Joseph L. Hammer
Joseph Hammer, the firm's Real Estate Redevelopment practice group chair, represents clients in land use regulation matters and litigation, property tax and eminent domain appeals, municipal and real estate litigation, and environmental counseling and litigation. 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.
Representation of developer in land use proceedings involving $200 million mixed-use development project in West Hartford, Connecticut
Representation of developer in land use proceedings involving mixed-use transit oriented development consisting of commuter parking garage, 200 dwelling units and commercial space
Defense of applicants in court appeals challenging municipal land use approvals
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
Representation of educational institutions in land use proceedings involving athletic facilities
Representation of property owners in numerous municipal property tax appeals involving large commercial and industrial properties
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
Defense of municipality in affordable housing appeals
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
with Honors
1985cum laude
1982High HonorsChosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2011-2017
Selected to the list of Connecticut Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Land Use/Zoning, Environmental, 2006-2016
Selected to the list of New England Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2010
Recognized as a Top Lawyer in Land Use by Hartford Magazine, 2010