Ziss, Judith S

Scott T. McCleary is a principal of Meyner and Landis LLP and a senior member of the litigation group, appearing regularly in New Jersey state courts and New Jersey and New York federal courts. Mr. McCleary specializes in the area of commercial litigation, providing counsel and undertaking trial and appellate work, as well as arbitrations, for some of the nation's largest corporations and financial institutions.

Mr. McCleary has obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and judgments in complex commercial litigation where his clients were plaintiffs. In instances where his clients were defendants, he has obtained numerous favorable settlements and frequent adjudications of dismissal. Throughout his 23 year career, he has handled, and continues to handle, matters that involve commercial contracts, creditor-debtor disputes, commercial real estate, commercial paper, negotiable instruments and other disputes governed by the Uniform Commercial Code.

Mr. McCleary has advocated against New Jersey's ever-expanding use of treble damages imposed upon businesses under the Consumer Fraud Act. His work in this area was the subject of a written opinion issued by the Law Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey in September, 2008 (Matera v. M.C.C.C. Group, Inc., 402 N.J. Super. 30 (Law Div. 2008)) and the subject of competing op-ed pieces appearing in the New Jersey Law Journal (194 N.J.L.J. 511, November 3, 2008) and the New Jersey Lawyer (17 N.J.L. 2034, October 27, 2008). His own legal commentary was published in the New Jersey Law Journal on February 23, 2009 (195 N.J.L.J. 491).

Mr. McCleary's accomplishments have resulted in the firm's recurring designation as one of the Go-To Law Firms of the World's Leading Businesses. Firms are selected as Go-To Law Firms based on a national survey of General Counsel of Fortune 500 companies, as well as on in-depth research and analysis of various public filings and resources, according to publisher Incisive Media. The firm's most recent designation was published in Corporate Counsel Magazine, further underscoring the firm's exceptional representation of Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. McCleary has devoted the balance of his practice to the representation of developers, not-for-profit developers in particular, in the creation of affordable housing and commercial enterprise in urban environments. Having been involved in the firm's pro bono activities in the City of Newark, and drawing upon the firm's considerable expertise in representing financial institutions, Mr. McCleary began representing not-for-profit community development corporations and other nonprofits in 1995, offering guidance and counsel in securing conventional and government-assisted financing. Since then, his representation has expanded throughout the State of New Jersey and includes nearly every aspect of community development, such as securing Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approvals, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) approvals, Department of Community Affairs (DCA) planned real estate approvals, land use and zoning approvals, property tax abatements and Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) income tax-exempt designations. Mr. McCleary also provides counsel to nonprofits other than community development corporations, including acting as general counsel to The Loyola Foundation and others.

Mr. McCleary has a long list of Community Development Accomplishments in the cities of Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, Passaic and Paterson in which Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits and other government subsidies and grants have been awarded. Hundreds of families have been provided affordable housing where it previously did not exist, supported by newly constructed daycare centers, senior facilities, health care facilities, office centers and retail establishments, some in places previously considered to be among New Jersey's harshest urban environments.

Based on the opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary, Mr. McCleary has received Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.