John L. Kraft Receives SIC 2007
Lifetime Achievement Award
By Adam Radzik
Consultant to Professional Firms

Sales Improvement Consultants is proud to announce the winner of the SIC 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, John L. Kraft, New Jersey’s first bond attorney, an exceptional individual who exceeds the criteria for this award.

To be eligible for the SIC Lifetime Achievement Award, candidates must:

• serve the business community with distinction, integrity and originality;
• be a pioneer in his/her chosen field;
• provide education and guidance to colleagues;
• raise the standards of quality in the profession; and
• earn widespread respect as a recognized authority.

Kraft began his legal career in Newark, N.J., in 1964. Three years later he joined a New York City law firm, one of three that provided the majority of bond counsel services to New Jersey government agencies. He combined a Wall Street law practice with a commitment to New Jersey, working on New Jersey bond issues. In 1969, he moved to another of the three New York bond counsel firms. In 1970, he was appointed associate counsel to New Jersey Gov. William T. Cahill.

In 1971, Kraft established his own law firm while serving as secretary-treasurer of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. At that time, many people believed that the traditional requirement of a “New York bond counsel opinion” was an insurmountable obstacle to any New Jersey lawyer’s success in that legal specialty, but Kraft succeeded, and achieved the distinction of becoming New Jersey’s first bond counsel.

He has served as bond counsel for 18 of the state’s 21 counties and hundreds of municipalities, school districts and authorities. In addition to being the first bond counsel for the state, he also served in that role for its Economic Development Authority and Turnpike Authority. The Turnpike Authority issue was for $2 billion, at that time the largest bond sale in the nation. In 2001, Kraft established John L. Kraft, Esq., LLC, where he continues his bond counsel practice today.

Throughout his career, Kraft has been a leader and an active force in the New Jersey bar, the national bond counsel bar and the New Jersey community. He has served as a state bar trustee, editor-in-chief of the editorial board of the New Jersey Lawyer newspaper and was a member of the editorial board of the New Jersey Law Journal.

In 1995, Kraft was a founding fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel and he served for three years as its first president. In 2002, the college established the Annual Kraft Lecture Series to recognize his contributions to public finance law. He was named twice as Outstanding Person in New Jersey Public Finance by the County Finance Officers Association.

Kraft was the 2001 recipient of the Dick Hughes Award from the Richard J. Hughes Foundation, established in honor of former governor and chief justice Richard Hughes’s service to the people of New Jersey. Other recipients of the award include former governors Tom Kean and Brendan T. Byrne and former congressman Robert Roe.

In November 2004, the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys presented Kraft with its prestigious Fred G. Stickel Award in recognition of excellence in local government law, exemplary service to the legal profession and local government, outstanding community service and unselfish assistance rendered to local government attorneys.

Kraft and his wife, the former Joy Cotter of South Orange, have been married for 48 years. He enjoys his five daughters, one son and seven grandchildren, and continues to be an enthusiastic tennis player and fan. The Krafts reside in Waretown, Ocean County.

The SIC 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented on May 20th by Jim Lebenthal, perhaps the best known municipal bond salesman of all time, author of Confessions of A Bond Salesman, himself recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Municipal Forum.

We congratulate Jack Kraft on a life of admirable achievements, contributions and leadership. He can be reached at jkraft@kraftbonds.com or 973-992-4423. His office is located at 70 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039.

Previous winners of SIC awards include Andrew J. Stamelman of Riker Danzig (2006 Rising Star Award) and John B. Berringer of Anderson Kill & Olick (2005 Rising Star Award).