
  • Innes v. Marzano-Lesnevich, 435 N.J. Super. 198 (App. Div. 2014), aff’d as modified, 224 N.J. 584 (2016)
  • Garden Howe Urban Renewal Assoc., LLC v. HACBM Architects Engineers Planners, LLC, 439 N.J. Super. 446 (App. Div. 2015)
  • Kathleen A. Donovan, County Executive of Bergen County v. Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, 436 N.J. Super. 91 (Law Div. 2012), aff’d, 436 N.J. Super. 1 (App. Div. 2014)
  • ARC Springfield LLC v. Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders et. als. v. Village Super Market, Inc. et. als., No. ESX-L-6616-10, 2016 WL 7057500 (Law Div. Dec. 1, 2016)

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Honors & Awards

  • Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers® list (2022-2024) for Land Use/Zoning (conferred by Thomson Reuters)
  • Named one of New Jersey's "New Leader of the Bar" (2017) conferred by the New Jersey Law Journal (formerly “40 Under 40”)
  • Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list (2012-2016) for Business Litigation (conferred by Thomson Reuters)

No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the New York State Court of Appeals. Click here to view Awards/Honors Methodology.

Memberships & Affiliations

  • New Jersey State Bar Association, Board of Directors, Land Use Law Section (2019-Present)
  • Morris County Bar Foundation, President (2024)
  • Morris County Bar Association, First Vice President (2024); Second Vice President (2023); Treasurer (2022); Secretary (2021); Trustee (2017 - 2020); Co-Chair, Land Use Law Committee (2016 - 2020);

Clerkship

  • Hon. Ronald B. Graves, J.A.D.

Speaking Engagements

  • Land Use Update 2024 - New Jersey State Bar Association (Mar. 6, 2024)
  • Advanced Topics in Zoning XII: What’s Hot in Cannabis - New Jersey State Bar Association (Sept. 7, 2023)
  • Land Use Update 2023 - New Jersey State Bar Association (Mar. 1, 2023)
  • Professionalism Seminar—Revisiting the Wilson Rule—Is the Line Too Bright? - Morris County Bar Association, Legalpalooza (Nov. 16, 2022)
  • Into the Weeds: Legal Aspects of NJ Cannabis Regulation - Morris County Bar Association, 2021 Legalpalooza (Nov. 4, 2021)
  • Land Use Update 2022 - New Jersey State Bar Association (Feb. 23, 2022)
  • Advanced Topics in Land Use IX, Municipal Land Use Law Reform - New Jersey State Bar Association, NJICLE (June 2021)
  • Advanced Topics in Land Use VII, New Tenant Site Plan Review - New Jersey State Bar Association, NJICLE (May 2020)
  • Land Use Update 2020 - New Jersey State Bar Association, NJICLE (Feb. 2020)
  • Cybersecurity: Views from Law Enforcement, Corporate Counsel and the Bar - Morris County Bar Association (Oct. 2019)
  • Is New Jersey the Next Colorado? Understanding New Jersey's Developing Marijuana Laws - Morris County Bar Association (Oct. 2018)
  • Crisis Management: Views from the Bench, Law Enforcement, and the Bar - Morris County Bar Association (Nov. 2017)
  • Hot Topics in Affordable Housing - Morris County Bar Association (Dec. 2016)
  • Hot Topics In Real Estate - Morris County Bar Association (Oct. 2016)