Glenn J. Amster
Shareholder | Seattle | 206.223.6241 | amsterg@lanepowell.com
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 necessary 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.
Admitted to Practice
- Washington
- Oregon
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Academics
- Syracuse University (B.A., 1971)
- Washington University School of Law (J.D., 1978)
- Order of the Coif (National Society of Honorary Law School Graduates)
- Article and Book Review Editor, Washington University Law Quarterly
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
Publications
- “Give Credit Where Credit Is Due – Real Estate Development Is Good for What Ails Us,” Seattle Business, April 2010
- “Council Should Approve Children’s Expansion,” The Seattle Times, November 2009
- “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
- “State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) – Time For a Change,” The Seminar Group’s 3rd Annual Sustainable Development and Green Building Seminar, March 25, 2010
- “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
- Peer Review Rated “AV” in Martindale-Hubbell
- Named as one of The Best Lawyers in America®, Land Use & Zoning, Real Estate, 2007-2011
- Recommended by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2004-2007, 2009- 2010
- Named as Washington “Super Lawyer,”Washington Law & Politics, Land Use/Zoning, 2001-2010
- Named among “Top 40 Environmental/Land Use Super Lawyers,” Washington Law & Politics, 2007-2009
- Named in “Best Lawyers” survey, Seattle Metropolitan magazine, Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning, 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 Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Washington Chapter
- Member, WSBA Section of Environmental and Land Use Law (1978-Present)
- Associate Member, Building Owners and Managers Association (“BOMA”)
- Member, Board of Directors, Washington Research Council