Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Land Use and Zoning

Andy has more than 25 years experience in general environmental counseling and regulatory compliance, natural resource permitting, and land use permitting. He has served for more than 25 years as general counsel and has provided environmental law services on special projects to Maine municipalities. Andy is the Chair of the Environmental & Land Use and Municipal Law & Finance practice groups at Eaton Peabody. His practice concentrates on environmental compliance counseling, and repres...

Ethan Zubic serves as Assistant Chair of the Admiralty & Maritime Section of the Firm and focuses his practice on commercial litigation in a wide range of practice areas, from cooperative purchasing enterprises to property damage to legacy litigation, as well as admiralty and maritime law, insurance coverage and defense, real estate litigation and commercial transactions. He has handled cases involving property insurance, ocean marine insurance coverage disputes, subrogation claims, marin...

Ari represents business, construction, land use development, and environmental clients on a variety of land use permitting, development, environmental, and litigation matters. Ari continues to be selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Concord, NH for Real Estate and Land Use and Zoning Law and Litigation – Land Use and Zoning. He has been selected by Best Lawyers® as Concord’s 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” for Real Estate Law, and C...

Scott B. Birkey 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 Natural Resources Law. Scott B., 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 Scott B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeff E. Wright is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Litigation - Land Use and Zoning. Jeff E., who practices law in Naples, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeff E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rob's active business litigation practice focuses primarily on complex commercial disputes in the federal courts, including false and deceptive trade practice, false advertising, and consumer labeling claims, commercial fraud claims, products liability, civil RICO, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and intellectual property disputes including trademark, trade dress and copyright. He is also one of New Hampshire's most experienced litigators on the scope and application of the New Hampshire Con...

Matt Burrows is a member of the firm’s litigation team. His practice focuses on municipal defense in civil rights litigation, business and commercial disputes, and property disputes. Matt has successfully represented clients in litigation before every New Hampshire state court (Supreme, Superior, and District), the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Ba...

W. Stuart Dornette is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation - Municipal, Litigation - Real Estate and Litigation - Securities. W. Stuart, who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2001. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which W. Stuar...

Meryl A.G. Gonchar is Leader of the Sills Cummis & Gross Redevelopment and Land Use Law Practice Groups. Her practice encompasses all aspects of land use, redevelopment, zoning and related litigation. She represents property owners and developers in appearances before planning and zoning boards throughout the state, in connection with obtaining land use approvals for residential, retail, office, industrial, hospitality and mixed-use projects. She represents clients in the negotiation of r...

Joe Trauth's practice is concentrated in areas of civil litigation, zoning and planning law and real estate law. He has been extremely successful in major rezoning for local and national clients and in obtaining real estate property tax reductions for major commercial properties in this region. He has also handled major eminent domain cases and construction cases. From 1967-1969, Joe served in the United States Peace Corps in Western Samoa as Assistant to the Director of Economic Development ...

Timothy M. Burke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Government Relations Practice, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning and Litigation - Municipal. Timothy M., who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Timothy M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Megan C. Carrier is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Litigation - Land Use and Zoning. Megan C., who practices law in Manchester, New Hampshire, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Megan C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Greg counsels clients in all aspects of land use and real estate, including finance, planning, development, and litigation. His courtroom experience is impressive: He’s spent over 30 years serving as a trial judge, both in the United States Air Force and the New Hampshire Circuit Courts. Additionally, he previously practiced both business law and litigation with New Hampshire-based law firm Wiggin & Nourie. As a result of his experience on both sides of the bench, he is a uniquely e...

James G. Powers is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Litigation - Construction and Litigation - Land Use and Zoning. James G., who practices law in Omaha, Nebraska, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geogra...

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...

Orville D. Coward, Jr. was born in Sylva, North Carolina on December 22, 1953. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1976 with a BA in English and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina Law School in 1979, where he reestablished and served as President of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity. He was admitted to U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina in 1979, and to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985.Mr. Coward began his p...