Bio
Todd’s practice focuses on the private and public elements of real estate development, including transactions, obtaining development approvals, and reforming land development codes. He helps both developers and regulators navigate and interpret complex land use regulations, and assists in reforming regulations that are outmoded, overcomplicated, legally questionable, or ineffective.
For the private sector, Todd helps real estate developers and investors throughout the life cycle of a transaction from site identification, zoning, and subdivision approvals—along with related items like infrastructure reimbursement agreements, development agreements, annexation agreements, subdivision improvements agreements, public hearings, and administrative appeals— to purchase and sale agreements, easement creation, and leases. Todd also helps property owners and business owners with real estate matters including sign permits, leasing, boundary disputes (encroachments), and easement interpretation.
For public sector clients, Todd’s principal focus is regulatory reform projects, including zoning, subdivision, and sign code reform. Todd is the principal draftsperson for complete redrafts of more than a half-dozen Colorado land development codes, and has provided support for several more. In addition, Todd has rewritten more than a half-dozen Colorado sign codes to ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court case of Reed v. Gilbert, and is a frequent lecturer on the topic of sign codes and the First Amendment. In addition to regulatory reform, Todd provides general and special counsel services to small cities and towns dealing with issues like annexation, infrastructure financing programs, elections, utilities, and open records policies. Clients rely on Todd to translate complex rules into a straightforward and practical course of action that meets their unique needs.
Todd’s work is informed not only by his significant experience on different sides of multifaceted issues, but also by more than 10 years of martial arts training (he is currently a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo). Taekwondo’s five core tenets—courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit—are fundamental principles that shape Todd’s approach to the practice of law.