Property Development

Making the Deal Work

We have gained a reputation as lawyers who can help clients develop property that would otherwise be passed over due to environmental challenges. These challenges can come in the form of contaminated land and groundwater, endangered species, shoreline development restrictions, wetlands, water shortages, and a host of other issues. We know that, with experience and creativity, even the most difficult to develop properties can be put into productive use. In that regard, we have helped clients redevelop:

A municipal landfill into nearly 600,000 square feet of office space fully leased to a major software company;
A former coal gasification plant into a 1.2 million square foot office complex leased to major financial, professional and investment services firms;
A former coal storage site into the international headquarters for a well known e-commerce company;
A former demolition landfill into the region’s premier golf complex.

Experience

We bring over 30 years of experience in our region to bear, including many of the largest public and private development projects — over 20 million square feet of commercial office space, residential communities, manufacturing facilities, airports, transit facilities, and many other projects. We help our clients with:

Environmental review
Financing
Leasing
Permitting
Sale and acquisitions
Site preparation and construction issues

Representative Client Work

Represent one of the largest commercial development companies in the Northwest.: In the last three years, we advised the region’s largest commercial office space developer on the permitting, leasing and sale of over seven million square feet of commercial and residential property in the Pacific Northwest.
Represented a Seattle-based company develop a former railroad station and coal gasification plant into 1.2 million square feet of commercial office space and a regional transit hub.: Obtained one of the first prospective purchaser agreements ever negotiated by the State of Washington.
Assisting company in developing a former rail yard into residential housing.: One of the largest residential developments under development in the western United States.
Assisting the largest residential developer in Washington in resolving claims arising from construction fill material.
Managed environmental due diligence for fourteen PVC manufacturing facilities as part of a successful $418 million merger.: The project was completed in less than eight weeks.
Represented golf course developer in building championship 36 hole course on top of a construction debris landfill.: Obtained prospective purchaser consent decree, negotiated conditions of development.

Bradley M. Marten Practice Head

Brad is the Managing Partner of Marten Law. He is consistently ranked by his peers as one of the nation’s top environmental lawyers. Brad is the Immediate Past President of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. More »

Richard H. Allan

Richard represents developers in the acquisition, siting, expansion and operation of major projects, with an emphasis on energy facilities, but also including industrial facilities, ski areas, and destination resorts. More »

Myles Conway

Myles Conway has 24 years of practice experience working in the areas of real estate law, land use, public lands, environmental law and mining. Mr. Conway assists clients with real estate and development projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. More »

Jessica K. Ferrell

Jessica's practice focuses on environmental and natural resource litigation. She represents public and private clients in cases arising under the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NEPA, CERCLA, MTCA, the Clean Water Act, and other federal, state, and local environmental laws. More »

Kevin T. Haroff

Kevin Haroff is the managing partner for the firm’s San Francisco office. He has represented businesses, individuals, and governmental entities in civil litigation and regulatory matters for more than 25 years. More »

Jeff B. Kray

Jeff’s practice focuses on water quality, water resources, and complex environmental litigation, including Clean Water Act permitting and regulatory compliance, and CERCLA (Superfund) site remediation. He has represented public and private clients throughout the west. More »

Meline G. MacCurdy

Meli is representing clients both in environmental litigation and environmental permitting and review. She has particular experience with brownfield redevelopment. She has defended cases under the Clean Water Act and the state and federal Superfund laws, and is assisting clients in fisheries matters and in issues involving climate change and energy. More »

Adam D. Orford

Adam represents public and private clients in complex environmental civil litigation and regulatory matters. He has conducted both trial and appellate litigation in federal and state tribunals across the country, including the Second and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, Eastern District of New York, Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings, and Virginia State Corporation Commission. More »

Commercial Developer: Citizen Suit Defense

We defended a property owner and developer who was the target of a citizen’s suit alleging violation of the Clean Water Act in connection with the development, permitting, and construction of a large residential development. Defense of the case required coordination with the U.S. More »

Hoyt Street Yards: Railyard to Urban Neighborhood

For 15 years, RIchard Allan has worked with Hoyt Street Properties, LLC, the developer that is transforming a former railyard into a high-density residential and commercial neighborhood and the focal point of Portland’s renowned Pearl District. More »