Texas Land Development Law and Regulation
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Monday, September 29, 2025
8:30 am – 3:30 pm CDT
Agenda:
Texas Eminent Domain Law
Presented by Kyle Baum
- Understanding eminent domain powers
- Source of eminent domain powers
- History of the exercise of eminent domain powers
- Texas’ eminent domain law
- Types of eminent domain “takings:” public and quasi-public
- Just compensation: valuing “taken” property
- Privatization of eminent domain and other current issues
Participating in the Condemnation Process
Presented by Graham Taylor and Kyle Baum
- Condemnation process for government use
- Hearing and right of appeal
- Valuing the property taken
- Condemnation process for utility and other quasi-public use
Inverse Condemnation Cases Against Utilities
Presented by Graham Taylor and Hannah Silva
- What inverse condemnation is
- Requirements for maintaining an inverse condemnation action
- Defenses to inverse condemnation
- Damages in inverse condemnation cases
Identifying and Classifying Private and Public Easements
Presented by Joe W. Stuckey, JD, LLM, PE, RPLS
- Non-possessory property interest, servient estate
- Categories of easements
- Affirmative and negative (restrictive) easements
- Appurtenant and in gross easements
- Private and public easements
- Undefined easements
- Express and implied easements
- Necessity and permissive easements
- Conservation easements
- Creation of easements:
- By deed, dedication, reservation, prescription, estoppel
- By adverse possession, condemnation
- Obstruction of easements
- Termination of easements
Understanding Utility Easements and Rights-of-Way
Presented by Dan P. Tobin
- Current law on utility rights-of-way
- Federal laws and regulations
- State laws and regulations
- Types of utilities affected
- Electric, water, natural gas, telecommunications, satellite communications
- Basis for and definition of the easement
- Encroachments and interferences
- Maintenance
- Condemnation law
- Environmental issues
- Current issues involving utility easements
Understanding Highway Development and Rights-of-Way
Presented by Blaire A. Knox and Glorieni M. Azeredo
- Types of public and private roads in Texas
- Interstate highways, federal highways, state highways, county and local roads
- Private roads
- Identifying potential rights-of-way
- Condemnation process
- Landowner rights
- Alterations and encroachments
- Negotiating and valuting rights-of-way
- Rights included in right-of-way
- Maintenance of right-of-way
Webinar Instructions
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Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
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Credits
Engineers
6.0 PDHs
Land Surveyors
6.0 PDHs
Attorneys
6.0 CLE Hours
APA/AICP - American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners
6.0 CM
Continuing Education Information
This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 PDHs for professional engineers and surveyors and for 6.0 CLE hours for attorneys in Texas. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors does not pre-approve any continuing education activities or providers.
This course has been accredited for 6.0 CLE hours by the State Bar of Texas.
HalfMoon Education is an approved CM Provider with the American Planning Association. This course is registered for CM | 6 for Certified Planners.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).
*On-Demand Credits*
The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate.
Speakers
Glorieni M. Azeredo
Barron Adler Clough & Oddo, PLLC, in AustinMs. Azeredo joined Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC in 2024, bringing a diverse expertise in eminent domain law, transportation litigation, employment law, and commercial law. Throughout her career, she has brought five cases to jury trial, secured two appellate victories, and participated in hundreds of Special Commissioners hearings. Before joining Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC, Ms. Azeredo worked at Gilstrap Law Group, a commercial law firm in Austin, TX. She also served as the Houston area team lead for the Texas Attorney General’s Office’s Transportation Division, where she oversaw major litigation cases for the Texas Department of Transportation, including projects like the Grand Parkway and I-10.
Kyle Baum
Attorney at Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP in HoustonMr. Baum is a partner handling Texas civil litigation matters and property disputes. He has a statewide practice focused on representing and protecting Texas landowners and tenants facing real estate, condemnation, and eminent domain lawsuits. He regularly assists Texas landowners against takings by the State of Texas, cities, counties, oil and gas companies, pipeline companies, and electric transmission line companies. Mr. Baum graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 with a B.A. degree in Government. He then spent time working for both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate before attending Texas Tech University School of Law, where he graduated in 2012. There, he was the Lead Articles Editor of the Texas Tech Law Review and a member of the Board of Barristers. While in law school, he worked for the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Texas, the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, and the Washington Legal Foundation. He is admitted to practice in Texas and the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas. He is a member of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the Austin Bar Association, and the Austin Young Lawyers Association.
Blaire A. Knox
Barron Adler Clough & Oddo, PLLC, in AustinMs. Knox joined Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC, in 2016. Focusing in eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and land use litigation, she primarily researches complex legal issues and writes motions, discovery, and appeals, helping to advance cases during the litigation process. Prior to joining Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC, Ms. Knox was an associate with McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, LLP, where she focused her practice on commercial litigation, including business disputes, oil and gas issues, condemnation matters, and administrative law matters in Texas and federal courts. She also has experience litigating civil cases in state and federal appellate courts.
Hannah Silva
Attorney at Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP in HoustonMs. Sliva is a civil litigation associate at Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP in Houston, Texas, where her practice focuses on eminent domain and probate litigation. A native of the Texas Gulf Coast, Ms. Sliva brings a deep respect for land, legacy, and the communities connected to both. Ms. Sliva earned her J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center, where she founded the Agricultural Law Association and served as a teaching assistant for the 1L Property Law course. She is also a proud former student at Texas A&M, where she was active as a Diamond Darling and Aggie Network Student Ambassador.
Joe W. Stuckey, JD, LLM, PE, RPLS
Attorney at Law in RosharonMr. Stuckey practices primarily in corporate, real estate, and environmental law, including transactional work and litigation. He has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and J.D. and L.L.M. degrees from the University of Houston Law Center. Mr. Stuckey is admitted to the practice of law in all Texas courts, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Claims Court. He is also licensed in Texas as a professional engineer and a registered public land surveyor.
Graham Taylor
Attorney at Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP in HoustonMr. Taylor is an attorney who represents clients in trials and litigation throughout Texas. Graham’s practice primarily involves the protection of property rights for clients whose properties are being impacted by condemning authorities in eminent domain.Mr. Taylor has represented his clients in court and at special commissioners’ hearings. He has also successfully mediated and settled dozens of cases outside of trial. Mr. Taylor’s passion for constitutional rights does not end in the courtroom. In addition to representing clients full-time, he is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas where he teaches Constitutional Law and Environmental Law. Mr. Taylor is also coach of the University of St. Thomas Mock Trial Team.
Dan P. Tobin
Attorney at McFarland PLLCMr. Tobin enjoyed a robust full-service practice for 15 years of his career with both transactional and litigation experience. He represented property owners, business owners, and in-house counsel across a variety of industries, such as technology, banking / financial services, real estate, construction, and outdoor advertising. He worked with clients during every phase of the business cycle, from contract negotiation to courtroom advocacy, including handling a multi-million dollar transactions and litigating complex commercial disputes in Texas and federal court. Additionally, Mr. Tobin had a prominent role in running the business of his previous firm, where he served as President and on the Board of Directors. The combination of Mr. Tobin’s vast experience with McFarland’s singular focus provides McFarland’s clients the best of both worlds – a full service business lawyer channeling his experience to condemnation representation. He is admitted to the Texas and New York Bar Associations. Mr. Tobin received her J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and his B.A. degree from the University of Buffalo.