Robert W. Burgdorf

My focus

Land use and zoning

I have concentrated much of my practice in representing companies in contested land use and zoning projects, including securing permitting for more than 2,000 cell tower sites over the last 30 years for the nation’s largest cellular telephone provider. Related experience involves litigation arising out of the permitting for these types of projects as well as real estate litigation generally, commercial landlord/tenant disputes, and other general real estate and development matters.

Higher education

My practice also includes providing the broad range of legal services necessary for the day-to-day operations of higher education institutions.

Upstate New York

Land use and zoning matters have become increasingly complex as municipalities seek to regulate more rigorously what are often scarcely remaining developable areas in Upstate New York’s metropolitan areas. Prudent developers will be thoughtful about carefully considering all available permitting tools and will need to place additional emphasis on producing a proper record before boards.

Looking ahead

Government regulation has been, and will continue, reaching deeper into higher education operations, presenting additional burdens at a time when demographics provide new enrollment challenges.

• “CAN-SPAM Act; Federal Compliance for Email Marketing,” Resort Developers Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, March 2017
• “Preparing a Legal Record for Zoning Approvals,” Wireless Telecommunications Training Program, Rochester, NY, Fall 2016
• “FERPA—What your College and University Needs to Know,” Higher Education Training Event, Rochester, NY
• “Siting Wind Farms in New York: Applicability of the Relaxed Public Utility Standards,” New York Zoning Law and Practice Report (Co-author)

Representative experience