James P. Langan

My Approach

I strive to listen to my clients and provide thoughtful advice to help them achieve their goals and reduce risks. I am dedicated to providing useful strategies to my clients in a timely fashion. As a former teacher and university attorney, I am particularly adept at advising colleges and other institutional clients with their financial and business needs. My Vermont upbringing is an asset while navigating the intricacies of state and local real estate and land use law and practice.

Practice Areas

Real Estate and Land Use
I assist my clients in all areas of commercial real estate and land use practice, including purchases, sales, financing, state and local permitting, residential and commercial leasing, homeowners’ association and other common interest community governance, property taxes, and property tax exemptions.  I represent clients in administrative proceedings before municipal commissions and boards as well as assist clients with compliance with state natural resources and Act 250 permits and regulations.

Business Transactions
I provide guidance to clients with all aspects of their business operations, including entity formation, commercial contracting, employee housing, and operational and environmental permitting and zoning.  I also assist clients seeking to acquire a business or sell their existing business.  More particularly, I represent several higher education and healthcare clients seeking loans and bond financing as well as assist health care clients with their research agreements.

Experience

• Represented large ski resort operator in its purchase of the assets and real estate of a major Vermont ski resort.
• Represented health care and higher ed institutions in the purchase and sale of land, residential and commercial properties.
• Represented non-profit health care organizations in connection with closing dozens of loans and bond financings.
• Ongoing representation of multiple ski resort and hospitality industry clients on real estate, land use and operational permit matters.
• Presenter of “Permitting and Case Law:  A Year in Review” at 2019 Vermont Development Conference;
• Co-Author of 2022 Chambers US Regional Real Estate Practice Guide
• Co-Author of 2018 and 2022 MCLE New England’s A Practical Guide to Residential Real Estate Transactions and Foreclosures in Vermont
• Co-Author of Vermont Chapter of 2016 ABA Commercial Lending Law: A Jurisdiction-by-Jurisdiction Guide to U.S. and Canadian Law
• Prior to joining Dinse, worked as an attorney in the finance division of a university and in the real estate and administrative law departments of large Boston law firms.

Professional Affiliations

• Board Member of Harvard-Radcliffe Club of Vermont (2017-Present)
• South Burlington Development Review Board (2019-2022)
• Former board member of Local Motion
• Former board member of Hunger Free Vermont
• American Bar Association: Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
• Vermont and Chittenden County Bar Associations