Joseph Williams is a member of the Real Estate, Environment and Land Use Practice Group. He practices in the areas of environmental and land use permitting and litigation, primarily representing private companies, developers and property owners in a wide array of real estate-related proceedings including site development applications, administrative appeals, takings and eminent domain, adverse possession, boundary and easement disputes, injunction actions, workforce and affordable housing, fair housing claims and environmental clean-up and cost recovery actions. He also has represented several municipalities, boards of education and state agencies in such matters. Joe regularly appears before federal, state and local administrative agencies on such matters as well as trial and appellate courts at the state and federal level.
- AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers: Environment; 2007
- Listed as a Connecticut Super Lawyer®: Land Use/Zoning; 2006-2012
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Litigation-Environmental; 2009-2012
- 40 Under Forty, Hartford Business Journal (2004)
- New Leader of the Law, Connecticut Law Tribune (2002)
- American Bar Association: Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (Water Quality and Wetlands Committee and Superfund and Hazardous Waste Committee); Section of Litigation (Committee on Corporate Counsel and Condemnation, Zoning and Land Use Litigation Committee)
- Connecticut Bar Association: Executive Committee, Environmental Law Section; Executive Committee, Planning and Zoning Section; Legislative Liaison, Planning and Zoning Section
- CBIA Environmental Policies Council
- Connecticut Developers Council
- Real Estate Exchange
- Builders Association of Eastern Connecticut, Inc.
- Bushnell Park Foundation: President
- Glastonbury Education Foundation: Board of Directors, Executive Committee
- Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity
- United Way of the Capital Area, Shipman & Goodwin Annual Appeal: Past Campaign Chair
- Leadership Greater Hartford (Quest, 2002)
- Coach, Glastonbury Hartwell Soccer Club & Glastonbury Lacrosse Club
Prevailed in Zoning Appeal for 214 Townhouses Under Section 8-30g
Represented a home builder on zoning and wetlands applications to build 214 townhouses on a 32-acre former apple orchard in Southington, Connecticut, with 30 percent of the units designated affordable under General Statutes § 8-30g. The team succeeded in gaining approval of a wetlands permit, but the Planning and Zoning Commission denied the zoning application and approved a resubdivision that was proposed by an abutting property owner to cut off road access into the client's site. The firm appealed both decisions and prevailed in the two appeals. The Superior Court invalidated the abutter's resubdivision and ordered the Commission to adopt the proposed affordable housing zone, rezone the property and approve the modified site plan application. Hillcrest Orchards, LLC v. Southington Planning and Zoning Commission, Docket No. 08-4016248-S (March 6, 2009).
Successful Suit for Property Remediation Under CT Environmental Protection Act
Represented a limited partnership that owns a commercial building in Norwalk, Connecticut on environmental cost recovery claims against the housing authority that owns an adjacent public housing development. After a lengthy trial, the court found that the housing authority had allowed underground storage tanks containing heating oil to leak and cause substantial soil and groundwater contamination at its property. The court granted the plaintiff an injunction requiring the defendant to remediate its property under the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act and awarded the plaintiff its attorneys’ fees. 50 Day Street Associates, Limited Partnership v. Norwalk Housing Authority, Connecticut Superior Court, Complex Litigation Docket at Stamford, Docket No. (X08) CV-02-0191396-S (2005).