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 35 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

Professional and Civic Activities / Awards

• Colorado Open Space Alliance Blue Grama Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Individual (2016)
• Land Trust Alliance (Conservation Defense Committee 2011–Present; Conservation Defense Council 2011–Present)
• Dean, Advanced Legal Topics in Land Conservation Law Symposia (2009–2019)
• Super Lawyers^® for Environmental Law; Real Estate Law (2006–2009, 2011–2012)
• Pro bono Counsel, Keep It Colorado formally known as Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts (1992–Present)