Best Lawyers in California, United States for Land Use and Zoning Law
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Cities
Barbara Schussman, a partner in the firm's Environment, Energy & Resources practice, focuses on securing federal, state and local agency approvals needed to develop a wide range of private and public projects, including industrial scale solar facilities, university campuses, hospitals, research and development facilities, water supply and storage projects, oil refineries, maritime port and airport expansions, and numerous industrial, commercial, housing and mixed use developments. Barbara...
Douglas J. Evertz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Douglas J., who practices law in Costa Mesa, California, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Douglas J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James M. Rishwain, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. James M., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2005. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Marie A. Cooper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Marie A., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marie A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Susan Hori's practice focuses on land use planning issues, including development entitlements and regulatory permits for real estate development projects and the resolution of environmental issues affecting real property. The hallmark of Susan's practice is her track record of success in navigating the complex process of multiagency permits and approvals. Her clients include landowners, financial institutions, developers and builders in the residential, retail, hotel/resort, and commercial an...
Julie focuses on environmental and land use counseling and litigation for complex development projects. She resolves issues that arise under the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, federal and state species protection statutes, and a range of other local, state and federal statutes and common law doctrines that affect land use. An experienced litigator in California and federal courts, Julie defends projects and uses this experienc...
Bryan C. LeRoy is a partner in our Real Estate practice group and is based in our Los Angeles office. Bryan represents private and public entities in zoning, land use, environmental compliance, energy and infrastructure and other property development matters. Clients seek his counsel on property rights, entitlement strategy and the processing of land use permits, securing zoning approvals and managing environmental concerns and other project impacts, particularly with regard to requirements o...
Robert C. Herr is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Robert C., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 1987. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Experience doesn't make us smarter, but it does steer us to solutions where the less-experienced might only see problems. Experienced land use counsel is particularly critical in California, for it is here that creative "been down this path before" thinking is needed to meet the challenges of an often-daunting convergence of federal, state, and local land use regulation. For more than four decades, Tim's insight has been shaped by work on some of California's most complex entitlement projects...
Skillfully navigates complex and controversial development and infrastructure projects. More than 25 years of experience helping clients accomplish their land use, environmental law and litigation goals. Significant experience in CEQA matters. Diane offers her clients—developers, investors, cities and other private sector clients—land use and environmental law counsel, as well as proven litigation skills. With a deep understanding of public agency administrative processes, she str...
Sara Ghalandari is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Sara, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sara is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nicki Carlsen is the co-leader of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. Her practice focuses on land use, environmental compliance and litigation. She has over 25 years of experience with the federal, state and local regulations affecting development projects, including land use planning and subdivision laws, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, endangered species act...
Neil Sekhri is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Neil, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Neil is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.