The Legal 500

DLA Piper LLP’s land use, development and government relations practice has a truly national presence, with lawyers across six offices coast to coast. Chicago partner Theodore Novak chairs the group, which handles contentious and non-contentious land use matters for a diverse client base. His team is advising on redeveloping the former US Steel Southworks site in Chicago, one of the largest brownfield sites in the US, into a lakeside community; in May 2010, $100m in public financing for the development was approved and work on the project is set to continue for the next two decades. Another highlight for the group was representing Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in California on CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) and entitlement issues for the hospital’s 20-year expansion plan. The land use practice acquired a number of new clients in 2010, including the likes of BP America and Nestlé.

Representing developers and institutional clients from its New York office, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP has a ‘first rate’ land use practice, with its lawyers noted for their ‘expertise, judgment and professionalism’. Melanie Meyers is singled out as being ‘at the absolute top of her profession’; she ‘knows more about the “ins and outs” of city building codes and zoning regulations than any other lawyer in the City’. She recently advised Google on land use and zoning of its New York headquarters. Stephen Lefkowitz is also recommended, and worked alongside Melanie Meyers and Richard Leland on the planning and development of the $5bn Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, representing Forest City Ratner Companies.

While Greenberg Traurig LLP’s land use attorneys are situated across a number of states, its Florida offices have historically been most active in land use work, with the firm covering the state’s main centers of Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Palm Beach County. Co-chair of the national environmental and land development practice Debbie Orshefsky is based in the Fort Lauderdale office. Aside from its Florida focus, the firm also handles a significant amount of work elsewhere in the US; recent work includes representing Brownfield Partners on the redevelopment of a large copper smelting facility in Colorado formerly owned by Asarco, which filed for bankruptcy in 2007; the remediation and redevelopment agreement implemented by the client was the first of its kind with any of Asarco’s remediation trusts formed following its bankruptcy.

‘Extremely involved in the intricacies of each component of the land-use and zoning process’, Holland & Knight LLP has a national presence and is extremely well resourced across the Mid-Atlantic region. Well known for advising on mixed-use projects, the team recently assisted Tejon Ranch and Tejon Mountain Village on the agreement to preserve approximately 240,000 acres of the Tejon Ranch in California in exchange for use of 30,000 acres for the development of a new town and resort in the area; Tejon Mountain Village is to be built on the largest privately owned land tract in California and is the state’s largest new resort project. The firm is currently working on environmental review issues and land use approvals. Practice heads Jennifer Hernandez and Whayne Quin manage land use mandates on the West Coast and in the Mid-Atlantic states respectively. Real estate head Janis Schiff and Miami-based partner Joseph Goldstein are also recommended.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP has 20 attorneys based in its New York office, and is praised for its ‘real-world advice and technical legal guidance’. The lawyers have broad experience in land use negotiation, condemnation and litigation, and their expertise is ‘second to none’. The firm is a market leader in New York, currently working on a number of mega-projects across the state. A key client for the firm is Extell Development Company, which instructed the group on a number of high-profile land use matters, including the development of Riverside Center, a 3 million sq ft mixed-use project in Manhattan. Michael Sillerman and Paul Selver co-chair the practice and are well regarded by peers. Jeffrey Braun is also recommended, with a strong background in land use and environmental litigation.

Latham & Watkins LLP focuses on the development of commercial, institutional, residential, industrial and infrastructure projects throughout California and the West Coast. With a sizeable team of land use attorneys based in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County, the firm is able to handle high-profile instructions and large-scale developments. In the area of environmental litigation, ‘outstanding’ practice co-chair Christopher Garrett has a strong track record. Lucinda Starrett, who co-chairs the group alongside Garrett, focuses on administrative approvals, climate change projects and pre-litigation advice; she is noted for her ‘excellent technical knowledge and political prowess’, which is ‘the best in Los Angeles’. In 2010 the firm drafted the environmental impact report for NBC Universal’s long-term master plan for Universal Studios in Los Angeles, advising on environmental and land use issues concerned with the project, which will upgrade production facilities, bring new office space and refresh the Theme Park. Other mandates include a number of university master plans and alternative energy projects.

Akerman Senterfitt handles land use mandates from its New York City, Miami, Tallahassee and Orlando offices. The team, led by Neisen Kasdin, is active across both Florida and New York, bringing to bear significant experience in urban infill, mixed-use projects and developments of regional impact (DRI). The group recently represented a major retailer in New York on the re-zoning and expansion of its flagship store. Other headline work included assisting Consultatio Key Biscayne, an Argentina-based developer entity, in obtaining development permits and defending its site plan approval for a $150m ten-acre luxury oceanfront condominium project in Miami.

Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP ‘really knows the land use market inside out’, and has become involved in important climate change initiatives in California. The group, which handles both land use transactions and litigation, is comprised of lawyers in five offices across the state and is chaired by Michael Durkee, William Devine and Sonia Ransom. Recent work includes continued assistance to First Industrial Realty Trust, involving securing entitlements for a 250 million ton aggregate mine in unincorporated Riverside County. Other work in the area includes acting for Anheuser-Busch in condemnation litigation, which includes a CEQA action against Riverside County.

Ballard Spahr LLP handles land use and zoning matters in jurisdictions nationwide, with lawyers handling mandates in both eastern and western states. John DiTullio and Tina Makoulian jointly head the team, and are based in Phoenix and Philadelphia respectively. Notable representative highlights included advising the National Center for the American Revolution on a $100m project involving land-use entitlement, zoning and permitting of a 130,000 sq ft museum with hotel, conference center and exhibit spaces; the team successfully defended challenges to the project’s zoning legislation in state and federal courts and negotiated land exchange matters with the National Park Service.

Although Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP carries out all its work from its single office location in Miami and maintains a strong Florida focus, the firm is active in dealing with land use matters across a number of states. It successfully represented Bridgeport Landing in a mixed-use redevelopment project, to be situated on the 52-acre Steel Pointe peninsula in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the plans include a include a 2.6 million sq ft complex of approximately 1,100 apartments, among extensive retail, hotel and office space. The city of Bridgeport approved the plan after a competitive bidding process and construction is set to begin in 2011.

Bingham McCutchen LLP has a ‘deep bench in the land use field of California, providing thorough advice on the most complicated matters’ and assisting clients across the whole spectrum of development issues. Recent work includes advising Irvine Company on its ongoing entitlement efforts to convert the former Sony headquarters in San Jose; in 2010 the team represented the developer in obtaining entitlements to build approximately 1,600 apartments on the site. The firm also has a highly regarded environmental and natural resources practice, which works closely with the land use group on a number of project developments and CEQA issues.

Bryan Cave LLP’s land use lawyers, urban planners and registered architects are led by Robert Davis, who has 30 years’ experience in land use, historic preservation and environmental law matters. While the firm has a land use presence across many US states, its core practice is in New York, where the firm represents a number of municipalities and developers, including Gotham Organization in a 1.1 million sq ft development in Manhattan; the plans, which include 1,350 new apartments, retail space and a public school, required numerous land use approvals, a zoning map and special permits. The City Planning Commission and City Council recently approved the large-scale urban development, which will revitalize Manhatten’s Far West side.

Carlton Fields is firmly entrenched in the Florida market with six offices across the state and an additional office in Georgia. The core of the land use team is based in the Tallahassee office, although the firm also has a strong presence in Tampa. Chair of the group Nancy Linnan is very well regarded by peers and admired by clients for ‘combining technical knowledge with personal relationship skills when representing clients in front of the regulatory community’. The group is strong in transactional matters and is also experienced in land use litigation. It recently won a six-year-long case for a developer seeking approval of a mixed-use infill project for apartments and commercial use in Leon County.

Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass is based in San Francisco and has 19 real estate and land use attorneys. A highly regarded full-service firm, it engages in some state-wide instructions but primarily has a regional practice; ‘for San Francisco land use work it is the best’. The firm has particular expertise in advising medical institutions, and is representing California Pacific Medical Center on a $2.5bn five-campus rebuilding project involving San Francisco’s largest private/non-profit hospital, which is currently in the entitlements process.

Cox, Castle & Nicholson has a highly regarded land use practice in both northern and southern California, handling contentious and non-contentious instructions. Leading individuals in the team include practice head Clark Morrison and former Morrison & Foerster LLP attorney Anne Mudge, who drives the firms focus on renewable energy projects. She handled CEQA compliance issues and permitting from local, state and federal agencies for Terra-Gen Power on the headline 1,500MW Alta Wind Energy Center in Tehachapi Pass; this is currently the world’s largest wind energy project.

Phoenix-based boutique firm Earl, Curley & Lagarde, PC represents developers throughout Arizona, assisting with zoning analyses, permits, variances, abandonments, site plans, subdivision plats and state trust land documents. The three founding attorneys each have over 25 years’ experience in land use law, and are highly regarded by rival firms statewide. They work alongside one associate and a team of experienced planners; together, they maintain strong links with municipal and county officials throughout Arizona, aiding regulatory processes. Blue-chip clients have included American Express, Bank of America and McDonald’s.

Goodwin Procter LLP’s land use attorneys practice in California and Massachusetts. The ‘very responsive, very accessible’ Boston team carries out work across New England and is led by Martin Healy. Recent work includes continued assistance to Federal Realty Investment Trust in connection with the largest-ever mixed-use development in Massachusetts. The deal involves $65m worth of stimulus act funding for infrastructure, parkland expansion and environmental commitments.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP assists private and public landholders in obtaining permits and other entitlements on the West Coast. The firm has a strong focus on sustainable and green development, and is representing Hydrogen Energy International on the land use and zoning aspects of the creation of a unique hydrogen-based electricity generation power plant; the project has $300m worth of funding from the US Department of Energy and will power 150,000 California homes, while capturing 90% of the carbon dioxide the power plant creates.

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP has a substantial concentration of lawyers handling land use law in California and Atlanta. The firm represents LNR properties and Hopkins Real Estate Group on land use matters, including defending entitlements challenged under CEQA for a public-private partnership to create Boulevards at South Bay in Carson; the project, which includes $120m of public funding, proposes to build up to 2 million sq ft of commercial space and 1,550 residential units. Practice head Tony Canzoneri and Atlanta partner Sharon Gay are recommended.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP expanded its real estate, land use and environmental practice through two partner hires from Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, including the highly esteemed Jerold Neuman, who chaired the land use and government relations team at his previous firm. The practice has a strong reputation in California and has been lead counsel on some high-profile CEQA cases, including relating to the development of a mixed-use retail and hotel project at Lane Field. Other recent work includes instructions from Lennar Homes and Wal-Mart.

Vedder Price’s core land use team is in its Chicago office, and handles some multi-state mandates. A key client is Walgreens, which has instructed the firm on a number of local zoning approvals, all of which have been granted; the team has worked on 13 stores for the client, in eight different municipalities. Danielle Meltzer Cassel is highly recommended, for ‘her knowledge, competency, tact and finesse of political and governmental situations’.

Bercow Radell & Fernandez PA is a boutique firm based in Miami, with the majority of its workload in South Florida. Managing partner Jeffrey Bercow is highly regarded by peers, and led a groundbreaking project for Maefield Development to redevelop land in downtown Miami owned by McClatchy Corporation; the proposal (which is set to include LED media towers, a ten-storey parking garage and retail space) was approved following review and analysis of city, county, state and federal laws.

Chaired by Steven Vettel, Farella Braun & Martel LLP’s 12-strong land use practice handles all aspects of the entitlement process including redevelopment disposition, city development agreements, ground leases with public entities, rezoning and general plan amendments. The team recently prevailed in defending AF Evans Development in a CEQA lawsuit challenging the city of San Francisco’s approvals for 55 Laguna, the mixed-use development at the former University of California Berkeley Extension Campus in San Francisco.

Michael Phalen leads the land use team at Fennemore Craig, which handles mandates out of its Phoenix office. The firm is advising a premier hospitality real estate company on its ongoing land use and zoning work with the city of Phoenix, involving the Westin Kierland and Ritz Carlton Resort properties. Another client is Southwestern Power Group II, which the team is assisting on a number of proposed traditional and renewable energy projects.

Fowler White Boggs P.A. has 11 shareholders who practice environmental and land use law across Florida. The firm continues to represent Clear Springs on land use, zoning and permitting matters relating to its 18,000-acre development in Polk County. Clients describe Rhea Law and department chair Linda Shelley as ‘excellent’ and ‘would highly recommend them for any major land use work in Florida’.

Gibson Dunn predominantly handles land use projects in northern and southern California, with lawyers situated in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Work highlights included advising Universal Paragon Corporation in its negotiations to develop Brisbane Baylands, a project expanding over approximately 600 acres, including over 8 million sq ft of mixed commercial, office, retail, restaurant, and open-space uses.

‘Industry and local knowledge is always spot on’ at Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, which provides advice and handles litigation across a wide range of land use matters as well as issues relating to climate change and sustainable development. The 15-attorney land use practice in Florida is led by Brian Seymour and was bolstered by the recent arrival of Joseph Negron, formerly of Akerman Senterfitt. Clients include The Related Group of Florida and TD Bank.

Hopping Green & Sams PA is a Tallahassee-based boutique firm with over 50 attorneys assisting clients throughout the state on environmental, land use and government-related matters. The firm was founded in 1979 and has since built an impressive client list including Universal Orlando, Exxon Mobil, Lennar Homes and Gulf Power Company.

Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. is very well known in Florida, in particular for its capabilities in DRI work. The firm represented Cocoa Master Development (the owner of a 270-acre tract in the city of Cocoa) on amending comprehensive plans, creating zoning classification and withdrawing a DRI, all of which were approved by the City Council. Hal Kantor and Miranda Fitzgerald are recommended.

Morrison & Foerster LLP expanded its land use and environmental practice in 2010 through the recruitment of four new associates, and Christopher Carr was promoted to co-chair the group alongside Robert Falk. The firm’s largest concentration of lawyers is in San Francisco, although it has attorneys in five other offices across California handling land use matters. The firm continues to represent Shorenstein and SKS Investments on the environmental review and planning entitlements for the $1.5bn redevelopment of an outmoded business park in San Francisco Bay.

The ‘very knowledgeable’ land use team at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP is primarily based out of its Los Angeles office, which includes three partners working on projects across California. The firm recently handled environmental impact issues and complex entitlements for Korean Air Lines on its redevelopment of the 900-room Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles; this $1bn proposal, to build a complex mixed-use development that will revamp downtown Los Angeles, was unanimously approved.

Full-service firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP handles land use work in California. The team has been representing longstanding client Edward Homes since the 1980s. In addition to this and other advisory mandates, the firm also deals with land use litigation and is known for its expertise in environmental impact analysis.

Venable LLP represents land use clients across Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland, and ‘handles every challenge professionally and promptly’. It represented Vornado/Charles E. Smith (the largest landowner in the Crystal City area of Arlington County) in a number of matters including the master planning of Crystal City, proposing 40 million sq ft of mixed-use development.

Phoenix-based Withey Morris PLC is a boutique firm specializing in zoning and land use entitlements in Arizona. The team of attorneys and planners assists a diverse client base of owners, homebuilders and developers on a range of projects, which have included Ritz Carlton Paradise Valley and Century Plaza. Since the firm was founded in 1996, it has represented Exxon Mobil and Volkswagen, among others.