Best Lawyers in America for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Mark Merrell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law. Mark, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A. Bernard “Bernie” Bays is a Director of the firm. Mr. Bays has over 50 years of experience successfully representing clients in over 150 landmark Hawaii litigation cases. Mr. Bays focuses his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, business litigation, real estate litigation, trusts and estates litigation, legal malpractice law-defendant litigation, real estate law and land use and zoning law. Mr. Bays is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board o...

3 Things to Know About Stan Abrams: He is the lead attorney for the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin’s eminent domain practice in North Carolina. He is a former Assistant Attorney General for the North Carolina Department of Justice who represented the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.* Stan Abrams is lead attorney at the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm , a division of the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin . He is known throug...

Alan Marcuvitz is a Shareholder in the Real Estate Section. He is recognized as one of Wisconsin’s preeminent attorneys in the fields of eminent domain and real property taxation, based on his extensive experience in both trial and appellate courts. Many of his Wisconsin Supreme Court cases are cited with the following representative cases being cited frequently: Warehouse II, LLC v. State Dept. of Transp. , 2006 WI 62, 291 Wis. 2d 80, 715 N.W.2d 213 Metropolitan Holding Company vs. Boa...

Mikaela V. Rivera is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law. Mikaela V., who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mikaela V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Accomplishments Ms. Merlin has held several leadership positions in eminent domain during her career. These include: Chair of the ABA Condemnation, Zoning and Land Use Committee (1982 - 1985); Chair of the Florida Bar Eminent Domain Committee (1993 - 1994); Co-Chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Eminent Domain Committee (1997-1998) and member of the Florida Bar Eminent Domain Practice and Procedure Steering Committee (1999 - present). Her proudest career accomplishment is institu...

Billy Coe Dyer is a board-certified civil trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience representing landowner clients against condemning authorities at the local, county, state, and national levels. Widely recognized as an authority in the condemnation and eminent domain arenas, Billy’s lengthy list of notable victories includes the largest jury verdict for a property owner in a condemnation case in Texas and representation of the landowner in Interstate Northborough, the Texas ...

Liam maintains a broad practice grounded in all types of real estate matters. Liam’s litigation practice focuses on property law, including disputes involving title and boundary issues, easements, adverse possession and prescriptive easements; public and private road issues; title insurance claims; land use, zoning and Act 250; construction, condemnation and tax appeals. In the course of his practice, Liam has represented landowners, developers, municipalities and neighborhood groups in...

An experienced attorney in the fields of eminent domain, condemnation, land use law, and zoning law, Casey has been with the Helmsing Leach since being admitted to practice law in Alabama in 1996.

James S. Wright is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. James S., who practices law in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Blake Gaylord is a partner practicing in the field of eminent domain and property rights. He has successfully represented property owners statewide in jury trials, bench trials, and administrative and Value Adjustment Board proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Blake served as an officer in the U.S. Army where he was deployed in both Operation Iraqi Freedom (Kuwait) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Professionally, he has served as the Chairman of the Eminent Domain Committee of...

Kenneth A. Jones has more than 40 years of experience practicing eminent domain, condemnation and property rights law. Ken has handled hundreds of eminent domain cases on behalf of individual and business property owners throughout Florida. He has defended his clients’ rights against government entities including the State of Florida Department of Transportation, South Florida Water Management district, Florida Gas, and various counties, municipalities and utility companies. His represe...

George B. Autry, Jr. has been a trial lawyer since 1991 and has practiced exclusively eminent domain since 1993. Before joining Cranfill, Sumner & Hartzog, LLP as a partner in 2001, George was a partner in Autry & Crabill, a Raleigh eminent domain law firm. Prior to representing exclusively property owners in eminent domain matters, George handled condemnation cases as an Associate Attorney General for the State of North Carolina. George’s career has included over fifty cases wh...

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...

Don joined the firm in 1993 and is the Managing Partner and Chair of the firm’s Commercial Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights Practice Group. He practices in the areas of eminent domain, commercial real estate finance, civil litigation, construction law, and business bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. He has provided advice and counsel to clients in commercial real estate financing, loan workouts, construction matters, collections and foreclosures and has successfully represent...

Dubbed zealous and creative by opposing counsel, Aaron S. Evenchik focuses on construction and real estate law, where he represents clients in both transactional and litigation matters. Serving as co-chair of both the firm’s construction and real estate practice groups, his cross-practice technique allows him to help resolve disputes innovatively and effectively. Aaron’s Cleveland experience with transactions and handling multiple first chair litigation/arbitration matters enables...