Glenn J. Amster

Glenn J. Amster

Areas of Practice

Glenn Amster's practice focuses on providing advice and assistance to clients in all aspects of real estate development, including due diligence and feasibility analyses, development strategies, property acquisition, environmental review, permitting, and administrative proceedings and litigation related to these areas. He has been involved in a significant number of developments in Washington during the last three decades, representing both private and public agency clients.

He regularly advises clients on a wide range of policy and regulatory issues at the federal, state and local level, including such matters as NEPA/SEPA compliance, climate change analysis and sustainable development practices, wetlands, Endangered Species Act ("ESA") compliance, shorelines, water rights, Growth Management and zoning. He has extensive experience in helping prepare and process development proposals for vacant property, expansion or renovation of developed sites, due diligence and analysis for lenders and borrowers in restructurings or workouts, as well as the documentation necessaey to implement these strategies. Representative projects include subdivisions, PUDs, commercial shopping centers, office buildings, and business parks apartments and mixed use complexes, and other industrial, commercial, and recreational and resort developments.

Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships

· Construction and Environmental

· Land Use

· Public/Private Partnerships

· Railroad and Mass Transportation

· Real Estate

· Real Estate Litigation

· Retail

· Sustainability and Climate Change

Representative Cases and Clients

· Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council, 504 U.S. 573 (1989)

· Methow Valley Citizen Council v. Regional Forester, 833 F.2d 810 (9th Cir. 1987)

· Henderson Homes v. City of Bothell, 124 Wn.2d 240, 877 P.2d 176 (1994)

· Cougar Mt. Assocs. v. King County, 111 Wn.2d 742, 765 P.2d 264 (1988)

· West Main Assocs. v. City of Bellevue, 106 Wn.2d 47, 720 P.2d 782 (1986)

· Nisqually Delta Ass'n v. City of DuPont, 103 Wn.2d 720, 696 P.2d 1222 (1985)

· Nisqually Delta Ass'n v. City of DuPont, 95 Wn.2d 563, 627 P.2d 956 (1981)

· Faben Point Neighbors v. City of Mercer Island, 102 Wn. App. 775, 11 P.3d 322 1149 (2000)

· Bellevue Farm Owners Association v. Shorelines Hearings Board, 100 Wn. App. 341, 997 P.2d 380 (2000)

· Clark County Citizens United v. Clark County Natural Resources Council, 94 Wn. App. 670, 972 P.2d 941 (1999)

· Bjarnson v. Kitsap County, 78 Wn. App. 840, 899 P.2d 1290 (1995)

· Friends of the Law v. King County, 63 Wn. App. 650, 821 P.2d 539 (1991)

· Carlson v. Town of Beaux Arts Village, 41 Wn. App. 402, 704 P.2d 663 (1985)

· Nisqually Delta Ass'n v. City of DuPont, 27 Wn. App. 163, 617 P.2d 446 (1978)

Publications

· "Make Green Easy For Your Tenants," BUILDERnews magazine, October 2009

· "Seizing the Opportunity: Economic Crisis Brings Increment Financing to Washington," Seattle Business Monthly, April 2009

· "CFD Financing: A New Tool for Developing Regional Infrastructure," Washington CEO, November 2008

· "Seattle landmarks rules come with built-in bias," Puget Sound Business Journal, March 28, 2008

Speaking Engagements

· "New Rules on Stormwater," The Seminar Group (November 2008)

· "Growth Management - What' s all the Fuss?" Washington City/County Management Association Summer Conference (September 2006)

· "Major Issues in Land Use Litigation - The Latest Takings and First Amendment Issues," ICSC U.S. Law Conference (October 2002; October 2003)

· Utilizing Real Estate Development Incentives, The Seminar Group (September 2002)

· "Important Site Planning Issues," ICSC U.S. Law Conference (October 2001)

· "Development in Resource Lands: Agricultural Lands vs. Soccer Fields," Law Seminars International (September 2001)

· "Endangered Species Act - A Primer, Land Use in Washington, Real Estate Development," Blueprint for 2000 and Beyond (July 2000)

· "NEPA and Mining: No Environmental Assessments Ever Again," Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (May 1996)

Awards and Honors

· Named as one of The Best Lawyers in America® 2007-2010

· Ranked in Chambers USA Directory of Leading Lawyers

· Named as Washington "SuperLawyer,"Washington Law & Politics, 2001-2009

· Named among "Top 40 Environmental/Land Use Super Lawyers," Washington Law & Politics, 2007

· Named in "Best Lawyers" survey, Real Estate, Land Use and Zoning Law, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, 2006 - 2007

Professional and Community Activities

· LEED® Accredited Professional, U.S. Green Building Council

· Member, State and Local Government Committee, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)

· Member and Former Chair, Board of Trustees, Cornish College of the Arts

· Member, Board of Directors, NAIOP Washington Chapter

· Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee, NAIOP Washington Chapter

· Member, WSBA Section of Environmental and Land Use Law (1978 to Present)

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