John L. Kraft

Partner

Monmouth Executive Center
100 Willow Brook Road
Suite 100
Freehold, NJ 07728

P: (732) 462-7170
F: (732) 462-8955

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Attorneys / John L. Kraft

JOHN L. KRAFT is a partner in the Firm's Public Finance Law Department. Mr. Kraft established the first nationally recognized Bond Counsel practice in the State of New Jersey in 1971. Mr. Kraft began his legal career at a Newark law firm in 1964. In 1967, he joined one of the three New York City firms that, at the time, handled most of New Jersey's bond work. In 1969, he moved to the second of the three New York Bond Counsel firms that handled most of the New Jersey municipal bond work. In 1970 he was appointed Associate Counsel to Governor William T. Cahill. As part of the Cahill Administration, he was responsible for all bonding matters, including those relating to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. In 1971, Mr. Kraft left the Governor's staff to establish Kraft & Hughes, the first New Jersey based Bond Counsel practice.

For 30 years Mr. Kraft practiced under the law firms names of Kraft & Hughes, Kraft & McManimon and Lowenstein Sandler. In 2001 he established John L. Kraft, L.L.C. where he continued his Bond Counsel practice. He joined Lomurro, Davison, Eastman & Muñoz in September 2007 to head up the firm's newly created Public Finance Department.

Mr. Kraft has served as Bond Counsel for 18 of the 21 counties and hundreds of municipalities, school districts, and authorities in New Jersey. He was the first New Jersey Bond Counsel for the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. In 1985, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority issue he approved as Bond Counsel was for two billion dollars, at that time the largest municipal bond sale ever in the nation.

Mr. Kraft is known for his dedication to providing cost effective and highly competent Bond Counsel services, regardless of the size of the issue. His experience and creativity have enabled him to solve many difficult problems. He also prides himself on his reputation for promptly responding to his client's needs.

Throughout his career as Bond Counsel, Mr. Kraft has been a leader and an active force in the New Jersey Bar, the National Bond Counsel Bar and the New Jersey community. These varied activities have enhanced his ability to serve his State, county, municipal, school district and authority clients. Mr. Kraft is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and he served as a Trustee and Chair of the Local Government Law Section. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Lawyer newspaper and as a member of the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Law Journal. In 1976, Mr. Kraft helped to establish the Bond Attorneys Workshop, an annual educational program for Bond Attorneys. In 1980 he served as Workshop Chairman. He also is a member and former Director of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. In 1995 he was a Founding Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel, serving for 3 years as its first President. In 2002, the College established the Annual Kraft Lecture Series to recognize Mr. Kraft's contributions to Public Finance Law. Mr. Kraft serves as Associate Legal Counsel to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and belongs to the New Jersey County Finance Officers Association, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and the Association of Environmental Authorities. Mr. Kraft was selected twice as the Outstanding Person in New Jersey Public Finance by the County Finance Officers Association.

In 2001, the Richard J. Hughes Foundation presented Mr. Kraft with the Richard J. Hughes Award. In 2004, he received the Fred G. Stickel Award from the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys. In 2007, Mr. Kraft received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Sales Improvement Consultants, Inc. The New Jersey Assembly adopted a resolution commending Mr. Kraft on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and on being the Garden State's first bond attorney. He was selected as the 2008 Irishman of the Year by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore. Mr. Kraft has been a prolific writer and speaker throughout his career as Bond Counsel. He has spoken at conferences of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, the Bond Buyer, the Bond Market Association, The New Jersey Government Finance Officers' Association, the New Jersey Association of the Counties, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the Association of Environmental Authorities and the New Jersey Conference of Mayors. In addition, he is a regular instructor for a course on bonding for municipal attorneys, now presented by the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education. For the last 25 years he has conducted an annual workshop for a small group of top Bond Counsel from all parts of the United States. Over the years, Mr. Kraft also has presented many seminars directly to elected and appointed officials throughout the State.

Mr. Kraft's life and education reflect his commitment to the law and the State of New Jersey. He is a life-long resident of New Jersey. He graduated from Georgetown University, cum laude, in 1958. This was followed by three years in the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant. He then attended Yale Law School, where he was an Editor of the Yale Law Journal and was enrolled in the Order of the Coif. He graduated in the top 10% of his class in 1964. Mr. Kraft was admitted to the Bars of New Jersey, New York, Florida and the District of Columbia. Mr. Kraft and his wife, Joy, have six children and seven grandchildren. They reside in Waretown, Ocean County, New Jersey.