Land Acquisition & Right‑of‑Way for Projects
Successful projects start with securing land rights. Our attorneys assist clients with identifying and acquiring real property interests needed to move critical infrastructure from concept to in‑service.
What We Do
Our team handles end‑to‑end land acquisition and right‑of‑way work for linear and site‑specific projects, including:
- Power transmission and distribution lines, substations, and renewable energy facilities.
- Natural gas and liquids pipelines, compressor and pump stations, and related facilities.
- Transportation projects, including roads, bridges, rail corridors, and transit facilities.
- Water, sewer, and other public works, as well as industrial and commercial site development.
We integrate real estate, environmental, land use, and litigation experience to deliver streamlined, practical solutions from early routing through construction and operation.
Comprehensive Services Across the Project Life Cycle
Our attorneys work as part of your core project team from initial planning through in‑service, providing:
- Routing, planning, and due diligence: corridor and site analysis; title review; identification of encumbrances; and risk mapping to inform routing, schedule, and budget.
- Title and survey support: records research, line list development, curative title work, heirship and missing‑owner issues, and coordination with surveyors and appraisers.
- Voluntary acquisition and negotiation: drafting and negotiation of purchase and sale agreements, options, easements, rights‑of‑way, encroachment agreements, and licenses.
- Permits and crossings: securing permissions for road, rail, and utility crossings; workspace and access rights; and related real‑estate based permits.
- Eminent domain / condemnation: when necessary, preparing and filing condemnation actions, securing possession, managing discovery, and trying just‑compensation cases.
- Construction and operations support: addressing access disputes, damage claims, boundary issues, and post‑construction restoration and release matters.
Eminent Domain
For projects that require the acquisition of land rights through eminent domain, our services include:
- Pre‑condemnation planning, project necessity documentation, and public use analyses.
- Coordination with surveyors, appraisers and other experts.
- Strategies to achieve timely access to property while managing cost, schedule, and stakeholder relationships.
With regard to our interstate natural gas pipeline clients, we have filed hundreds of condemnations in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. In each instance, we were successful in settling the cases without the need for a valuation proceeding. In fact, beginning in 2001, we were the first firm in New Jersey to obtain immediate possession of the easements condemned for an interstate natural gas pipeline company. Our pleadings are the template used by other firms in federal court to acquire immediate possession for their interstate pipeline clients.
Our firm has also filed hundreds of condemnations in state court. In fact, Rutter & Roy handled the acquisition of dune and beach replenishment easements in connection with a hurricane and storm damage protection project along the Jersey Shore.
Why Clients Choose Us
Clients turn to Rutter & Roy because:
- We bring deep experience on large‑scale, multi‑parcel and single‑parcel projects.
- We offer integrated support across real estate, land use, environmental, regulatory, and litigation disciplines, creating a “one‑stop” solution for project siting and acquisition.
- We understand how the acquisition of land rights affect project schedule and risk, and tailor strategies to manage these risks.
To discuss how our attorneys can support land acquisition for your next project, please contact us.