With a well-known reputation for successful work, our Land Use Team provides a full range of legal services to clients in all areas of land use law. Our team regularly represents clients seeking to develop in historic districts as well as clients needing zoning and subdivision approvals. We help clients obtain and transfer a variety of municipal approvals and permits, including those for commercial and industrial projects. We work with clients on litigation arising out of land use and historic preservation administrative proceedings.

Attorneys who are part of the team also work closely with the firm’s environmental, real estate and litigation groups. That means Bryan Cave’s clients expect and receive positive results in commercial and real estate transactions, litigation, alternative dispute resolution, counseling, permitting, auditing, development and representation before federal, state and local administrative agencies. When matters cut across practice areas and state boundaries, our integrated network of 16 offices worldwide means attorneys can handle everything from international transactions to securities litigation. Clients include a number of the nation’s largest industrial corporations, major utilities, banks, real estate developers and landowners, publicly owned railroads, public authorities, municipalities, health care and educational institutions and community organizations.

New York

Our Land Use Team has deep roots in New York, and our experience there is comprehensive. Our attorneys:

• Represent clients in connection with zoning and subdivision approvals. We counsel and represent developers, utility companies, owners and lenders in complying with the New York City Zoning Resolution and related subdivision requirements and zoning and subdivision regulations in other municipalities. We appear before New York City land use agencies and boards in other municipalities in connection with applications for special permits, subdivision approval, variances, zoning text, map amendments and other administrative actions required by development projects. We also serve as zoning and planning counsel to a Westchester County municipality.
• Represent clients seeking to develop in historic districts. We appear frequently before the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on behalf of clients seeking permission to alter protected properties or to develop in historic districts, and we have handled matters involving the application of the federal and state Historic Preservation Acts.
• Assist clients in obtaining and transferring a variety of municipal approvals and permits. Our transactional practice has been instrumental in securing and transferring various municipal permits necessary to the operation of a variety of retail, commercial and industrial projects and businesses, including operating permits for hotels, restaurants and health clubs.
• Represent clients in litigation arising out of land use and historic preservation administrative proceedings. Our attorneys litigate issues arising under the New York City Zoning Resolution, state and municipal subdivision and site plan regulations, landmark preservation regulations and federal and state environmental impact review statutes. We also handle litigation seeking monetary damages for constitutional violations arising out of zoning, planning board and related municipal regulatory activities.