Best Lawyers in California, United States for Land Use and Zoning Law
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Cities
Mitchell B. Menzer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Mitchell B., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mitchell B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Cecily Barclay focuses her practice on land use and entitlements, real estate acquisition and development and local government law. She regularly assists landowners, developers and public agencies throughout Northern California in all aspects of acquisition, entitlement and development of land, including land use application processing, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, negotiating and securing the approval of development agreements, general plan amendments, specific plan...
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.
George Soneff is a partner in the Los Angeles office. He has over 30 years' experience in complex litigation in state and federal courts, and administrative tribunals. He has an extensive background handling real property litigation, including real estate development and valuation, land use restrictions and governmental regulation of property rights, eminent domain/inverse condemnation, ownership disputes, construction-related claims, water rights, and insurance. His clients have included maj...
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...
Marne S. Sussman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law, Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Litigation - Environmental. Marne S., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marne S. 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.
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...
Kenneth B. Bley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning and Real Estate Law. Kenneth B., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 1995. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kenneth B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sigrid Waggener is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Sigrid, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sigrid is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Timi Hallem is a partner in Manatt’s Los Angeles office and a member of the real estate practice group. With over 30 years of real estate law experience, she has earned a reputation as the lawyer to whom clients turn with their most challenging projects. Timi’s practice covers all aspects of real property and hotel ownership and development, including acquisition, entitlement, development, financing, leasing and disposition. She has a depth of experience in all types of real estat...
Nicholas William Targ is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Regulatory Law, Environmental Law and Land Use and Zoning Law. Nicholas William, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicholas William 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...
Anne E. Mudge is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Natural Resources Law and Real Estate Law. Anne E., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Anne E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ryan Michael Leaderman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Ryan Michael, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ryan Michael 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.