Bill Silberstein
Alternate image for Bill Silberstein

Bill Silberstein

Of Counsel

Denver
303.825.7000

I love land. I am a land nerd, also known as a dirt lawyer. I visit as many of my past and present conservation projects as I can, taking car trips around Colorado in the summer and fall to enjoy the scenic views of these conserved lands and visiting with the owners. I also have over 40 years of experience in real estate transactions and development. The problem solving involved with closing real estate deals and in developing land is something I greatly enjoy. And as a land nerd, I enjoy title review because each review tells a story about a piece of land, from homesteading to present day land use.

Bill Silberstein represents clients in a wide variety of real estate developments, purchases, sales, leasing, and financing transactions for office buildings, hotel properties, retail shopping centers, ranches, and rural recreational properties throughout the Rocky Mountain states. He has served as developers’ counsel for many brownfield developments and transit-oriented developments.

In his over 40 years of experience, Bill has also built a land conservation practice that has a national reputation for excellence. He has represented landowners and conservation organizations in hundreds of conservation easement transactions and in more than 30 IRS audits of conservation easements. Bill helped the Forbes family create a conservation easement for its ranch in the San Luis Valley. More than 80,000 acres were included in the easement, the largest in Colorado at that time.

The breadth of his practice allows Bill to assist property owners who are pursuing either development or preservation objectives. He helps clients achieve an appropriate balance between development and conservation that is sensitive to economic development in the region and quality of life that is so important to the regional economy.

Representative Experience

Peña Station, Denver, Colorado

Represented the City and County of Denver on a public-private partnership in connection with the Peña Station area transit-oriented development (TOD) project, including negotiations with adjacent landowners, agreements related to $50 million infrastructure financing, and real estate issues

Redevelopment of the Former Gates Rubber Company Site, Denver, Colorado

Represented master developer in purchase contract negotiations, acquisition due diligence, acquisition, and development

Englewood CityCenter, Colorado

Represented the developer of the retail component of this transit-oriented development and adaptive reuse that includes apartments, condominiums, the municipal office building, and light rail station

East Fork Ranch, Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Represented the owner in a multi-year, multiple phase land conservation project resulting in the sale of several conservation easements and the preservation of a significant National Forest in-holding previously permitted for a ski area and golf course

Forbes Trinchera Ranch, near La Veta Pass, Colorado

Represented the Forbes family in the creation of an 80,000-acre conservation easement, the largest in Colorado

Lincoln Station, Douglas County, Colorado

Represented the developer of this transit-oriented development that includes office buildings, light rail station, and shared transit parking

Banded Peak Ranch, near San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Represented the private landowners in a multiple phase land conservation project, including both gift and bargain-sale conservation easements, federal and state incentives, reciprocal use agreements, and corporate and debt related issues, leading to the preservation of this magnificent landscape along the Navajo River

Pine Cliff Ranch, Douglas County, Colorado

Represented Colorado Open Lands in a multiple year transaction, accepting a conveyance from the historic ranching family and sale to a conservation buyer with a conservation easement in place

Resources and News

News

Presentations

Publications

Publications

  • Co-author of a chapter of the book Environmental Regulation of Real Property, Third Edition, outlining the legal options available under Colorado law for protecting agricultural lands, natural areas, and wildlife habitat, with an emphasis on programs that provide financial support or benefit to private landowners.  https://cle.cobar.org/Books/Product-Info/productcd/ZEROCB21B