Yearly Archives: 2017

Owners’ Counsel of American would like to congratuate OCA member Joseph T. Waldo for being selected by the American Law Institute (ALI) as a new member as this organization embarks on a major study of property law in America. Joe is the president of Waldo & Lyle and the designated OCA representative from Virginia. ALI is composed of attorneys, judges and legal scholars from all 50 states. ALI was founded in 1923 with the purpose of improving the law and the administration of justice. Judges, legislatures, law schools, and law firms across the country rely for guidance on its studies and research, known as Restatements. In its announcement ALI pointed to Joe Waldo’s expertise in property rights law as the reason for his election. The organization is now in the midst of a major study aimed at bringing “comprehensiveness and coherence to American property law.” Among the areas to be addressed: protection of and limits on ownership; divided and shared ownership; title and transfer; easements, servitudes, and land use; and public rights and takings. The study is expected to take 7 to 10 years. “By participating in the Institute’s work, “ the announcement states that Joe Waldo “would have the opportunity to influence the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas, to work with other eminent lawyers, judges, and academics, to give back to a profession to which they are deeply dedicated, and to contribute to the public good. “ Said Mr. Waldo: “I am honored to be […]

Watch this video from OCA member Robert Thomas talking about the upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. This is a fantastic conference for anyone interested in getting better informed on the most current eminent domain issues across the country. Many of our OCA members will be attending as well as presenting on a variety of interesting topics. Please come and join us.

As reported in the New Orleans Advocate, this facility, once owned by the Violet Dock Port but since taken through eminent domain by St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District, is at the center of a protracted legal dispute that came before the Louisiana Supreme Court for argument on Monday. For decades, the facility serviced U.S. Navy ships on three of its five docks. The Violet Dock Port claimed that it was unfairly taken by the District to lease it to another private entity that would operate the same business and generate the same revenues as the Port had for years. On behalf of the former owners, OCA Member Randall Smith argued before the Louisiana Supreme Court that the taking violated the Louisiana and U.S. constitutions and should be overturned, with the property returned to the landowners. Mr. Randall also argued that if the lower split appellate decision was not overturned, the District should be forced to pay his clients a replacement value of $41 million or more for the loss of their property. In addition to the OCA itself (with the assistance of OCA Member Robert Thomas), numerous amicus groups joined in supporting Violet Dock Port, including the Institute for Justice (with the help of OCA member, Dana Berliner), the National Federation of Independent Business, the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry, Southeastern Legal Foundation, and the Cato Institute. On behalf of St. District, a national port organization and other Louisiana port entities submitted amicus briefs. Randall Smith is […]

Owners’ Counsel of America is pleased to announce the recent addition of Shane Rayman to its membership base. Shane Rayman is a founding partner of Rayman Beitchman LLP, a boutique litigation firm in Canada focused on expropriations law and property rights litigation which are also Shane’s primary practice areas. His practice also includes commercial litigation and defending professionals on liability issues relating to expropriations law. In addition to having appeared before all levels of Court in Ontario and the Federal Court of Canada, Shane has represented his clients in many significant cases relating to land compensation claims throughout Ontario, including the landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Antrim Truck Centre v. Ontario (Ministry of Transportation). This appeal resulted in a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court in favor of the Appellant owner and set a precedent relating to real property rights and the balance between public and private property interests in Canada. Shane has also been involved in major infrastructure projects throughout Ontario, including the 407 East, the TYSSE Subway extension, Metrolinx initiatives and LRT Projects.  Shane is a past president of the Ontario Expropriations Association and has been a director since 2006. This Association is made up of individuals from professions involved in the acquisition of land for public purposes and provides a forum for such professionals to educate one another on relevant issues. Shane is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, the Advocates’ Society and the Ontario Chapter of the International Right of Way Association. […]

Jacksonville, Florida, October 2, 2013 (Newswire.com) – Owners’ Counsel of America (OCA), a nationwide network of leading eminent domain attorneys, is pleased to announce the hiring of Leslie Fields as 
its new Executive Director, a person who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the task of helping to lead and grow the organization. Leslie Fields retired in 2014 from Faegre Baker Daniels, a law firm with national and international offices, where she served on the firm’s management board and became a renowned legal expert on eminent domain and property rights issues, co-chairing for many years the longest running ALI-CLE conference on eminent domain and land valuation and presenting on the subject of eminent domain in locales as distant as Tsinghua University in Beijing China as part of the Brigham- Kanner Property Rights Conference sponsored by William & Mary Law School. Over her 33 year legal career, Fields, a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, argued numerous precedent setting cases that helped shape the law of eminent domain in Colorado and was involved in land acquisition matters for multiple major public works projects, including representation of the principle landowners for the construction of the Denver International Airport. In 2008 Fields wrote the textbook on Colorado Eminent Domain Law. In 2014 the Sam Cary Bar Association awarded Fields the King Trimble Lifetime Achievement Award for her professional achievements and in 2016 Fields was honored as a Law Star by Denver University Sturm College of Law for her alumni […]

Several members of Owners’ Counsel of America will be speaking at the 14th Annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at the William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia on October 12-13, 2017. The Conference is honoring University of Hawaii Law School Professor David Callies (the 2015 Recipient of OCA’s Crystal Eagle award), for his lifetime of work, both scholarly and practical, advancing the right of private property. Please join us for this exciting event.