LAND USE AND MUNICIPAL LAW
Practice Group Contacts
Bill Kabeiseman
billkab@batemanseidel.com
503.972.9968Carrie Richter
crichter@batemanseidel.com
503.972.9903Melissa Ryan
mryan@batemanseidel.com
503.972.9906
Bateman Seidel’s Land Use and Municipal Law practice group welcomes Melissa Ryan. Prior to joining Bateman Seidel, Melissa served as a Board Member of the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) for more than 18 years. During that time, Melissa collaboratively resolved thousands of appeals of land use decisions by local governments and state agencies within the short time period prescribed by law, with many appeals involving complex issues and multiple parties.
Prior to being appointed to LUBA, Melissa spent 8 years in private practice, representing private clients in local land use permitting processes and at LUBA; public clients in real estate disposition and leasing; and represented lenders in real estate finance transactions. Melissa is admitted to practice in Oregon.
In her free time, Melissa volunteers as a reader for the SMART reading program, and enjoys hiking and being outdoors with her husband and son.
Experienced to take the right action at the right time
Land use and municipal law requires a highly specialized understanding of not only state laws and regulations but also the idiosyncrasies of local government systems.
Having successfully represented public and private clients in the most rural to the urban locales in Oregon and Washington, our attorneys have been able to build relationships at all levels of government. We have built a reputation of not only knowing the law, but also treating the process and those who participate with respect.
The Northwest is our home, and land use is what we love to do.
Our land use and municipal attorneys are passionate about their work and the clients that they represent. We understand that involvement in land use proceedings is both physically and emotionally exhausting. We stay up nights so that you don’t have to. Our approach is incremental; we assess risk, costs and exposure, giving you all of the options at each step of the process.
“I have never practiced with attorneys who are more passionate about the work that they do on behalf of their clients”
– Christine Brown, partner and long-time colleague at Garvey Schubert Barer
“I have never seen anyone so easily explain complex land use terms.”
– Laura LaRoque, Associate Planner, Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments
Helping Local Governments Lead
Whether it is questions relating to local government contracting, election matters, or thorny land use reviews, our attorneys are happy to serve on contract, as special counsel, for local governments. As general counsel for a number of cities, both small and large, we understand that many decisions are highly-political, fiscally controlled and are subject to public processes. Yet, those decisions can require expertise and a time commitment that may not be available within the general municipal counsel’s office. We are available to fill this gap.
From Conception to Development
Our attorneys have expertise in the full-range of efforts necessary to obtain or oppose a development approval. This expertise includes:
- Long-Range Planning Efforts
- Boundary Changes, Annexation and Land Divisions
- Plan Amendments, Zone Changes and Conditional Use Approvals
- Historic Preservation and Site Design
- Sustainability and Agency-Required Environmental Reviews