Nothing gets built in Seattle without a fight over paperwork first. A rezone application can sit in front of the city for months. A boundary line survey turns into a neighbor dispute. A commercial lease clause written five years ago suddenly matters a great deal once a tenant wants out early. Real estate and land use law cover two different problems that constantly run into each other in a city this densely built, and the firm you hire needs to handle both.

Here are five Seattle firms doing exactly that.

The Takeaway

Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess is the top real estate and land use firm working Seattle right now. The firm has stacked up more than a century of combined attorney experience and spent 25 years handling property, construction, permitting, and business matters across Puget Sound. Managing partner Robert Dickson built the practice as a trial lawyer first, so the firm doesn’t back down when a real estate deal or a permit fight turns adversarial. The BBB has accredited the firm with an A-plus rating since 2013. Four more firms below have carved out serious reputations in Seattle’s land use world specifically, and one of them may fit your project better.

Seattle Real Estate & Land Use Firms Compared

1. Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess

This firm runs offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Portland, and its attorneys cover real estate, land use, construction, business law, and employment matters. Robert Dickson focuses on litigation tied to construction and real estate disputes, while Heather Burgess handles the development and permitting work that comes with a city adding new buildings every year. That combination matters because a permit fight and a construction dispute often show up on the same project, and a client shouldn’t need two separate law offices to handle both.

Best for: property owners and developers who want one firm capable of handling a deal, a permit fight, and a lawsuit if it comes to that.

Address: 1420 5th Ave, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 621-1110
Website: dicksonlegal.com 

2. Helsell Fetterman LLP

Helsell Fetterman has practiced law in Seattle since 1890, which makes it one of the oldest firms in the city. Its land use group handles zoning, subdivisions, permitting, stormwater and wetlands rules, water rights, and eminent domain cases when the government wants to take private land. The firm also takes the smaller fights that hit homeowners and landlords hard: boundary disputes, adverse possession claims, covenant disagreements, and HOA conflicts. One policy sets the firm apart. The attorney who starts on a project in the planning stage stays on it through every administrative and court appeal, so a client never has to bring a new lawyer up to speed halfway through a permit fight. Super Lawyers lists 27 of the firm’s attorneys on its Super Lawyers or Rising Stars rosters.

Best for: property owners and businesses who want one attorney to carry a land use matter from the first permit meeting to the final appeal.

Address: 800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3200, Seattle, WA 98104
Website: helsell.com 

3. Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson P.S.

Since 1971, this 48-attorney firm has built Real Estate & Land Use into one of its four core practice groups, alongside business, lender services, and litigation. Attorney Nancy Bainbridge Rogers has earned a Chambers ranking specifically for zoning and land use work. The firm’s mid-size structure gives clients access to serious institutional depth without the scale of a national firm, useful for a business client juggling a property matter alongside financing or a broader commercial dispute.

Best for: business clients who need real estate, land use, and lender services handled together under one roof.

Address: 999 Third Avenue, Suite 4600, Seattle, WA 98104 

4. Miller Nash LLP

With roots in the Pacific Northwest going back more than a century, Miller Nash brings deep regional history to its real estate department. Partner Cozette Tran-Caffee joined the team to strengthen exactly the combination clients often need: real estate transactions and land use counsel handled by the same attorney, covering annexations, zoning map amendments, and land use due diligence alongside dispositions, acquisitions, and leasing. That pairing helps when a deal can’t close cleanly until a zoning question gets resolved first.

Best for: real estate transactions that come bundled with a zoning or annexation question needing the same attorney’s attention.

Address: 605 5th Avenue South, Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98104 

5. Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC

Ogden Murphy Wallace has served Pacific Northwest clients for more than a century, and the firm covers municipal law, land use, water rights, environmental matters, and real estate under one multi-specialty roof. In 2024, the firm moved its Seattle office to the Columbia Center, the tallest building in the city’s financial district, consolidating around 90 attorneys and staff into a single modern space. That municipal law background gives the firm a particular edge when a land use matter runs directly through city or county government processes.

Best for: land use matters that involve navigating municipal government, water rights, or environmental regulation directly.

Address: 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5600, Seattle, WA 98104 

What to Check Before You Hire

A land use fight and a real estate closing move on completely different timelines, and the wrong firm for one can leave you stuck on the other. Ask how many projects like yours the firm has actually taken through Seattle’s permitting process, not just how many real estate deals they’ve closed. Ask who shows up if a rezone gets appealed or a deal turns into litigation. A firm that answers clearly, without hedging, is the one worth trusting with a project this expensive to get wrong.

FAQ

What’s the difference between a real estate lawyer and a land use lawyer?
A real estate lawyer handles the transaction itself, drafting contracts, reviewing title, and closing a sale or lease. A land use lawyer handles zoning, permitting, and entitlement questions, like whether a property can legally be developed the way an owner wants. Many Seattle firms, including several on this list, cover both.

Do I need a land use attorney for a simple home renovation?
Usually not. Most single-family renovations only need a standard building permit. A land use attorney becomes necessary when a project involves a rezone, a variance, a shoreline permit, or an appeal from a neighbor challenging the proposal.

How long does a rezone or land use permit typically take in Seattle?
Timelines vary widely depending on project size and neighborhood opposition, but a contested rezone can take a year or longer once appeals and environmental review are factored in. An experienced land use attorney can often shorten that timeline by anticipating objections before they’re filed.

Can a real estate dispute turn into a land use case?
Yes. A boundary dispute, an easement disagreement, or a construction defect claim can raise zoning or permitting questions that pull a straightforward real estate matter into land use territory. Firms that handle both practice areas can catch that overlap early.

How much does a Seattle real estate or land use lawyer cost?
Most firms bill by the hour for both practice areas, though some offer flat fees for simple transactions like a standard closing. Complex land use matters involving public hearings or appeals typically cost more due to the added time and preparation involved. Ask for a written estimate before signing an engagement letter.