Madeline Shay Williams

Madeline Shay Williams is a land use attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the D.C. and Northern Virginia Land Use Team. Ms. Williams focuses her practice on a variety of land use and zoning matters in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia.

Ms. Williams represents developers, nonprofit organizations and property owners in obtaining zoning approval, permits and appeals before the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment, D.C. Zoning Commission, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and other district and federal agencies. She routinely assists clients in obtaining special exceptions and variances before the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment, as well as obtaining approval for planned unit developments (PUDs) and map amendments before the D.C. Zoning Commission.

Ms. Williams advises clients on legislative matters such as alley namings, alley dedications and amendments to D.C.'s Comprehensive Plan. Her work also extends to representing clients in appeals of blighted property designations and vacant property tax issues. As such, she frequently coordinates with the D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB), Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) and other district agencies.

In addition to her experience in Washington, D.C., Ms. Williams represents and advises clients on land use and zoning issues for development projects in various municipalities in Northern Virginia. Further, she is experienced in conducting due diligence regarding land use issues for real estate transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions, including D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Williams was a land use and zoning attorney at an AmLaw 100 firm in Washington, D.C.