Focuses on representing land trusts, which are community-based, non-profit organizations that work to permanently conserve the natural, agricultural, habitat, scenic, recreational, cultural, and social values of open land
Works to support land trusts in their land conservation and stewardship efforts by providing legal advice and services that are tailored to land trusts’ missions and unique legal needs
Is committed to providing high-quality transactional legal services and advice, including drafting perpetual conservation easements, resolving complex title issues, and interpreting and enforcing land use restrictions
Legal Services
Drafting and negotiating new conservation easements and other land-use restrictions to achieve conservation outcomes
Conservation easement interpretation and resolution of interpretation disputes, with an emphasis on balancing multiple and often conflicting factors and finding solutions that maintain long-term partnerships between land trusts and landowners
Strategic advice on conservation easement enforcement, with an emphasis on negotiated and voluntary solutions over litigation when appropriate
Providing subject matter expertise during enforcement of conservation easements through litigation
Drafting and analysis of conservation easement corrections, amendments, and restatements
Drafting legal instruments to conduct land conservation transactions, such as purchase and sale agreements, donation agreements, and subordination agreements
Expertise in land conservation incentives and compliance with incentive program requirements, including federal tax benefits and local, state, federal, and private grant funding programs
Identification and analysis of private inurement and private benefit considerations for non-profit organizations in the land conservation context
For land trusts accredited by The Land Trust Accreditation Commission (an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance), assistance with interpreting and implementing the Land Trust Standards and Practices
