Best Lawyers Near You in Portland, Maine for Land Use and Zoning Law
Joanna Brown Tourangeau is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group and has substantial experience representing commercial, industrial, municipal, and Tribal Nations clients on the full spectrum of environmental, natural resources, and municipal land use issues. With over 20 years of experience practicing in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, Joanna delivers clear, actionable advice on permitting, licensure, compliance, and liability matters in con...
Jeffrey Herbert is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Jeffrey practices law in Portland, Maine Best Lawyers has recognized Jeffrey Herbert since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jeffrey Herbert is held by other lawyers.
Leah Rachin focuses her practice on municipal, land use, and employment law. Leah combines 20 years of practice experience with her practical, detail-oriented nature to deliver customized, workable solutions to help clients achieve their objectives. Leah serves as town attorney to several municipalities, and advises towns and other public sector clients on a broad range of issues such as zoning, planning, licensing/permitting, charter/ordinance drafting and interpretation, right-to-know law, ...
Having worked as an urban planner, as chair of the Portland Zoning Board, and inside state government, Phil is well acquainted with municipal and land use law. That experience, combined with his legal expertise, makes him extremely adept at counseling municipal officials and boards and obtaining land use approvals at local, state, and federal levels for real estate developers and property owners. And he’s just as equipped to help clients with legislative issues: he helped draft and pass...
Nicholas J. Morrill is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Nicholas J. practices law in Portland, Maine Best Lawyers has recognized Nicholas J. Morrill since 2016. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Nicholas J. Morrill is held by other lawyers.
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...
Calm under pressure, dependable, and a true advocate for her clients, Mary is an experienced municipal and environmental law counselor. Having worked in the public sector for years before joining Bernstein Shur, she has a firsthand understanding of the issues faced by municipal and state employees and boards—and how to help her clients confront them. Her most recent public sector position was associate corporation counsel to the City of Portland, where she advised the city staff and cou...
Charles M. Katz-Leavy is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Community Association Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Charles M. practices law in Portland, Maine Best Lawyers has recognized Charles M. Katz-Leavy since 2018. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Charles M. Katz-Leavy is held by other lawyers.
Michael is a partner who maintains a wide-ranging litigation and trial practice in both state and federal court. Since joining Murray Plumb & Murray in 1995, he has honed his litigation and dispute resolution expertise, fueled by a love of building and making arguments. Michael’s practice has a particular focus on business, construction, real estate and probate matters. He also has extensive experience in the land use and zoning areas; has handled numerous boundary, easement, zoning...
Benjamin T. McCall is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning and Municipal Law. Benjamin T. practices law in Portland, Maine Best Lawyers has recognized Benjamin T. McCall since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Benjamin T. McCall is held by other lawyers.
Amy Tchao is the Leader of the firm’s Municipal Law Practice Group and has over twenty-five years of experience advising municipalities and other public clients on a broad range of municipal issues, including land use permitting and enforcement, zoning compliance (including shoreland zoning matters), ordinance drafting (including zoning/land use ordinances and other ordinances governing short-term rentals, impact fees and other specialty areas), cannabis regulation, elections, freedom o...
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.
