In the area of eminent domain law, Leslie A. Fields has been active on virtually all sides of the land acquisition and valuation process. Representing both private and governmental entities, her clients include individual and corporate landowners, developers, energy providers, pipeline and transmission line companies, public service corporations, counties, municipalities and special districts. She has counseled and represented her clients through every stage of a condemnation case, from preliminary negotiations for the acquisition of property, to the institution of condemnation proceedings, to the ultimate determination of just compensation through litigation and the appellate process.
During her extensive career, Leslie has been involved in every major governmental project within the state of Colorado, including the Denver International Airport, the Colorado Convention Center, Highways C-470 and E-470, the I-25 Transportation Expansion Project (T-REX) and the FasTracks Lightrail project.
She has argued numerous precedent-setting cases before the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court on behalf of both private landowners and governmental entities. Her efforts have helped shape the law of eminent domain in Colorado, particularly in the areas of public use, necessity, valuation methodologies, and home rule eminent domain powers.
Leslie has testified as an expert witness in her area of expertise and has also presented before Colorado judges at their annual Colorado Judicial Conference. She has written extensively on eminent domain law and procedures. In 2007, Leslie authored the Colorado textbook Colorado Eminent Domain Practice published by Bradford Publishing.
She is currently co-chairman of one of ALI-ABA's longest-running national conferences, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation. This annual conference, attended by lawyers, judges, appraisers and right-of-way agents from around the country, has become the go-to forum for the most current updates on the law of eminent domain and the exchange and development of new ideas.
Leslie's experience extends into numerous subareas of the eminent domain and land valuation field, including condemning for private ways of necessity, acquisition of access rights, project enhancement and highest and best use issues, visibility and loss of view damages, parking lot impacts, land use noncompliance impacts, value of special use properties, corridor and utility acquisitions, open space acquisitions, relocation expenses, and appraisal standards and guidelines.
Leslie is a member of the firm's management board.