Practice Groups

The Land Use & Environmental Law Practice Group functions within the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Attorneys in the group advise clients on land use and real estate issues such as zoning, subdivision and planned use districts, and on environmental issues such as wetlands and coastal permitting issues, negotiation of Brownfields Settlement Agreements and development of Brownfields sites, and hazardous materials enforcement issues. We bring specialists together at the beginning of a project to advise the developer, business, lender, or governmental entity on how to avoid problems while maintaining the ability to deal aggressively with the complex regulatory permitting and enforcement actions that arise in the course of any development project or day-to-day business operations.

Attorneys in the group represent clients in all aspects of real estate development projects, including large-scale retail, commercial and industrial development. Representation includes site acquisition and due diligence issues, governmental permitting, structuring and negotiation of financing, environmental compliance issues, construction contracting issues, and public trust doctrine issues.

We also represent municipal and state entities on such matters as the establishment of special port districts and special development districts. We have represented clients on property rights issues, including governmental regulatory takings and condemnation issues. With regard to environmental permitting, attorneys in the group advise applicants on wetlands issues, coastal permitting regulations, waterfront property rights issues, public trust doctrine issues, asbestos abatement, hazardous waste regulations, Brownfields programs, landfill closure issues and sewage disposal regulations. Environmental litigation handled by the group includes toxic tort claims, Superfund claims, and litigation brought to recover hazardous property remediation costs.

In addition, members of this group advise applicants on asbestos abatement, hazardous waste regulations, and sewage disposal regulations.