Kell Alterman & Runstein, LLP

	Attorneys



503.222.3531 E-mail attorney Practice areas Environmental and land use

Martha Sharp (AV)

Among Oregon's most pressing challenges is how to manage the urban growth boundary and the region's larger land use scheme. The issue is so vexing that Martha Sharp-Kell, Alterman & Runstein's innovative real estate, environmental, and land use attorney-expects the bulk of her practice to revolve around land use questions in the coming years.

"The anticipated growth in Portland alone is phenomenal," Marti explains. "And there needs to be a way to deal with this increase, with the urban growth boundary, and with other land use issues, such as Measure 37 and its offshoots. Are we going to grow up, or are we going to grow out? And how can we balance development with the need to sustain farming, agriculture, natural resources, and open spaces?"

"I pride myself in being a 'dirt lawyer,'" she says. "Most lawyers specialize in either real property transactions, land use, or environmental law. I saw early on, however, that if I could practice in all of these areas, I could tie my clients' needs together. Thus, if my clients are acquiring a 'dirty' piece of property, I can help them with every step of the process, from the purchase and sale agreement, to the remedial effort, to securing building entitlements, to the ultimate build-out of the site."

Although Marti devotes much of her practice to straightforward real property transactional work, including buying, selling, and leasing real parcels of property, she also handles a fair share of environmental and land use work. As such, she frequently appears before various governmental agency boards and, where necessary, in the courts. She describes her approach as "tough but fair," and says her ability to relate to people is one of her biggest strengths as an attorney. "I can often tell what clients hope to gain even if they don't tell me directly," she says. "And once we've established an agenda, I try to facilitate their needs in the most non-litigious way that I can."

Marti joined Kell, Alterman & Runstein in April 2006 after nearly 10 years of practice in Los Angeles, mostly with Loeb & Loeb in the firm's Real Property and Natural Resources group. She credits Loeb & Loeb with giving her a strong perspective on how to balance development and environmental concerns, as many of her clients were, and continue to be, municipalities and developers. Marti has traveled to all of the world's continents and recently completed the 105th Boston Marathon. Her ability to balance her work and family life is credited to the support of her husband, Matthew, and her two small children, Owen and Zoe.

Professional and civic activities

Oregon State Bar, Real Estate and Land Use section
California State Bar, Real Property and Environmental section
Construction Management Association
Northwest Environmental Business Council
Portland Homebuilders Association
120-Day Land Use Club
AV rating from Martindell-Hubbell

Admitted to practice

Oregon
California

Education

B.S., Metropolitan State College, 1987
J.D., Southwestern University School of Law, cum laude, 1997

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