Find Lawyers in America for Land Use and Zoning Law
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Land Use and Zoning Law - America
About this Practice AreaChristian K. Adams, founding and managing partner, is an experienced trial lawyer in federal and state courts. He is also a highly-regarded legal and business counselor, who regularly advises many of Hawaii’s most prominent business leaders and corporate boards on a wide range of issues. His practice spans a broad spectrum of areas including complex commercial and civil litigation, employment law, insurance litigation, maritime law, and real estate law. Adams has been listed by Hawaii S...
Eben Adams is partner and Chair of Pierce Atwood's Real Estate Practice Group. His practice includes all aspects of real estate law with a focus on commercial and residential development, acquisitions, sales and leasing. Eben regularly represents hospitality clients in the purchase and sale of restaurants and hotels. He has extensive experience representing developers of condominium projects including residential, commercial and mixed-use condominiums. Eben regularly assists energy companies ...
Wendell's practice focuses on representing financial institutions in government enforcement actions, regulatory compliance matters, internal audits, and real property controversies. Wendell’s litigation experience is broad, having represented clients in a wide variety of matters but with a particular focus in financial services, consumer finance, real property and construction litigation. In addition to litigation, his practice includes performing internal risk assessments and regulator...
Gary is a hard-wired problem solver who thrives in complex matters at the intersection of law, politics and public policy. His practice focuses on land use and environmental law. He has addressed entitlement, access and other land use issues before local government entities throughout Idaho. His land use experience includes commercial, residential, industrial and infrastructure projects, including some of the largest projects in the state. Gary has also handled many land use litigation matter...
Zach Allen is a director in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Since 1988, Mr. Allen has concentrated his practice in commercial real estate lending, leasing, development and sales transactions, in which he represents a diverse range of clients, inluding developers, purchasers, owners, tenants and lenders. He is licensed and actively practices in both Oklahoma and Texas and regularly handles multi-state matters. He is board-certified in Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board ...
Mr. Anderson's practice focuses primarily on real estate litigation, real estate transactions, and commercial litigation. Litigation matters include real estate title issues, title insurance matters, private condemnation, mined land reclamation issues, construction defect litigation, mechanics’ lien litigation, and enforcement of security interests. Mr. Anderson also represents buyers, sellers, and lenders in real estate transactions. A particular area of emphasis is road and access law...
Mr. Armbrust practices in the areas of real estate, general business, contracts, environmental, land use, administrative, water and utilities. Mr. Armbrust serves on the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. He has previously served on the Boards of the Colorado River Foundation, the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation and the Brackenridge Hospital Development Council. He served on the Board of Directors of the Austin Real Estate Council and was its ...
Area of Emphasis: Redevelopment: Redevelopment plans, zoning ordinances and designation of renewal areas; Property acquisition including development of appraisals in anticipation of condemnation, negotiation of acquisitions, and condemnation; Contracts between public entity responsible for implementation of redevelopment and private redevelopers (including responses to requests for proposal); Loan and grant applications and agreements in connection with governmental assistance for redevelopme...
Dan Bailey has more than 25 years of experience in environmental, land use, real estate, and municipal law. He prides himself on offering pragmatic solutions to complicated legal matters. While Dan’s “sweet spot” is the redevelopment of commercial property, he has a strong background in all aspects of environmental and regulatory law. Dan also handles all types of real estate transactions. Dan has helped facilitate development of a wide range of commercial real estate projec...
Michael Bailkin focuses in two value creation areas of real estate: (i) development incentives; and (ii) structuring and helping implement real estate development projects. Development incentives includes a broad range of programs that utilize public sector resources to add value to private projects, including financial supports, EB-5 financing, cost reductions, land use actions and sole source and below market acquisition of land. Structuring real estate projects generally involves taking in...
Michael J. Baker is an AV-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and leads the Transactional Group at Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas. He has participated in the purchase and financing of projects totaling more than 250 million dollars, including more than 40 million dollars in Farmland Preservation, Open Space purchases and Right of Way acquisitions. In making Open Space, Farm Land Preservation and Right of Way acquisitions, Mike has worked with the NJ DEP, NJ EIFT, NJ Water Supply ...
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. Barclay IV attended the University of Virginia (B.A. 1982) and (J.D. 1986). From 1986 to 1991 he served as an officer in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He entered private practice in the City of Portsmouth in 1991 and joined Cooper, Spong & Davis in 1993. He has an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Barclay practices primarily in the areas of commercial and residential real estate, including representation of purchasers and sellers of real prope...
William B. (Bill) Bardenwerper, is listed in Best Lawyers in America, with top rankings in Chambers USA and Martindale-Hubbell. Bill received these distinctions from a practice beginning in 1978 as Jefferson County’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and as Special Counsel to the County Executive (now U.S. Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell. In 1987, Bill became managing partner of a firm bearing his name, today Bardenwerper, Talbott & Roberts, PLLC. He has always primarily...
Director and Shareholder A skilled orator, Mr. Barnes has argued numerous cases before the Utah Court of Appeals, the Utah Supreme Court, and the 10th Circuit. He represents clients in various types of litigation, specializing in real property, construction, water, and employment law matters. He also serves as a mediator for construction disputes. Mr. Barnes has been actively involved in resolving construction disputes since the mid-1980’s. He has represented owners, general contractors...
Kerri L. Barsh represents public and private clients on an array of environmental regulatory, permitting and litigation matters, including transactional support and due diligence, environmental assessment and liability matters, energy and infrastructure projects, wetlands and coastal permitting, complex land use projects, air quality matters, hazardous materials contamination, and other compliance and enforcement cases.
Charlie Beavers is a member of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include the acquisition, sale and development of real properties, including rezonings, subdivisions and other land use matters before elected governing councils and commissions and before appointed boards and committees. These matters have included residential and office condominiums, automobile dealerships, mixed-use town center projects, office parks, large residential communities with mixed ...
Robert Beckelman is a shareholder at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. concentrating his practice in redevelopment, land use and zoning, affordable housing and related litigation. Mr. Beckelman represents real estate developers and property owners in connection with land use and zoning matters and disputes as well as municipalities as special redevelopment, housing or litigation counsel. On the transactional side of his practice, Mr. Beckelman negotiates and drafts contracts, developer and...
Melinda Beck practices in the areas of conservation, land use, real estate transactions and real property transfers. On the conservation side, Melinda assists local governments, land trusts and private landowners with purchases and donations of conservation easements throughout the United States and internationally. In her career, Melinda has completed hundreds of conservation transactions including: Numerous purchases and bargain sales of conservation easements using funds from local, state ...
Mark Bentley practices in the area of land use, eminent domain and property rights. He is a former planning director and has represented numerous private property owners against various governmental condemning authorities in eminent domain matters. He also practices in the areas of administrative law and legal matters. Mark taught land use law as an adjunct professor for the University of South Florida’s Urban and Regional Master’s Degree Program, and now serves on the program&rsq...
Attorney Robert (Bob) L. Berchem is the founding partner of Berchem Moses PC. Bob serves as President of the firm and Chair of its Business Services Department. He graduated with honors from Fairfield University in 1962, and from Villanova Law School in 1965 where he was first in his class and the editor of the Villanova Law Review. Following law school, Bob clerked for the Honorable William H. Timbers, Chief Judge of the United States District Court. After working for Judge Timbers in both t...
Jeffrey has practiced land use and zoning law for more than 25 years, and also has practiced in the fields of real estate law and litigation, earning recognition for himself and the firm he co-founded in 1996 with Michael Radell. Jeffrey represents real estate developers, landowners, institutional clients, lenders and other property owners. His practice covers all aspects of local, state and federal real estate permitting and licensing, including zoning approvals, amendments of local governme...
Doug Berry concentrates his practice in land use and zoning, eminent domain, municipal law, state administrative law and commercial litigation, particularly disputes related to real estate. Mr. Berry advises and represents private and public sector clients on antitrust and trade regulatory issues. He represents both land developers and municipalities in zoning and planning matters, as well as buyers and sellers in commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Berry has been a Rule 31 Mediator sinc...
Ira W. Bloom is a senior partner in the firm. He has practiced in the land use and municipal areas for many years. Mr. Bloom has been Town Attorney for Westport since 1998, Town Attorney for New Canaan since 2012, Town Counsel for Wilton since 2016, Weston Town Attorney since May 2018, and has served as counsel to Easton and Madison for several years. He has also represented other municipalities, along with numerous applicants and neighborhood associations throughout the state. Mr. Bloom is a...
For more than 40 years Lee has provided counsel to local governments and municipalities across the state on a wide range of legal issues, from bond issuance to land use. He is keenly aware of the needs of governmental clients and uniquely adept at meeting them. As testament to his talent and work ethic, he currently manages approximately 40 towns, cities, and districts. Lee has been approved as bond counsel in connection with issues of the Maine Municipal Bond Bank and the United States Depar...
My law practice is focused primarily on eminent domain/condemnation law, but also includes municipal law, administrative law, and other real estate-related litigation matters. After graduating with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, I obtained a "Professional Engineer" certification from both Illinois and Arizona, and practiced as an engineer in both the private and public sectors for seven (7) years. Since graduating from law school, I have practiced law with the law firms of Mari...
Jeff Brenner is a trial lawyer who represents clients in complex business disputes in federal and state courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, arbitrations, mediations and before regulatory agencies. Jeff concentrates his practice on construction and real estate disputes, and he leads the firm’s Real Estate Litigation team and Construction group. What do you focus on? I help people and businesses that have disputes requiring litigation. I focus on construction and complex real estate...
Robert G. Brewer, Jr. is an attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer in Bethesda, Maryland whose practice is rooted in the firm’s Land Use & Zoning and Health Care groups. Robby skillfully guides clients through the critical phases of expanding, developing, buying and selling real property, and has counseled hospitals, institutional health care entities and physicians in a wide variety of health care and land use matters. Robby represents major regional developers, institutional owners...
Timothy E. Britain is a director and shareholder of Cleveland, Waters and Bass, P.A. in Concord, where he focuses his practice in real estate, commercial lending, land use planning and zoning, and real estate litigation. He earned his B.S. degree with distinction, in forest management from the University of Maine in 1980, and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Suffolk University in 1984. Mr. Britain is a member of the Merrimack County and New Hampshire bar associations. He is currently vice cha...
David Brown focuses on domestic and international commercial transactions, including complex land use, concurrency, comprehensive land plans, and environmental issues. He has led billion-dollar transactions and financings and has organized some of the largest real estate developments in Florida and elsewhere in the country.Mr. Brown’s professional focus has been directed at organizing major corporate, real estate, and government transactions, including initiation of the State of Florida...
Jeff Brown is a member within Moore & Van Allen's Commercial Real Estate group. He focuses his practice on the representation of investors and developers in an array of real estate-related transactions and ventures. Jeff represents and serves as counsel to his clients in a comprehensive range of real estate-related matters, from financing, acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture and real estate investment structuring, and development, including complex land use, entitlement and publi...
Mike Brown is the head of the Real Estate Litigation Team at the firm. Mike is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Group and the General Litigation Practice Group. Mike’s emphasis in both practice groups is on real property and land use matters. Because of this emphasis in his practice, Mike also works very closely with the Real Estate Group. For the past several years, Mike has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law wher...
Todd is recognized by clients, the judiciary, elected officials, regulatory staff, and his peers for his high ethical standards, his detailed knowledge of land use regulations, and for delivery of successful results in a timely, predictable manner. His clients include commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate developers and builders, private schools and other not-for-profit organizations, and individual and business clients seeking to preserve and enhance the value of real estate asse...
Ben has a business-focused practice specializing in the areas of banking and financial services, commercial finance, real estate and corporate law. He advises a wide array of clients in all phases of institutional lending, including loan structuring, negotiating and drafting credit transaction documentation. Additionally, he regularly advises commercial lenders and borrowers with regard to judicial and non-judicial foreclosure proceedings, UCC enforcement, bankruptcy, and has extensive experi...
Neill Bryant was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2010. His practice areas include real estate, commercial lending and finance, and corporate law. Neill works extensively with commercial developers in the acquisition and sale of commercial real estate, construction projects, and commercial lending. He has experience representing borrowers in HUD/FHA loan programs and New Market Tax Credit projects in several states. He regularly represents retail grocers and other businesses in the areas of...
Shareholder Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization Ed, who has practiced law for 39 years, is a peer review rated AV® Preeminent attorney who has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America every year since 2003, and was named the 2014 Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" Phoenix in Land Use and Zoning Law. Ed has been selected by Super Lawyers of the Southwest every year since its inception in 2007, Arizona’s Finest Lawyers from 2008-2019, Chambe...
Heather represents property owners and developers in all phases of real estate development, from pre-acquisition due diligence through local permitting and appeals. Heather has represented development clients on land use matters in jurisdictions across the state of Washington, successfully permitting and defending a variety of large residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Heather also represents property owners, businesses, and individuals in permitting and zoning regulatory matters...
Natalie practices municipal, environmental, land use and administrative law and represents both public and private clients. Before joining the firm, she served as Associate Corporation Counsel for the City of Portland for 10 years. Natalie graduated from Bowdoin College, with departmental honors in Romance Languages. She received her law degree from the University of Maine School of Law. She has made presentations on municipal and land use issues at seminars sponsored by the Maine State Bar A...
Land Use and Zoning Law Definition
Land use practice encompasses those areas of the law which are focused on public efforts to shape the use and development of private land use either through regulation or through governmental incentives. It includes both the substantive and the procedural aspects of federal and state laws regulating the environment and ensuring a place for environmental concerns in public decision-making; federal, state, and local programs to protect significant historic and archeological resources; local subdivision, site planning, zoning and mapping laws; and the use by all levels of government of incentives, whether through the tax system or special governmental powers to facilitate desirable development.
The land use practitioner brings an understanding of these laws and programs and how they relate to each other to any one of the variety of roles: counseling, planning, structuring, and negotiating a private real estate transaction; advising (and sometimes opining) as to compliance with the applicable land use controls; counseling and advocacy with respect to a private land use initiative requiring public agency action; negotiating with or mediating among the stakeholders in a public land use decision; negotiating and preparation of the documentation required in connection with all of these activities; and, in cases where the differences between stakeholders are not resolved through the public land use decision process, advocacy in litigation challenging a public land use decision.
Beyond a knowledge of the law, land use practice requires a sensitivity to the different economic interests, planning goals, and political considerations of the stakeholders in the land use regulation process and an understanding of how they can shape public decisions; a recognition that land use regulation, particularly environmentally-based controls, often involves technical knowledge that requires retention of appropriate experts; and an understanding that public consideration of a land use action may be colored by the sometimes large economic consequences of a land use decision, by unstated but deeply felt concerns over change, and by competing visions of the future.
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.
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