East Meadow, NY Jennifer Appel joined the real estate and land use and zoning practice groups at Certilman Balin as a partner. She has twenty years of experience in the representation of sellers and purchasers in numerous commercial and residential real estate transactions; borrowers in financing transactions; landlords and tenants in commercial lease transactions; and developers in land use approvals. Appel began her career as an Associate in 1996 at the law firm of Mars, Sloane and Conlon. After five years, that firm merged with Certilman Balin where Appel continued to practice, based in the Hauppauge office. In 2007, she was elevated to the partnership. In commercial lending, she is well-versed in conventional loans as well as SBA 504 loans, IDA exempt bonds and PILOT agreements. She has a wealth of experience in obtaining land use approvals, zone changes, and site plan and zoning board variances. She drafts and negotiates contracts, lease agreements, lease extensions and estoppels certificates for office, retail and ground leases. She is also experienced in all aspects of Article 78 litigation, and appears in front of a variety of governmental and municipal boards. In 2011, Appel was offered the opportunity to become general counsel and program advisor for the Long Island Housing Partnership, Inc. In this role, she expanded her knowledge of real estate law, concentrating on affordable housing related transactions including low income housing tax credit developments, federal and state grant programs and employer assisted homeownership programs. In December 2016, she returned home to the East Meadow office of Certilman Balin. Appel earned a bachelor of arts degree from Ithaca College in 1993 and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law in 1996. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York.