Industry focus
My diverse experience enables me to provide comprehensive services to clients because I understand the legal, technical, and political aspects of their land use projects.
How I represent clients at Schwabe
Land use issues have been at the core of my practice since 2009. I am often sought out for my in-depth knowledge of the unique challenges faced by Oregon’s commercial, residential, and institutional developers in obtaining land use approval.
Prior to joining Schwabe, I worked in local government as an Assistant Legal Counsel for Deschutes County in Bend, Oregon, and Deputy County Attorney for La Plata County in Durango, Colorado. While with Deschutes County, I managed the county’s land use appeal docket and gained valuable experience bringing numerous cases before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, the Oregon Court of Appeals, and Deschutes County Circuit Court. In addition, I have significant experience with ad valorem property tax appeals, code enforcement litigation, and policy issues involving natural resources, water law, Federal Public Lands, oil and gas, and tribal matters.
Before attending law school, I was a mechanical engineer and a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.
Experience
- Represented clients with both large and small housing development projects in both urban and rural developments, including map amendments, rezones, subdivisions, partitions, lot line adjustments, destination resorts, farm dwellings, non-farm dwellings, replacement dwellings, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), farm help/relative farm help dwellings, etc.
- Represented clients with unique rural commercial and industrial projects, including storage facilities, RV Parks / campgrounds, wedding venues, and other commercial uses in conjunction with farm uses.
- Represented both water and electrical utility providers building treatment plants, electrical substations, and solar photovoltaic generation plants (i.e., solar farms).
- Specific to Oregon clients, provided representation relating to Statewide Planning Goal exceptions.
- Specific to Colorado clients, provided representation relating to “1041 Permits” and negotiating Development Agreements.
- Specialized experience addressing federal laws overlapping local land use provisions, including the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Person Act (RLUIPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Managed over 70 land use cases before the Land Use Board of Appeals and the Oregon Court of Appeals.
- As lead land use attorney for two local governments, provided legal representation and advice to numerous Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commissions, Hearings Officers, and Planning staff regarding quasi-judicial land use matters, legislative text amendments, proposed and adopted statutory changes, policy issues, building code interpretations, and numerous day-to-day land use matters.
- Represented a local government assessor in ad valorem property tax appeals in Oregon Tax Court’s Magistrate and Regular Divisions.
Education
- University of Colorado, School of Law, Juris Doctor degree (2008)
- St. John’s College, Master of Arts degree, Liberal Arts (2005)
- United States Air Force Academy, Bachelor of Science degree, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (2001)
Admissions
- Colorado Federal Courts
- Colorado State Courts
- Oregon Federal Court
- Oregon State Courts
Memberships
Oregon State Bar, Executive Committee, Real Estate & Land Use Section (2021-present)
Additional Events
Better Findings Through Modern Case Law: 2020 Update; Association of Oregon County Planning Directors
Effectively Representing Parties in Land Use Hearings; Real Estate and Land Use Annual Summer Conference; August, 2019
Services
Outside Interests
Adam enjoys spending time with his family mountain biking, skiing, climbing, and fly fishing.
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