Courtney E. Flora

Courtney counsels clients in all aspects of land use law. Her practice emphasizes the land use entitlement process in western Washington, including:

• Strategic advice and advocacy related to project conditions, State Environmental Policy Act (“SEPA”) compliance, critical areas, transportation concurrency, impact fees, vesting strategies, design review, Development Agreements, code amendments, rezones, and comprehensive plan amendments.
• Litigation of zoning and permit related appeals before Hearing Examiners, City Councils, boards, and state courts.

Courtney represents institutions, including hospitals, universities, churches, and schools, and developers of industrial, commercial, mixed-use and residential projects. Many of her clients come with complex, unique circumstances and require creative problem solving and out-of-box solutions that can only come from an attorney with deep experience and knowledge of land use and regulatory law and strong relationships with local planning departments and their attorneys. 

Courtney’s previous experience as a deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Snohomish County, responsible for advising the County Council and planning staff on land use issues, provides context and credibility when negotiating with permitting jurisdictions, leading to positive outcomes for clients. She also served as a law clerk in Division 1 of the Court of Appeals.  

• Land use due diligence for significant property acquisitions
  
• Mixed-use projects in Bellevue, Redmond, Lynnwood, Federal Way and Snohomish County, including Comprehensive Plan amendments/rezones, design review, Conditional Use Permits and Development Agreements
  
• Residential townhome, apartment, mobile home, condominium and single-family projects throughout Washington 
• Institutional Master Plan/projects (hospitals, universities, and churches) in Bellevue, Seattle, Kirkland, Kenmore and Shoreline
  
• Large industrial developments in south Puget Sound
  
• Code enforcement actions related to commercial, industrial, and residential uses
  
• Broad Land Use Petition Act (“LUPA”) and SEPA litigation experience, including defense of SEPA appeals in Bellevue, Seattle, and other jurisdictions and successful invalidation of a site-specific rezone in the Washington Supreme Court.

• WSBA, Environmental & Land Use Law Section, former Executive Committee and Nominating Committee Member  
• King County Bar Association, Environmental & Land Use Section
• Bellevue Downtown Association
• Urban Land Institute Northwest
• Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association, Seattle
• UW Professional Skills and Mediation Training Program
• Board of Trustees, Westside School

• Super Lawyers, Land Use and Zoning 2022 - present
• The Best Lawyers in America^© Land Use and Zoning Law, 2023 - present

• Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, J.D., and Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
• Dean’s Fellowship
• Law Review Articles Editor
• Cornelius Honor Society
• University of Michigan, B.A., High Honors and Distinction

• Washington
• Oregon