Professional Experience
Joseph Hammer is the firm's Real Estate Redevelopment practice group chair. His practice includes land use regulation and litigation, environmental counseling and litigation, municipal litigation, and property tax appeals. He has represented both applicants and municipalities in land use matters from the administrative through the appellate levels. In the environmental area, his experience includes the defense and prosecution of environmental cost-recovery actions in state and federal courts, as well as the defense of governmental environmental enforcement actions.
Representative Matters
· Representation of developer in land use proceedings involving $200 million mixed-use development project in West Hartford, Connecticut
· Representation of variety of clients in land use proceedings throughout Connecticut involving commercial and residential developments, including research and development facility, automobile dealerships, radio tower, helipad, gasoline station, facility for spent nuclear fuel storage, municipal waste transfer station, and residential subdivisions
· Representation of university in land use proceedings involving development of a wide variety of major university facilities
· Defense of municipality in affordable housing appeals
· Representation of property owners in condemnation valuation appeals involving issues of environmental contamination
· Representation of municipality in series of administrative proceedings, as well as related superior court litigation, involving the emissions of a plastics-manufacturing facility
· Representation of property owners in numerous municipal property tax appeals involving commercial properties
· Representation of property owner in federal civil rights action involving issuance of municipal permits and approvals for construction and use of student dormitory
· Defense of environmental cost-recovery actions brought by purchasers of industrial properties against former owners
· Defense of a chemical company in a Superfund environmental cost-allocation action
News, Publications & Presentations
· Featured, "Fifty Day Pitney Attorneys Recognized as Super Lawyers," Day Pitney Press Release, October 24, 2011
· Featured, "Seventy-two Day Pitney Lawyers Named to Best Lawyers List for 2012," Day Pitney Press Release, October 4, 2011
· Featured, "Fifty-seven Day Pitney Attorneys Recognized as Super Lawyers; Six Additional Lawyers Recognized as 'Rising Stars'," Day Pitney Press Release, November 12, 2010
· Featured, "Seventy-six Day Pitney Lawyers Named to Best Lawyers for 2011," Day Pitney Press Release, August 9, 2010
· Featured, "Newtown Panel Hears Hunter Ridge Testimony," Voices, November 28, 2009
· Featured, "SOM Building Plan Irks The Lawn Club," New Haven Independent, November 19, 2009
· Featured, "Fifty-six Day Pitney Partners Recognized as New England Super Lawyers," Day Pitney Press Release, October 30, 2009
· Speaker, "Overview of Land Use Process" and "The Land Use Process," Lorman Education Services' Real Estate Development From Beginning to End in Connecticut, Bridgeport, CT August 14, 2007
· Speaker, "Navigating the Land Use Process," Real Estate Development from Beginning to End Conference, Bridgeport, CT, June 8, 2006
· "Town Of Greenwich Property Tax Revaluation: Revaluation Will Affect Commercial And Residential Property," DBH Alert, November 23, 2005
· "Real Estate Development from Beginning to End in Connecticut," Hartford, CT, October 25, 2005
· Co-author, "Environmental & Land Use Outlook," DBH Outlook, Spring 2005
· Co-author, "Environmental & Land Use Outlook," DBH Outlook, Summer 2004
· "Major Land Use Laws in Connecticut," Hartford, CT, April 19, 2004
· "Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law in Connecticut," Hartford, CT, December 5, 2002
· "Land Use Law Update in Connecticut," Hartford, CT, August 15, 2002
Professional Affiliations
· Connecticut Bar Association, Planning and Zoning Section, Executive Committee
Outside Interests
· Member and former Chairman, Wethersfield Planning and Zoning Commission
Awards and Achievements
· Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2011-2012
· Recognized as a Connecticut Super Lawyer, 2006-2011/2012
· Recognized as a New England Super Lawyer, 2010
· Recognized as a Top Lawyer in Land Use by Hartford Magazine, 2010