Personal Experience

Paul E. Gilbert is the co-founder of Gilbert Blilie PLLC, a premier boutique law firm concentrating on Real Estate and Zoning Law.  Mr. Gilbert leads the firm’s Real Estate practice, with an emphasis on representing clients in transactions and litigation involving real estate development, as well as zoning and land use law. His transaction practice includes real estate acquisition and disposition, financing, land valuation, zoning, subdivision, site planning, and other land use approvals.

Mr. Gilbert’s real estate practice is focused on resolving zoning disputes, restrictive covenants, and other private limitations on land use, including condemnation proceedings. His experience includes administrative law involving the State Land Department and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality matters, land annexations and landfill, and other waste disposal licensing.

For over four decades, Mr. Gilbert has been the lead lawyer on many of the most high profile zoning and land use matters in Phoenix, the fastest growing metropolitan area in the US. Mr. Gilbert represents owners, developers, and individuals. His clients are many of Arizona’s top developers and best known businesses, including William Levine/Pacific Proving, JDM Partners, LLC, El Dorado Holdings Property Company, Gary Davidson, MCO Properties, Pulte, Shea Homes, Blandford Homes, Westcor, Wentworth Property Company, LLC, as well as national and international entities such as Host Hotels and Resorts, Macerich, Carlyle Development Group, Scottsdale Quarter, and WP Glimcher.

Mr. Gilbert’s victories have opened the door to the development of iconic landmarks in Arizona, including The Phoenician Resort and Dial Tower. He represented the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints before the largest crowd ever to attend a Phoenix City Council meeting, helping his client resolve neighbors’ concerns and resulting in the development of the North Phoenix Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He has received the distinguished alumni B.Y.U. Udall award from the J. Rueben Clark Law Society.

A 1971 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt Hall Law School, Mr. Gilbert served as Note and Comment Editor of the California Law Review. He received his B.S., cum laude, in 1968 from Brigham Young University where he was Student Body President and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Fraternity. He served as President of the BYU Alumni Association from 1998 to 1999.

Mr. Gilbert is recognized by his peers as an AV® Preeminent Lawyer with the highest rating in Martindale-Hubbell and is ranked among the highest rated lawyers in America in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, and Southwest Super Lawyers. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for Arizona and the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona.

Mr. Gilbert’s support of his community is extensive. Among his many contributions, he has served as Chairman of the Arizona Chapter of The National Conference (formerly the National Association of Christians and Jews), Board of Director of the John C. Lincoln Foundation Board, and Chairman of the Desert Mission Fund Drive where he led the Capital Campaign to raise $2.5 million to expand the food bank.  Mr. Gilbert led the committee to secure the Phoenix Asylum Shelter and represents the Human Services Campus for Homeless and Unemployed.  To serve the legal community, Mr. Gilbert has chaired the Arizona Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and has been active in the State Bar of Arizona. He has been a panelist and speaker at State Bar seminars and for industry groups on topics related to real estate development, zoning, and land use.

Admissions

U.S. District Court – District of Arizona

Supreme Court of the State of Arizona

Education

Brigham Young University – B.S., cum laude, 1968

Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Fraternity; Student Body President

University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall – J.D., 1971

Note and Comment Editor, California Law Review

Representative Matters

• Original entitlement of The Phoenician Resort and recent expansion plan
• Expansion of the Wigwam Resort
• Numerous multifamily projects throughout the Valley
• Entitlement of numerous high rise buildings, such as the Dial Tower
• Expansion and entitlement for religious institutions
• Metrocenter redevelopment
• Expansion of Desert Ridge Master Plan
• Entitlement of regional centers such as Scottsdale Quarter and Prasada
• Entitlement of large auto malls throughout the valley
• Entitlement of major master planned communities such as Belmont, Prasada, and Estrella
• Leases on tribal lands
• Entitlement in mining operations
• Entitlement for corporate headquarters

Representative Clients

• Adams Construction
• Americal Management Company, Inc.
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Arizona State University
• Automatch USA, LLC
• BBC Land
• Beckham Gumbin Ventures, LLC
• Blandford Homes
• Blue Mountain Cafes
• Brigham Young University
• Carlyle Development Group
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• DriveTime Automotive Group
• El Dorado Holdings Inc.
• Evergreen Devco
• Gary Davidson
• Hancock Companies, LLC
• Hospice of The Valley
• Host Hotels & Resorts
• Kaplan Management Company
• Ken and Randy Kendrick
• Kornwasser Shopping Center Properties, LLC
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
• Lennar Multifamily Communities, LLC
• MCO Properties
• MCO Properties, Inc.
• Parkland Development, LLC
• Pasternack & Associates
• Shea Homes
• Turf Paradise
• VIP Homes
• Wentworth Property Company, LLC
• Western States Lodging
• Wigwam Resort
• WP Glimcher

Professional Distinctions

• Ranked AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale Hubbell – AV® Preeminent ™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies
• Selected, Best Lawyers in America – 1993 to 2032; Lawyer of the Year for 2012, 2013, 2014 (Litigation – Land Use and Zoning)
• Recognized, Chambers & Partners USA Guide (an annual listing of leading business lawyers in the world), Star Individual Attorney, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2004-2017
• Selected, Southwest Super Lawyers, Top Rated Land Use and Zoning Attorney 2007 – 2011, 2017 – 2020
• Recipient, Jesse Udall Distinguished Service Award, Arizona Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, 2015

Memberships & Activities

• President, Brigham Young University Alumni Association, 1998 and 1999
• Chairman, Arizona Chapter of The National Conference (formerly the National Association of Christians and Jews)
• Board of Directors, Desert Mission Foundation Board
• Chairman, Desert Mission Fund Drive
• Chairman, Arizona Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society
• Board of Directors, J. Reuben Clark Law Society
• Adjunct Professor, Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School
• Chairman, Rex E. Lee Teaching Excellence Fund Drive
• Chairman, Arizona State University’s Charles E. Jones Scholarship Fund Drive
• Chairman, Brigham Young University’s Charles E. Jones Scholarship Fund Drive
• Led the Committee to establish the Phoenix Asylum Shelter
• Represents the Human Services Campus for the homeless and unemployed

Publications

“Direct Actions Against Insurance Companies,” California Law Review

Presentations

Panelist and speaker on Arizona State Bar Association seminars

Panelist and speaker on City and County programs