Professional Overview

Ann has more than 25 years of experience counseling clients regarding land use entitlements and due diligence, growth management and development regulations, and environmental laws such as the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), the Shoreline Management Act, and critical areas regulations. Ann assists clients with tools that increase development capacity, including rezones, annexations, street vacations, and incentive zoning approvals. She is skilled in preparing development agreements to protect entitlements, and has prepared conservation easements and certified transferable development rights. Ann has assisted clients in successfully addressing complex water, stormwater, wetlands and other critical area issues in their projects. Her practice also includes negotiations to resolve developer-neighbor disputes, and collaborating with HCMP litigation colleagues to defend approvals against appeal, when necessary.

Representative Matters

In Seattle, Ann’s practice includes zoning analysis, guidance through the master use permit process, code interpretations, proceedings before the Landmarks Preservation Board, historic lot exceptions, and more. Representative matters include:

  • Representation of Macy’s for land use, permitting, and due diligence regarding its sale of the upper four stories of the downtown Seattle Macy’s store for office use.
  • Representation of a major religious institution for land use analysis, marketing and development of a new residential condominium tower to support and preserve the historic church. Project included complex lot line adjustments and landmark certifications in support of the Church.

Ann also has assisted clients with master-planned-development entitlements, annexations, land use due diligence, subdivisions, and related development permits throughout the Puget Sound region, including in King and Snohomish Counties, Renton, Snoqualmie, Duvall, Kent, Bellevue, Kirkland, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, Tacoma, DuPont and elsewhere. Representative matters include:

  • Lead legal counsel to Quadrant Corporation for Phase II of the Snoqualmie Ridge Master Planned Community, including coordinating environmental review, negotiating a development agreement, securing annexation approval, and obtaining necessary permits and approvals for the mixed use development. Snoqualmie Ridge II includes approximately 2,150 new homes and significant parks, trails and open space to the existing Snoqualmie Ridge development. HCMP's work on the original Snoqualmie Ridge approvals included complex negotiations, agreements, and permits for the construction of new water and sewer systems, including a reclaimed water system for golf course irrigation, and provision of affordable housing.
  • Legal Counsel for Pulte Homes to extend plat approval, and secure complex Joint Aquatics Resources Project Approval (JARPA) for a cross-jurisdictional stormwater management system, and resolve various permitting issues and neighborhood disputes.
  • Represent DevCo to secure and defend entitlements for the development of a large affordable housing apartment community in Snoqualmie.
  • Obtained entitlements including binding site improvement plans for business park and mixed-use developments in several jurisdictions. Representation includes resolving environmental, traffic, stormwater management, and land division issues.
  • Represent Wild Waves Theme and Water Park for permitting activities and to obtain 20-year extension of development agreement for park improvements.
  • For regional developers, secured entitlements for conservation developments that cluster housing on a smaller footprint to conserve locally significant natural resources and open space.
  • Help clients navigate utility approval processes with public utility districts, including negotiation of developer extension agreements, latecomer agreements, connection charges etc.
  • As General Counsel for Forterra, participated with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private parties in the negotiation and drafting of contracts, easements, and deeds, resulting in the public acquisition of the 50,000-acre Teanaway Community Forest, providing for conservation, habitat improvements, recreation and natural resource opportunities in Washington State.
  • Collaborated with colleagues on a landmark settlement agreement that resolved issues among project proponents, the State Department of Ecology, the City, a Tribe, and environmental groups.

Articles and Presentations

  • Author, Ask a Legal Professional, Puget Sound Business Journal (Hydraulic Project Approval), October 2016
  • Author, Ask a Legal Professional, Puget Sound Business Journal (Title Exception - Areaways), October 2015
  • Author, Ask a Legal Professional, Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle Waterfront Project LID), October 2014
  • Speaker, "Conservation and Restoration Tools," 21st Annual Endangered Species Act, sponsored by The Seminar Group, January 23, 2014.
  • Author, Ask a Legal Professional, Puget Sound Business Journal (Regional Development Credits), December 2013
  • Speaker, "Natural Resource Lands and Rural Lands Issues," Growth Management Act seminar, sponsored by Law Seminars International, November 13, 2006.
  • Speaker, "Rural Lands, Resources Lands," Land Use in Washington, 2006, sponsored by Law Seminars International, April 20, 2006.

Professional and Civic Involvement

  • Washington State Bar Association
    Environmental and Land Use Law Section
    Executive Committee 1999 - 2005, Chair 2003 - 2004
  • King County Bar Association
  • Member of Washington State Forestry Resources Planning and Adaptation Work Group (in support of 2007 Washington Climate Change Challenge, established under Executive Order 07-02)

Honors / Awards / Prior Experience

  • Repeatedly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Land Use & Zoning Law, most recently for 2026.
  • Repeatedly ranked by Chambers USA in the category of Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, most recently in 2025.
  • Before practicing law, Ann worked for the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, and during a four-year leave from private practice served as General Counsel to Forterra, a regional NGO engaged in conservation and community-building.
  • Recognized as a Rising Star by Washington Super Lawyers.
  • A/V Preeminent Lawyer, Martindale Hubbell.

Education

  • J.D., University of Puget Sound (Seattle University School of Law), summa cum laude, 1990
  • B.A., Washington State University, cum laude, 1982
  • Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, 1979 - 1980

Personal

I enjoy spending leisure time with family and friends, dining at great local restaurants, ambling through Ballard or the new Teanaway Community Forest. Each year, my family looks forward to our boat trip to Canada, where we always experience something new and extraordinary.