Steven A. Robins

Steven Robins is a land use attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer, where he chairs the Land Use & Zoning group. He represents prominent national and regional developers, contractors, lenders and commercial property owners and has been involved in many high-visibility projects in Montgomery County.

Steve advises clients on complex zoning map and text amendments, optional method of development applications, master plan amendments, comprehensive land use planning and zoning analyses, special exception and variance applications, preliminary and final plans of subdivisions, site plan review, condemnation matters, historic preservation and urban renewal issues, transit-oriented smart growth development, and on all aspects of the regulatory permitting and licensing process.

Many transit-oriented, smart growth, mixed-use projects that are shaping the future development of Montgomery County have benefited from Steve’s legal guidance, such as Wisconsin Place in Friendship Heights, North Bethesda Market in White Flint, Grosvenor Village and the current redevelopment of Wheaton, including the new Safeway and the MetroPointe community.

Steve has earned a reputation among his clients as a lawyer who is available to them 24/7 and who is committed to their success. Passionate and results-oriented, he has earned the respect of county officials as well as clients for his effective counsel and lobbying. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Steve recently was named the region's “Top Lawyer for Land Use and Zoning” by the Washington Business Journal for his work in transit-oriented development. He also is listed in the current edition of Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, for his work in the area of land use and zoning law. He has been recognized by the publication every year since 2007.

Steve serves on the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association board of directors. He also serves on the Montgomery County Executive’s Smart Growth Task Force, and often lectures on smart growth and other related topics at Georgetown University Law Center and other forums. Since 2001, Steve has chaired the Montgomery County Public Safety Awards. He also is active in the Urban Land Institute. He is a life board member of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and formerly served as its board chair. Steve is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery. He also served as counselor to the board of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and as president of the Ring House, a senior housing facility.  Steve recently received one of the Washington Hebrew Congregation's Avodah Honors Awards, given to congregants who represent the true meaning of “avodah” - good deeds in the form of service and work - both within the Temple and the greater Washington community.

Steve received his Bachelor of Science, with distinction, from the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center.

A dedicated sports fan, Steve has a particular passion for his alma mater, the University of Michigan Wolverines, as well as for the Washington Redskins and Capitals.

• Received Washington Hebrew Congregation's Avodah Honors Awards, given to congregants who represent the true meaning of “avodah” - good deeds in the form of service and work - both within the Temple and the greater Washington community.
• Received Washington Business Journal's "Top Washington Lawyer" Award, Zoning and Land Use category (2009)
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America (2007-present)
• Listed in Maryland and DC Super Lawyers (2011)
• Named to SmartCEO's Legal Elite list (2007)

• Maryland State Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Virginia State Bar Association
• Bar Foundation of Montgomery County, Maryland
• Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association (Board of Directors 2011-present)

• Wisconsin Place (Friendship Heights): Served as lead land use counsel for New England Development, Boston Properties and Archstone from conception to completion for one of Montgomery County’s largest mixed-use transit-oriented developments in an urban area of the county known for being difficult to develop. This development contains approximately 1.1 million square feet of retail, office and residential uses.
• Wheaton Safeway (Wheaton): Representing Patriot Realty in redevelopment of the Safeway site on Georgia Avenue and Reedie Drive, adjacent to the Wheaton Metro Station. This is the first Optional Method of Development project in Wheaton, consisting of 486 apartments and a state-of-the-art Safeway. It will set the tone for the entire redevelopment of this urban Central Business District. 
• North Bethesda Market I & II (North Bethesda): Representing The JBG Companies in development of mixed-use projects across from White Flint Metro. North Bethesda Market I, featuring Montgomery County’s tallest building, consists of 200,000 square feet of retail and 397 apartments opening in 2010. NoBe II plans include an additional 740,500 square feet of residential, retail and office uses.
• National Park Seminary (Silver Spring): Represented joint venture of Eakin Youngentob Associates and the Alexander Company in the bidding process, rezoning, subdivision and site plan approvals for adaptive reuse/historic preservation development of 280 new dwelling units on the National Park Seminary site. This historic preservation effort was one of the most complex efforts on the Eastern seaboard.
• Grosvenor Village (North Bethesda): Represented Potomac Investment Properties in joint development of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority site at Grosvenor Metro station for 860 apartments. Served as lead counsel on all land use approvals for the development.